Liner fit

[ksguy]

Hi, looking for the voice of experience on a liner installation. I rebuilt an above ground 16x32 oval. It's an older pool and I had to use instructions from a newer model, which the pool store said was the same structurally. Turns out it wasn't, and my pool ended up 16.5 feet wide instead of 16. Of course, my liner (beaded) is for a 16x32. I can get it in the track all the way around no problem. It's when I start filling that there's an issue. It stretches to one side just fine, and the oval ends are fine, but I can't get it to completely close in on the cove on the other side.

I haven't had luck getting in touch with the pool store to answer my question. Does anyone know if it's a lost cause trying to get this liner to stretch the extra 6"?

 

[Jamison04]

Mine wasn't quite centered when we did it and it was similar when filling. It was about 6-8" off the wall but as it filled it stretched into place just fine. It also was on the side that was baking in the sun so it was warm and that probably helped it out too.

 

[ksguy]

Mine wasn't quite centered when we did it and it was similar when filling. It was about 6-8" off the wall but as it filled it stretched into place just fine. It also was on the side that was baking in the sun so it was warm and that probably helped it out too.

The side that stretched is the east side so it got sun all afternoon. I've drained it almost empty again tonight. Tomorrow I'll dry it out with the shop vac and do my best to center it, then start refilling at around 6 a.m. on Thursday right as the morning sun starts hitting that west side.

Do you think I need to worry that any stretching that's already taken place will throw off where the seams should be?

 

[Jamison04]

I wouldn't think so. It's a new liner so it's still going to have a lot of flex and forgiveness in it. You can also try seating it with a shop vac inserted through the skimmer opening. Tape off the return and use some cardboard and tape the skimmer opening off around the shop vac hose. I did that with ours but it wasn't quite strong enough to suck it to the wall on that side since it wasn't quite centered.

Good luck!