Hello. Just found the forum, and have been impressed with all of the information here. I am looking for some guidance on vinyl liner replacement and a coping repair project. I have a 22X35 kidney shaped Fox pool, 8' or so deep end. It was installed in 1977, i believe.
When i opened thee pool this spring, i found the level of the pool had dropped to just below the bottom of the stairs which has never happend before. I never experience any loss of water level over the winter, so i must have a leak, and i inspected the liner really closely at the water level and just above and cannot find a hole anywhere. I figured if i coudn't find it with a naked eye, it must be really small.
Well, that's the easy part. There was only about a foot of water left in the shallow end, and the rising water table from recent rains floated my liner in the shallow end and it is now full of wrinkles. That also has never happened. We have had one wrinkle on the slope in the liner and it not very noticable. The liner was last replaced in May of 2000, so it has seen 9 swimming seasons.
With only a foot or so of water in the shallow end, i attempted to move the liner to push the wrinkles to the sides, using a plunger and had no success at all. I found there is no water currently between the liner and the walls/floor either. It seems as though the liner has shrunk and/or somehow shifted or something.
Thinking i could make it no worse, I drained the remining foot of water to see if the liner would be more pliable from some heat from the sun. I was able to move the wrinkles a little, however, it still seems to no longer fit and i don't know how it would stretch to the floor to wall joint with water in it.
The plastic coping is really starting to show it's age. About a four foot section is cracked pretty bad where the top came loose from the concrete deck, and there are several other cracks and a hole in another section around the perimeter. The local pool guy came and looked at it and said the liner is brittle and needs to be replaced. He also said there is really no quick fix for the coping as that style is no longer made. He suggested replacing it with tile or brick, but it will be several months before he can get to it, and the job of replacing the coping is 'very involved'. Gave an estimate in excess of $4000 for the liner replacement, and no estimate for the coping. I have not discussed the repair any further with him.
This brings me to my questions:
1) The liner is not verly pliable any more. Should i expect to be able to move the liner at all with its age?
2) If i just say what the heck and attempt to fill the pool will i just get wrinkles or should i expect worse since the liner is older and not very pliable.
3) It makes a lot of sense to replace the liner after doing the coping repair. If i decide to do the liner now so we can enjoy the pool this summer, can the coping be repaired or replaced with tile or brick without damaging the new liner?
4) Since it is a Fox pool, where the concrete deck is pretty much part of the wall structure (X brace), will i need to wreck out the entire deck to replace the coping?
Thanks for any help! k
When i opened thee pool this spring, i found the level of the pool had dropped to just below the bottom of the stairs which has never happend before. I never experience any loss of water level over the winter, so i must have a leak, and i inspected the liner really closely at the water level and just above and cannot find a hole anywhere. I figured if i coudn't find it with a naked eye, it must be really small.
Well, that's the easy part. There was only about a foot of water left in the shallow end, and the rising water table from recent rains floated my liner in the shallow end and it is now full of wrinkles. That also has never happened. We have had one wrinkle on the slope in the liner and it not very noticable. The liner was last replaced in May of 2000, so it has seen 9 swimming seasons.
With only a foot or so of water in the shallow end, i attempted to move the liner to push the wrinkles to the sides, using a plunger and had no success at all. I found there is no water currently between the liner and the walls/floor either. It seems as though the liner has shrunk and/or somehow shifted or something.
Thinking i could make it no worse, I drained the remining foot of water to see if the liner would be more pliable from some heat from the sun. I was able to move the wrinkles a little, however, it still seems to no longer fit and i don't know how it would stretch to the floor to wall joint with water in it.
The plastic coping is really starting to show it's age. About a four foot section is cracked pretty bad where the top came loose from the concrete deck, and there are several other cracks and a hole in another section around the perimeter. The local pool guy came and looked at it and said the liner is brittle and needs to be replaced. He also said there is really no quick fix for the coping as that style is no longer made. He suggested replacing it with tile or brick, but it will be several months before he can get to it, and the job of replacing the coping is 'very involved'. Gave an estimate in excess of $4000 for the liner replacement, and no estimate for the coping. I have not discussed the repair any further with him.
This brings me to my questions:
1) The liner is not verly pliable any more. Should i expect to be able to move the liner at all with its age?
2) If i just say what the heck and attempt to fill the pool will i just get wrinkles or should i expect worse since the liner is older and not very pliable.
3) It makes a lot of sense to replace the liner after doing the coping repair. If i decide to do the liner now so we can enjoy the pool this summer, can the coping be repaired or replaced with tile or brick without damaging the new liner?
4) Since it is a Fox pool, where the concrete deck is pretty much part of the wall structure (X brace), will i need to wreck out the entire deck to replace the coping?
Thanks for any help! k