Vinyl liner thickness?

[Eastern]

Hi- we are replacing the 10 year old vinyl liner in our in ground pool. It has many rips and tears and the bottom is bleached white! I find it interesting that the sides haven't really bleached or ripped at all, and thus assume that in our case, the damage is from UV exposure rather than water balance problems. Our pool gets full sun from about 11am to 6pm and we live in the south.

I've been reading that 20 mil liners are fine for most pools, and are generally easier to install, but I wonder if we ought to consider a thicker gauge since our pool gets so much sun?

Also, I've been reading online that the pigment in bright royal blue liner ink tends to fade more quickly than lighter blues, turquoise, tans, and dark blue. Have any of you heard or experienced this?

 

[duraleigh]

There is virtually no penetration of UV beneath the surface of the water so you pool floor bleaching out is perhaps a chemical condition that exists or existed. I have seen a suction side vacuum cause an issue with a pool floor as well.

 

[borjis]

Did you inherit this pool with the existing liner? It could just be that the bottom is white to begin with...maybe.

Try to find the serial number in your documentation or printed on the back side of the liner in the shallow end,
that will save a bunch of money when ordering a new one.

The concensus on the liner thickness is that the standard mil works fine and thicker doesn't really have a benefit.
if something punctures it, the thickness makes no difference.

I have heard of those shades of blue dye fading...I believe my liner is that color, wish I'd known that before.

 

[Eastern]

I can faintly see the faded pattern on the liner. I'm glad to hear that 20 mil is sufficient!