Liner Floating - Please Help!

[Rubygrrl]

Hello everyone!

We bought a new home about three years ago and it seems we have had nothing but issues with the liner pool in our new home.

First, we started losing a ton of water and had American Leak Detection come out and they found that the pool light gasket was leaking.

So, in December 2022 we had a new liner installed.

About a year later we had more water loss. We had a leak detection pool company in the Dallas Ft Worth area come out and they found that the pool light was leaking again. They put epoxy around the entire light and so far, water seems to be holding, but I am not 100 percent positive we aren’t still losing water. Bucket Test seemed to show there wasn’t a leak several weeks ago, so that’s good.

We had some crazy storms come through last night. Now, we have water behind our pool liner, mainly in the walls. We made sure to drain the pool before it reached the top/bead track, so we assume this is from ground water.

I attached a few pics.

1. Should we just let the water go away on its own? I really don’t want wrinkles in a basically new liner Would it be better to get a shop vac or sump pump and try to vacuum the water out while using a broom to manipulate the liner back ?

2. I also attached a picture of our pool equipment. We don’t have anything installed like a vacuum pump that would prevent this from happening again, do we? There is one extra pipe we aren’t sure where it goes/what it does.

3. If we don’t have something installed in our current set up, would you all recommend we hire someone to install a sump/well pit? We asked the person who installed our liner his opinion on install one a sump pit and he didn’t feel there was enough ground water at that time to warrant it, so he didn’t install it, but said he would if we needed it (I am not sure if this company is even still in business).

4. Are there any pool liner companies you all recommend in the Dallas Forth Worth area here in Texas? We don’t have anyone in our city that deals with liner pools and it is so frustrating!

Thank you for any help you can provide!

Emily

 

[Rubygrrl]

Can anyone help?

 

[Newdude]

Hey RG !!!!!


These issues suck because it rained and now the liner is floating but besides that, this can still go 2 ways. It could be ground water coming up, or water getting behind the liner from the patio. If it's coming in from the patio, a sump pump won't help.

Would it be better to get a shop vac or sump pump and try to vacuum the water out while using a broom to manipulate the liner back ?

This can also go either way. Maybe you make some wrinkles when it would have gone back ok on its own.

We don’t have anything installed like a vacuum pump that would prevent this from happening again, do we?

No. Nor is such a thing a thing.

Hang tight for more thoughts. It's been a slow Sunday and things should pick back up tomorrow / by tomorrow.

 

[Rubygrrl]

Hey RG !!!!!


These issues suck because it rained and now the liner is floating but besides that, this can still go 2 ways. It could be ground water coming up, or water getting behind the liner from the patio. If it's coming in from the patio, a sump pump won't help.



This can also go either way. Maybe you make some wrinkles when it would have gone back ok on its own.

No. Nor is such a thing a thing.

Hang tight for more thoughts. It's been a slow Sunday and things should pick back up tomorrow / by tomorrow.

Thank you so much for responding! So far, we have left everything alone and the water is already starting to recede and the liner adhere to the walls of the pool. Things are already looking a lot better.

The sad thing is, we have a few wrinkles forming in the bottom of the liner on the shallow end though (I attached a picture). Now that I look closer I believe that there may be a water bubble under the liner near those wrinkles.

I do believe we have some/a lot of ground water, I have attached some pics to show you all the draining thing by our porch and how much water is there on the side of it.

We got A TON of rain last night and more is on the way the middle of this week.

Can anyone tell me what the third pipe is though that is plugged to our skimmer?

I look forward to more replies/opinions tomorrow/this week.

Thanks again!

 

[Rubygrrl]

I wanted to add just one more thing. When we first bought this house three years ago, the old liner had wrinkles all in the shallow end..in the exact same place these new wrinkles are developing now. I really do feel like we have a groundwater issue. Not only that, but our yard is mushy, wet, not well drained after all of this rain.

So, I think we would like to proceed with contacting a company to help us with a solution for the groundwater. Does anyone have a company they can recommend in the Dallas Forth Worth area?

And maybe we just had a heck of a lot of rain and this couldn’t have been avoided. They are closing down schools near us due to flooding

Thanks again everyone!

 

[JamesW]

How close are you to Lake Wichita, Sikes Lake, Holliday Creek or the Wichita River?

What is the elevation compared to the lake or river?

I think that you definitely need a groundwater solution.

I would want a sump pit that you can look into and use to pump out the ground water.

This area below has a lot of pools and it is surrounded by water.

The ground is going to be saturated.

 

[Rubygrrl]

Oddly enough we do not live in a flood plane, not that I am aware. I can pull the flood plane maps out later for our city and double check though.

We live out by Memorial Stadium, off of Gregg Rd if that helps. The map you showed is Tanglewood which we all know in town is in a flood plane and floods frequently!! Beautiful homes out there though for sure.

I think we have a more unique situation. We do not live very close to Lake Wichita (we are 1.2 miles away)…Sikes Lake is even further away from us (4 miles), and the Wichita River is even further from us as well, I will say that we have a concrete draining ditch that runs right behind our fence line though, it’s is about 6 foot wide long and 3 foot deep.

