Liner has pulled out of the bead

[BK]

Hello Everyone,

Here is my dilemma, and there is a long story leading up to why it is like it is, but I won't bore you all with the details.

I have an 18x33 oval above ground pool. At the skimmer end it is about six to eight inches higher (read lower water level) than the other end. Near the skimmer the liner has pulled out of the track, as well as a section down towards the other end.

I have been trying to somehow patch this to get through the season instead of buying a new liner now and making the job be done right. The long story is that the installation was never done right in the first place, last year, and now this year is even worse. I hate the idea of draining the pool to fix the liner and then filling again, and maybe winding up with the same problem.

So, if I don't keep filling the pool, it drains out where the liner is pulled out. I have to keep filling as much as I can because it is low enough to effect the filter and pump.

I have some very sticky roofing material and some "underwater tape" (lol) stuck all over it in an attempt to just be able to fill the pool. Of course none of this stays stuck for long and it begins to drain.

Is there any way to "patch" around where the liner is pulled out ... just enough to get through this season? Anyone have any genius ideas?

 

[waste]

I don't know how 'genius' it is but take a look at this thread if, after reading it and trying what i say, you're still having trouble with it - let me know and I'll try to work out something else

We Connecticut folks gotta stick together or all the Texans here will gang up on us :lol:

I hope you can get the liner back in place!

 

[BK]

I have read all about the method you are describing. I'm not confident it is going to work in this situation, although I will try and give it a whirl tomorrow.

The larger of the two spots that the liner has pulled out is about four feet long. The short one is a good two feet.

I have tried pulling on it, it does not want to budge, and the stretch was minimal ... sorta like pulling on one of those old turkish taffy bars when they were cold.

I'll let you have a good laugh and tell you how I have tried to get through this season.

I first tried to glue a patch on, much like you would do for any little leak ... only of course this patch is about four feet long. That must of been something to watch. I there with two little bottles of liner patch cement and a patch cut out of the old liner from a previous pool. Believe me, this just doesn't work. I am pondering trying the same method again though with a silicone sealer, or may aquarium silicone to stop leaks.

I then tried a roofing tape that is sticky as all heck, doesn't want to come off of your finger when you touch it. Worked well at first, but the turbulence in the pool eventually got under an edge and that was the end of that. It all came loose within days.

I tried the same thing again, and it, well, sorta anyway, is holding better.

I then tried some blue tape ... looks like duct tape to me, but it was advertised as for use underwater to tape a pad that you place under the ladder together. Sounded good so I tried that too. Didn't work great. I then combined the two, the roofing "behind" the liner, and the blue tape on the front. This worked a bit, but the blue tape is now pulling apart.

So here I am .... still filling the pool that last six or eight inches every other day to keep the filter with enough water to work.

I guess next it is to drain the pool enough to get a good stretch on and fix it the right way ... this is what I probably should of done in the first place ... but .... sheesh! ... I just filled it up!!!

How far down do you think I'll need to drain it to get enough stretch?

 

[Rob]

Do you have a vinyl expert in your area?

Around here, there is a guy named Dr. Vinyl who has about 30 years experience with vinyl. Our liner had pulled about 6" away from the end of the pool (We got a new one, our pool is 40'6", I'm guessing they just called it 40'). He managed to get a fair amount back in by pouring boiling water over the liner and stretching it in, the rest he did a very large patch, but he drained it down to below where he was patching.

 

[BK]

Well, let me update this thread, regarding the patching of the pulled out liner. This may not be news to everyone here, but it sure was for me.

I "had" a section of liner pulled out of the bead. It hung down a good eight inches, and of course, the water drained out and down below the skimmer is.

I tried to "patch it with all kinds of stuff, as mentioned above ... I'll cut all that short and get to what amazed me.

I used PVC Pipe Cement. I cut a piece of old liner out, large enough to cover the entire pulled out section, about six feet long and about 12 inches deep. I drained the pool down below the pulled out liner.

I fit the patch into the bead (I used a beaded part of the old liner for a patch) and let it hang down. I cut it closer to size and let it all dry.

I then covered all the surfaces that would meet with the PVC cement, smearing that cotton ball cap all over it all. Then pressed it firmly against itself and holding for a moment.

I waited a day, and then repeated this where it didn't quite glue up nicely.

This was four days ago. The pool is now full again and "HOLDING WATER" ... so far so good. I'll post any further reports about this method as time goes by and it either fails or continues to work well.

BTW, I also patched an inflatable raft, (small under $5 variety) with the PVC cement and a piece of the liner. After about four hours I inflated it using my air compressor to "real hard" and it is still holding air today (four days later).

This cement is "much" cheaper than what they sell in the pool stores for patches. I bought about a quart of it for less than a little tiny bottle of it at my local pool store.