Botched a patch on the bottom of the liner... now what??

[kmerkel]

A few weeks, maybe a month ago, we noticed significant water loss (about an inch a day) and by using some food coloring I was able to identify a pinhole leak near the edge of the floor. At that point the water was already too cold to dive or even swim in, so I figured out what I thought was a clever solution - stick the prepared patch on the end of a pole and gently but swiftly administer it to the bottom.

Well, now I have probably one of the worst case scenarios; a frigid pool that's only going to get colder which still leaks through a very firmly glued patch.

Soooo what do I do now? Keep patching til it seals? Invest in a wet suit? See if I can find a diver to come over and do it more or less properly? Wait for the water to drain out completely and redo it myself, then refill the pool just to close it? Right now we're keeping the water topped up but soon that's not going to be viable anymore.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mdragger88]

You likely need to put a larger patch over the one you already did.
try to make it a circle shape or at least round the edges, this keeps the edges from rolling up.
Perhaps you can rig up something weighted & larger around than the pole. Maybe a sand filled chlorine jug on a rope or something along those lines with a flat bottom & stick some tape to the top of the patch to hold it to the flat heavy thing you apply it with so it doesn’t crumple up. Not awesomely strong tape - just enough to keep there for the ride down.
Basically do as I mentioned & set the patch in place with said heavy object then use the pole & brush to press the object down some - after the glue “sets” a little, next move heavy object out of the way so you can apply smoothing pressure with something like maybe a flat mop head or sheetrock sander thingy to ensure maximum adhesion - then put the jug or whatever weight you used back in place & leave it there a while until you’re sure the patch has set up. Probably a couple days to be safe.
You could even use a brick wrapped in a towel,sock, or tshirt as the weight. Anything to keep pressure on the patch while it sets up. Just make sure you have a long enough string/ rope on it that you can retrieve it later.

 

[kmerkel]

Thanks for the suggestions, but there is a complication. The hole is in a "bowl" in the liner so a flat object won't work. We need something dense and durable enough to be lowered and raised in the water, but also conformal so it makes even contact with the irregularity of the floor. I'm thinking a small sandbag of some kind, maybe made out of a balloon?

The red in the patch is from the food coloring I used as dye.

 

[Mdragger88]

I like the idea but I worry a balloon might bust - maybe a more robust bag covering the balloon for insurance? Or a wadded towel underneath whatever the weight is.
If the area is squishy (which they usually are because of the water) maybe try to carefully tamp down the edges of the divot to get it smoother. Some have had luck with a baseball bat wrapped in a towel. Usually they are standing in the pool though.
How cold is the water?

 

[phonedave]

Suck it up and get in the pool

Barring that, you need to put pressure on the patch, and smooth it out. If I had to do that, I would get a wallpaper seam roller that you can mount onto a broom stick (or fabricobble something onto the end of a skimmer pole, depends on your DIY skills)

https://www.grainger.com/product/38HT99?gucid=N:N:PS:Paid:GGL:CSM-2295:4P7A1P:20501231&gclid=CjwKCAjws--ZBhAXEiwAv-RNLzjtyOgrA03HUT0N0F-2IR_BZhxjDyg_4UHUm2rV8P-xlCkOXXIHDBoCWqkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Take the patch, cut into a circle larger than the original one, apply a LOT of glue (since you cannot do the taco fold trick without getting into the pool) and use something to apply it to the spot using your previous pole method. Then take the seam roller on the end of a pole and roll out your patch.

Lastly, I would fill a large (at least one gallon) zip loc bag with either sand or pea gravel, and then position it on top of the patch. Then maybe add some weight on top of that.

 

[kmerkel]

I like the idea but I worry a balloon might bust - maybe a more robust bag covering the balloon for insurance? Or a wadded towel underneath whatever the weight is.
If the area is squishy (which they usually are because of the water) maybe try to carefully tamp down the edges of the divot to get it smoother. Some have had luck with a baseball bat wrapped in a towel. Usually they are standing in the pool though.
How cold is the water?

Yeah, a balloon was just a concept sketch in my mind. The zip top bag idea also has merit. I think I can hack something together.

Without jumping in it's difficult to tell how firm that area is. We get a lot of mole traffic which creates canyons and divots on its own but this is the first time we've had a leak since the liner was replaced about 4 years ago.

Literally frosty nights and well water have driven the temp down pretty far, right now it's at about 55°F. Good serving temp for a medium-bodied beer but not so great for activities in the water.

 

[Mdragger88]

Last year right at closing I dropped my pole in the water. Water temp was 61 maybe. My 12 yr old son took it as a challenge & rescued it for me. He was rewarded with a soak in the hot tub post haste!