Identifying where a pinhole would be

[DonW]

I need help in identifying where possible pinholes in a liner would be. We have a couple of cereal bowl-sized depressions in the floor of our liner. These depressions are right in front of the cove, coincidentaly right in front of the buttresses, opposite sides of the pool. The water temp here is still a little chilly for me to get in to see if the depressions are soft underneath or not. Best scenario for me is some settling around the buttress and pressure plates. Worst case some holes. In any event, if they are holes, where would you think the hole would be? At the bottom of the depression, or along the rim? I was careful in manually vaccuming the pool last year, but in an attempt to do a good job, it's possible that I might have caused a hole or two with excessive rubbing. When we winterized the pool last year these depressions weren't there. Upon opening this year, it was the first thing I saw. So if it took 8 months to produce these depressions, the hole I would think would be minute, which in itself will be a pain to find. This will be the second season for the pool as last July was when I installed it.

 

[Casey]

The way I would go about it would be with a pair of googles when the water warms up. If you find a hole around or near the deprssion, put a penny on it so you don't lose it, cut your patch and go back down.

For some reason, I can't patch on my own. I usually have my son with me, stepping on my back holding me down cuz I always float back up.

A few years ago, I patched over a dozen holes in my liner. You wanna talk about an exhausting process finding them all. I went from one end of the pool to the other back and forth til I found them all, following the pattern of the floor, inch by inch :!:

Good Luck! Hopefully, it's just settled.

 

[DonW]

Casey, how did you find them? Were they extremely small? I'm at the age now where it takes the old spectometers (glasses) to read now. Were thery easy to see once you found them? Could you feel them?

 

[Casey]

Mine weren't pin holes but more tears from my diving dog. They were hard to find though. I guess my young eyes made it easier. :lol:

Are you losing water?

 

[newnick]

My wife and I and our son have been going over the bottom of our pool searching for the leaks we have but have been unable to find any. I wish you good luck in finding yours.

 

[DonW]

I don't think that I'm losing any water, but I have a bad feeling. There are areas outside the pool wall in the shade of wall that are still moist, where the sun does not get there to dry things out. When I built the pool I backfilled around the buried buttresses with crushed limestone and packed it tight. However, the buttress frames are hollow and it is possible with the absence of drainage around the pool that I have some settling issues. This year is to be a retaining wall and french drain around the pool. When they excavated the site they had to cut away a considerable amount of dirt to get it level. So my pool is now sitting in a hole with no drainage except for the sandy soil. I've tried to identify pinholes in a previously owned pool with zero results and ended up replacing the liner. At least I have some sinkholes which will pinpoint a possible breach in the liner, but probably couldn't identify a pinhole even if it bit me on the finger.

 

[98xc600]

I think the best way to find a hole is to put some food coloring in a syringe and with your filter off so the water is still go to the suspect area and slowly let out a little of the food coloring. If there is a hole you should see the food coloring get sucked up into the hole. I have one like this for testing pool water.

I usually have my son with me, stepping on my back holding me down cuz I always float back up.

Casey
I sure hope you don't try this if he is mad at you.

 

[kilika2003]

We have the same "cereal bowl" size depressions in the cove area right where the two buried butresses are. They showed up after the first winter and have been there since. Coincidently, they are also on the side that required excavation. I didn't lose any water last summer. I don't like the idea of them being there, but I'm pretty sure they settled that way.

This spring we added a retaining wall and sloped for better drainage. I really won't know how the "cereal bowls" are doing this year until I get in the pool when it gets warm enough.

 

[Casey]

Casey
I sure hope you don't try this if he is mad at you.

That's what you call:

"Paybacks are a MOTHER" :lol:

He wouldn't hurt his momma! He better NOT and let me live cuz he be in BIG trooooooouble! :lol:

 

[DonW]

kilika2003, nice to know I'm not alone. I got into the pool for the first time yesterday to clean and to investigate. I bought a mask and checked out these depressions and am wondering if yours are similar also. Along the ridge they are rock hard, dead center they are soft, (maybe from the lack of sand). My thinking is, that if these are holes, then all the way around of these depressions they would be soft. I'm not completely sold that they are not holes, just am leaning towards a wash-out/settling scenario. Thanks for confirming that my situation is not as strange as I once thought. It's just frustrating. You love your pool up, but it doesn't love you back.

 

[kilika2003]

DonW - It's been too cold for me to get in there, but it will be the first thing that I inspect when I do. I really do think it's just settling. It stayed like that all last summer. I do make sure the kids stay away from that area though...certainly don't want to make it worse.

I'll let you know what I find when I go in.