Hello everyone,
I'm feeling quite desperate and would appreciate some advice.
Each spring for the past three years, when I open my pool, I run into a problem with the liner floating. To deal with this, I typically remove one of the return jet face-plates, attach a lubricated ABS pipe duct-taped to the vacuum hose, and then pump out the water. Of course, aligning the hole in the liner and reinstalling the face-plate has consistently been a challenge.
This year, the situation worsened. In addition to the floating liner, my sand filter standpipe broke. I've been very busy at work and couldn't address this issue immediately, so the water level remained low, and the liner was exposed to the sun, which certainly didn't help. Additionally, I found two tears on the side exposed to the sun...
I am aware that the liner needs replacing, and we plan to do so next year.
Last weekend, I began repairs: I emptied the sand filter (which is housed in a shed) using a shop-vac (250 pounds of sand!), rinsed it well, and then installed a new standpipe and added fresh sand. That part went smoothly.
Next, I removed the water behind the liner using the pump with ABS pipe and finished the rest with a garden hose attached to the shop-vac. I patched the tears with some leftover vinyl liner. Ready for the final part ! I then patched the liner around the return jet and attempted to reinstall the face-plate. I had the old one and a brand new one on hand. However, as you can see in the pictures, it's near a corner where the liner isn't snug against the wall (the red line indicates where the liner adheres to the wall, and the yellow line where it does not). To assist with the pressure, I raised the water level and then tried to screw in the face-plate... CRACK... Okay, let's try the new one... CRACK...
As mentioned, the liner is old and due for replacement next year, but I can't help wondering why these face-plates are so fragile. Are there sturdier alternatives or additional reinforcements, such as robust washers, that could prevent them from cracking? I'm seeking a temporary solution to keep the jet functional until we replace the liner. If no better options are available, would it be feasible to temporarily seal off this return jet and operate the pool with only one return jet this season?
Another patch I made and the ABS pipe to remove the water behind the liner.
The return jet on the other side that I used to circulate water and shock the pool with the other plugged.
The two red lines on the left are tears/rips (that's also the side exposed to the sun).
I'm feeling quite desperate and would appreciate some advice.
Each spring for the past three years, when I open my pool, I run into a problem with the liner floating. To deal with this, I typically remove one of the return jet face-plates, attach a lubricated ABS pipe duct-taped to the vacuum hose, and then pump out the water. Of course, aligning the hole in the liner and reinstalling the face-plate has consistently been a challenge.
This year, the situation worsened. In addition to the floating liner, my sand filter standpipe broke. I've been very busy at work and couldn't address this issue immediately, so the water level remained low, and the liner was exposed to the sun, which certainly didn't help. Additionally, I found two tears on the side exposed to the sun...
I am aware that the liner needs replacing, and we plan to do so next year.
Last weekend, I began repairs: I emptied the sand filter (which is housed in a shed) using a shop-vac (250 pounds of sand!), rinsed it well, and then installed a new standpipe and added fresh sand. That part went smoothly.
Next, I removed the water behind the liner using the pump with ABS pipe and finished the rest with a garden hose attached to the shop-vac. I patched the tears with some leftover vinyl liner. Ready for the final part ! I then patched the liner around the return jet and attempted to reinstall the face-plate. I had the old one and a brand new one on hand. However, as you can see in the pictures, it's near a corner where the liner isn't snug against the wall (the red line indicates where the liner adheres to the wall, and the yellow line where it does not). To assist with the pressure, I raised the water level and then tried to screw in the face-plate... CRACK... Okay, let's try the new one... CRACK...
As mentioned, the liner is old and due for replacement next year, but I can't help wondering why these face-plates are so fragile. Are there sturdier alternatives or additional reinforcements, such as robust washers, that could prevent them from cracking? I'm seeking a temporary solution to keep the jet functional until we replace the liner. If no better options are available, would it be feasible to temporarily seal off this return jet and operate the pool with only one return jet this season?
Another patch I made and the ABS pipe to remove the water behind the liner.
The return jet on the other side that I used to circulate water and shock the pool with the other plugged.
The two red lines on the left are tears/rips (that's also the side exposed to the sun).