And our pool seems to have been built in the middle part of our yard which isn’t the lowest part, but it isn’t the highest either (it’s in the middle)..,meaning our yard starts higher up and grades downward and the pool is in the middle of that.

I can post any other pictures if you or anyone else needs them. Thank you so much. We are just at a loss of what to do but we want to get this figured out so we don’t keep having this issue every time we get a lot of rain.

Do you know of any good companies that would install a sump pit in our area? I wonder how many sump pits we would need? Would one even be enough?

Thanks again!

 

[JamesW]

One sump tube might be enough.

It depends on the type of soil you have.

The tube is not that complicated to install.

Check with some landscape contractors and other such people.

Maybe start with one and see how that works.

 

[JamesW]

Maybe search for companies that can do drainage.

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Maybe well contractors.

 

[JamesW]

 

[JamesW]

Fiberglass pool sump tubes and why they are important | Luxury Pools and Living

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In the pool industry this saying most certainly applies to the use of use and installation of sump tubes. Sump tubes are pipes installed at the deep end of a pool that run vertically from the pool deck to the very bottom of the pool floor...

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https://www.poolspanews.com/how-to/battle-of-the-bulge_o

Inground Pool Construction and Groundwater Issues

Inground pool construction is an exciting time for pool owners! But there are some things to keep an eye out for to avoid problems.

blog.intheswim.com

 

[JamesW]

18" x 20' Corrugated Dual-Wall Perforated Plain End Culvert Drainage Pipe

This 18" x 20' perforated plain end dual-wall culvert is used for high-volume drainage and water flow.

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[JamesW]

Dig a hole deeper than the pool and insert a perforated pipe that has an inside diameter big enough for your sump pump.

Put smooth rocks around the outside of the pipe.

A pipe sock helps keep dirt out of the pipe.

Leading Supplier of Residential and Industrial Supplies | Winsupply

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Leading Supplier of Residential and Industrial Supplies | Winsupply

Leading Supplier of Residential and Industrial Supplies | Winsupply

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[JamesW]

A perforated drain pipe is designed in such a way that it allows water to enter or exit through a number or small holes along the pipe.

2. Using the Wrong Type of Drain Rock
Proper drainage rock is crucial for adequate permeability and drainage.

Using a clean natural round stone for your drain fill material enables good flow through the aggregate and won't clog the system.

When available a great choice of stone is 1-1/2" clean round rock.

Use Natural 1-1/2" round rock for best drainage.

Washed rock is ideal.

Avoid small pea gravel as the spaces in between stone is smaller minimizing flow rates.

Avoid Crushed Rock (minus) that compacts and has "fines" that will clog pipe inlets.

PRO TIP:

If round rock stone isn't available in your area and crushed stone is the only practical option then its recommended to use a sock wrapped drainpipe.

The sock material will prevent the fines from the crushed rock from clogging up the inlet holes in your perforated or slotted pipe.

Drainage Solutions

www.drainagesolutionsinc.com

 

[JamesW]

Call for utility marking before digging.

Basically, it's a hole, pipe and rocks.

Digging the hole is probably the hardest part.

Once you get the hole, insert the pipe wrapped with the sock and backfill with rocks.

Cover the top with a secure lid of some type.

Watch the water level and insert sump pump as needed to drain water.

Make sure to get the water off of the property.

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[JamesW]

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[JamesW]

This valve might go to a well point that can pull out groundwater.

Maybe try to figure out exactly what this valve does.

The valve looks new.

Can you find out who installed the valve and ask them what it goes to?

Contact the pool builder to see what they can tell you.

 

[JamesW]

Maybe a well drilling service.

Contact Texas 811 for utility marking.

Texas law requires homeowners to contact 811 two-business days (excluding weekends and holidays) before digging, even if you’re working in your own backyard.

Homeowners should contact 811 when: Building or repairing a fence, planting a tree, installing a sprinkler system or any chore or maintenance that requires digging.

This list is not a comprehensive list.

Homepage - Texas 811

texas811.org

 

[Rubygrrl]

Wow! Thank you so much for these responses and all of the helpful information. My husband and I will read over this all ASAP and let you know if we have any other questions. We are just super busy at work and with our kids soccer/baseball games and practices the next few days ughh

The water did settle which is great, but now we have an ugly wrinkle in the shallow end of the pool. I’ve heard it may be possible to drain the pool (just in shallow end) and use a plunger to try to move/remove the wrinkles. Do you think this is something we should try? I know we have to get the groundwater issue resolved first so this doesn’t keep happening though.

Thanks again!!

 

[Newdude]

I’ve heard it may be possible to drain the pool (just in shallow end) and use a plunger

Try it without draining first. You might be pleasantly surprised.

I would splurge on a new plunger myself, eventhough thousands and thousands of gallons of treated water would laugh at any ickies on the old plunger. But you do you.