Liner wrinkle along wall

[AnnaK]

I noticed this season three wrinkles in the liner along one wall of the pool. They're running parallel to each other and are fairly long, 3 or 4 feet. The liner appears to be seated firmly on top and the tile pattern hasn't changed. What I mean is, the pattern lines are still straight. This is the pool's 4th summer.

Is this something I need to be concerned about? Is it something I can fix myself or do I need to call a pool company?

Chems are great at pH=7.5, FC = 5, CC = 0, TA = 70, CYA = 30 and holding steady for more than a month now.

I would truly appreciate your thoughts on this.

 

[X-PertPool]

Please post a picture, I would think underground water but your pool is above ground; I don't think it's a chemistry issue since your water isn't acidic. It could also be a problem with the pool wall. Regardless I'm only guessing as I can't actually see it.

 

[AnnaK]

Will do. It's pouring rain here today though, it might be tomorrow before I can post some pictures.

 

[AnnaK]

Finally, sun!

Here are photos of the wrinkles in my AGP liner:

This last picture was taken looking down from the edge. If you look closely you can see the liner seam running nearly through the center of the picture, a very thin white line. I can't see that it's crooked or has shifted anywhere. As well, the liner pattern is straight all around the pool.

There is no damage on the outside of the pool wall, no evidence of insects or rodents.

Above the water line the liner is not tight up against the wall in several places. It's like there's air behind it but this has been so since the pool was set up some years ago.

These wrinkles are new and they seem to be getting longer and more numerous. I'm at a loss as to what they are, where they came from, and what to do about them.

 

[X-PertPool]

How far does your AGP pool go into the ground? Are there ground water issues in your area?

 

[matt4x4]

Those wrinkles are from frost heaves, the ground under this particular portion of your pool likely holds more water than the rest of it due to poorer drainage and expand a little more because of that. So the pool floor gets shoved up along the wall some causing the liner to wrinkle (push up) like that because your floor has come up some with the frost heave - in a few years time your wall might go up a tad in that area at the top, but it's really nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things.
Unless you drain the pool down to near the lowest wrinkle you will not get them out.

 

[AnnaK]

How far does your AGP pool go into the ground? Are there ground water issues in your area?

It doesn't go in the ground at all and there are no ground water issues here.

 

[AnnaK]

Matt's magic words, paraphrased: "Don't worry about it."

Yes, that area may well be the lowest point in the ground under the pool. What we have had is a slight shift of the deck surrounding the pool which may be pushing against that area and that, in turn, might squish the liner together, mightn't it?

We're not planning on draining this pool anytime soon. Will these wrinkles be subject to premature weakening, do you think?

 

[X-PertPool]

Besides being a bit of an eye sore and maybe collecting some dirt it won't really affect the life of the liner. Luckily the wrinkles are on the wall which means you don't really have to worry about the liner getting rubbed raw from vacuuming.

 

[AnnaK]

Thanks guys!

You've eased my mind. It is an eye sore, yes. I've prided myself on having a perfect pool but heck, the water still is perfect and I can learn to ignore these lines.

I am so glad I don't have to freak out over them.

 

[matt4x4]

Anna - you can try rolling them flat - sometimes it actually works a bit, the liner stretches as it fills - and you may be able to unstretch it a bit by rolling them - those look like it might be possible to do.
Get a flat roller about 3"-4" wide - the type you would use to press down the edges of Linoleum flooring (they have a slight curve at each end so you don't bite an edge, start at the end of the top one and roll across, whilst pushing/pulling up on the liner above it with your hand flat on the wall. Basically - you're trying to spread the excess over a larger area.
Move on to the next one.

The bottom ones - I doubt your hands will help, but try bouncing on your floor right next to the wall a bit before rolling - you might actually compress the floor a bit since it was likely expanded through the frost - it might help a tad.

 

[AnnaK]

Good ideas, Matt. I have a wallpaper roller, about 3" wide with rounded edges which might work. I'll give that a try.

 

[matt4x4]

because of how wide/thick they look - you might find it's water trapped in behind and it needs to go somewhere, the upper ones - push it up - not sure if the lower ones are better bringing it down or up....