Inground Pool leaking and groundwater, cement repair

[jyeon92]

Hi folks, I am looking for some guidance in regards to fixing my inground pool. I noticed our pool was leaking and our pool liner was getting worn out so decided its time to fix things up. When i cut out the liner, i saw there were parts on the concrete that is black and deteriorating, and even breaks off pieces when i hose it down with water. Im guessing the leakage is from here. How would I go about cleaning these areas and sealing them up? What would be the best products to use?
After couple online searches, it seems like an acid wash using hydrochloric acid on those areas and sealing with hydraulic cement is my best bet?
I also read that leaving an inground pool drained might cause the the pool to float. Im really hoping this doesnt happen, and i can get this done and my liner ASAP so i can refill the pool. My pool liner should get here next week, so i want to get everything sealed and dried before it gets here.
Ive included photos for reference. Any kind of tips/help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[duckcmmndr]

You need to remove any of the loose crumbling pool krete. You read correctly that you need to use a Hydraulic cement to repair.

This is good stuff, mix in small quantities...it sets up fast. You can also use this to fix/smooth out any divots or low spots that are in the pool (think imperfections under the lights at night).
Quikrete 10 lb. Hydraulic Water-Stop Cement-112611 - The Home Depot

Don't get too caught up in cleaning all the pool krete...it does not need to look brand new before you drop the new liner. Get off any built up scale with a trowl and a stiff broom and let the stained parts remain that way.

Liner pools don't "float" out of the ground when empty, that is gunite pools that have that problem, so you are good there. Having said that, you really don't want the ground to "freeze" while the pool is empty...it could cause the pool krete to crack/bust/lift/shift.

 

[jyeon92]

Posting again here. As I am removing the crumbling cement parts of my inground pool so i can patch things off and seal off water leaking and groundwater leaking in, it just keeps crumbling into sand and smells very strongly of petroleum. What could be the cause of this and how would I fix this and patch things up?

 

[jyeon92]

You need to remove any of the loose crumbling pool krete. You read correctly that you need to use a Hydraulic cement to repair.

This is good stuff, mix in small quantities...it sets up fast. You can also use this to fix/smooth out any divots or low spots that are in the pool (think imperfections under the lights at night).
Quikrete 10 lb. Hydraulic Water-Stop Cement-112611 - The Home Depot

Don't get too caught up in cleaning all the pool krete...it does not need to look brand new before you drop the new liner. Get off any built up scale with a trowl and a stiff broom and let the stained parts remain that way.

Liner pools don't "float" out of the ground when empty, that is gunite pools that have that problem, so you are good there. Having said that, you really don't want the ground to "freeze" while the pool is empty...it could cause the pool krete to crack/bust/lift/shift.

Thank you for your response. Im relieved to hear that I wouldnt have to worry about the pool floating. A new issue though that seems alarming is that as Im breaking off the crumbling parts of the cement, It just keeps crumbling into almost like a dark sand/soil and im able to dig quite deep into it. It also smells alarmingly strong of petroleum. What could be the cause of this?

 

[ajw22]

How old is your pool?

What is the story behind your pool?

How much of the gunite shell needs "patching"?

A pool shell with a bunch of patching may never have integrity. There comes a point where a new gunite shell should be installed.

 

[zea3]

Usually a liner pool will not have a gunite shell. You probably have a vermiculite floor, and walls made of wood, steel, or fiberglass panels. These floors are not ever water tight and will readily crumble if you keep chipping at it. Brush away loose pieces but don't get super aggressive with it. You can patch it with hydrolic cement or more vermiculite. The smell may be a combination of old deteriorating liner and mildewy wet yuk that builds up under liners when groundwater is present. Spraying down the area using a pump up sprayer with 1/2 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water and that should kill most of the smell if it bothers you that much.

The issue with empty liner pools is that the weight of the water in the liner is providing structural strength to the sides of the pool. If a liner pool is going to be empty for an extended length of time the walls should be braced to prevent them from collapsing in heavy rain.