My 20x40 vinyl pool was built in 2020. 3.5' shallow end/6' deep end. Liner went in perfectly with no wrinkles. When I opened in 2021 I noticed some wrinkles/bubbles in the shallow end/lower step, clearly a water table issue over the winter (probably since water is lower in shallow end). Has been a repeat issue almost every year since, including this one. Just opened myself yesterday and some pictures from today are below.

Usually as the weather/water warms up I'm able to use a plunger to drag them out, and they don't reappear during the swimming season. But I don't love tugging on the liner (already had to repair one leak) and I'm hoping to solve the problem once and for all by addressing the water table issue.

I'm thinking two possible solutions:
1) My pool builder installed a gravel bed below deep end, with a flexible 2" pipe leading back to the pad (see 4th picture below showing white flexible pipe coming out of gravel near pad). Is there some way for that pipe to used in a way where water can *automatically* be pumped away in the winter if above a certain level?
2) Dig a vertical hole on one side of my pool near shallow end and install a 8-10" pipe, wide enough to drop a sump pump in there to drain the water away. Would conceal the pipe with a cover to make it look like a skimmer like this: Login to view embedded media Would leave submersible pump it in there in the winter a few feet down and the float would tell it when to turn on. Would not use in the summer when pool water level is high enough (unless massive rains are coming). Note there is compacted RCA around the pool so that is what I would be digging through to install the pipe.

Thoughts on 1 vs 2, or any other suggestions?

thanks

Sharing this in case it helps others, even if only to overcome hesitation. Using a shop vac to excavate was an unplanned but happy innovation. Flex PVC may have some limitations, but I’d rather take my chances there than another elbow fail. Also, super happy the issue was accessible, all things considered. Now, back to getting it up and running again! Was just getting opened when I started the pump and water came pouring up out of the ground. Wishing all my TFP-er friends a fantastic pool season!

Hey Everyone!

Been struggling with cloudy water and doing a SLAM for about 2 weeks now, and the water is either very very slowly getting better or Im losing my mind and hallucinating (probably). Anyway, today after a backwash, I decided to pull a sample of water straight from the output hose after the rinse cycle (left cup in picture below) to compare a sample of the water straight from the output hose after it filtered (right cup in the picture below). As you can see the rinsed water is appreciable clearer than the filtered water. Is it normal for the rinse water to be clearer than the filtered water? Or does that mean theres something wrong in the filter? My pool chemistry is below in case that matters:
pH (checked before slam began): 7.5
CYA: 30
FC: 12

Thanks in advance for any help!!