Water Issues and Floating Liner

[williamske]

We had two hurricanes come through in the past two years (Irene and Sandy). Both Hurricanes brought a lot of rain. We bought this home in 2011 and have since noticed a floating liner issue. I have had to drain the water out from behind the liner at least 10 times since we move here due to heavy rains.

Originally the pool company we hired to come look at the job said they wanted to do a well to help alleviate the water issue. However once they broke ground on several different spots they concluded that tapping the wall in a few spots would solve the issue. They thought we may have an underground swell, but when they dug the soil was not as bad as they thought. We live in Delaware, so we have a lot of clay.

His idea is to fill in around the colar with gravel and a preferated pipe. Have the perferated pipe poke through a few spots under the liner so that water can escape rather than be trapped. He also wants to put preferated pipe along the inside corners of the wall, but he said he may not have to do that. He thinks the wall taps will be enough. Due to the elevation on the right side of the pool we may still need to do a well over there, but the left side seems to be ok with a gravity drain due to the pitch.

I just wanted to throw this out on the forum to receive some feedback. I want to make sure we fix this right the first time. We are having them install the drain/well now so we an monitor it over the winter and spring before installing a new liner.

Thoughts?

 

[williamske]

more pics of the left side. I will post some of the right tomorrow.

 

[duraleigh]

Hey. Welcome to the forum. :lol:

It is very difficult to comment on a ground water issue with any authority because the local pool folks usually know s-o-o much more about the problem than any forum can hope to.

I would say that you have to use some "gut feeling" and, if your pool company makes you feel pretty good about what they are saying, then go with them.

Have you asked if they will provide a type of warranty against your liner floating again?

 

[williamske]

No, but I will ask and get it in writing. Thank you

 

[Swampwoman]

How much more expensive would it be to go ahead and dig the full deep-end sump, lay the perf pipe and bed, and tie it into your pump so that you can reverse it to suction off water during high water events/storms? -- Compared to the "hole" approach that he says you "should" be able to "get away with..."

I guess if I were in your shoes, I'd rather do the full job NOW rather than AFTER I'd just replaced a new liner. And his language suggests it might be a WAG (wild-arsed-guess) as to whether it would be effective or not.

My vinyl pool was constructed that way, plus has gravel around the cement perimeter for drainage.

Here's a blog article about the issue and preferred approach from a pool builder. Makes sense to me, and is what my PB also sez is the "correct" way to do it. (But of course, we're not seeing your conditions...so maybe you should get a second site opinion.)

Cheers!

http://www.penguinpool.com/sump-systems ... nyl-liner/

 

[williamske]

Unfortunately the pool colars were not surrounded by gravel. He thought they would be. The builder apparently just back filled it with clay. I will review the Link you sent and discuss with my husband. Right now the total cost is 3100 and that induces the wall taps, the well on the deep end (idk how deep, I'll ask), interior parameter French drain, pressure test and fix pipes and pool liner replacement to include repacking the vermiculite.