Liner Wrinkles - Any Ideas

[wgipe]

We are in our third season with our pool, and I recently noticed some wrinkles forming on one side of the pool where the skimmers are located (see photo). They are "squishy" when you push on them. We do have a high water table in the area where the pool is located, but I have a well point that collects water from a french drain in the deep end as well as from the gravel around the walls and pumps it to the woods. I double-checked that, and it is holding the level below the bottom of the walls. Any ideas on what could be causing these bubbles? Is it possible that water is entering behind the liner at the skimmers and I just need to tighten the screws on the skimmer plate? Anything else I can try to diagnose? Will they go away on their own? Any help is sure appreciated! -Wes

 

[Newdude]

Dang it Wes !!!! You can't catch a break. Do me a favor. Go buy a Powerball / Mega Millions ticket. You're SO overdue for the luck to turn around. Might as well cash in when it does.

They are "squishy" when you push on them

Any ideas on what could be causing these bubbles?

Mine did similar before the pavers went in when runoff went under the liner track and behind the liner. The wall and liner track were nowhere near fused/waterproof.




IIRC you had a poured deck/coping. Check the gap between the coping and liner track either way. Water could be rolling off the top and around and under the liner.



Or it's getting under the deck further back, possibly at a stress cut, and doing what mine did in the first pic above.

I don't believe it's ground water without messing up the floor first. My gut also says it would be closer to under the skimmer if it was the skimmer. But water leaks rarely show where they start and chasing them down is miserable inside, outside, or at the pool. So there is that.

 

[wgipe]

Dang it Wes !!!! You can't catch a break. Do me a favor. Go buy a Powerball / Mega Millions ticket. You're SO overdue for the luck to turn around. Might as well cash in when it does.





Mine did similar before the pavers went in when runoff went under the liner track and behind the liner. The wall and liner track were nowhere near fused/waterproof.

View attachment 511522


IIRC you had a poured deck/coping. Check the gap between the coping and liner track either way. Water could be rolling off the top and around and under the liner.

View attachment 511523

Or it's getting under the deck further back, possibly at a stress cut, and doing what mine did in the first pic above.

I don't believe it's ground water without messing up the floor first. My gut also says it would be closer to under the skimmer if it was the skimmer. But water leaks rarely show where they start and chasing them down is miserable inside, outside, or at the pool. So there is that.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful reply.

First - there will be no complaining! I have a wonderful life, and these things are but inconveniences. Some people have sick kids, financial hardship, etc. etc. etc. I have a pool with an attitude. Not a big deal!

I just checked the screws on the skimmer faceplate, and they were not super tight. They were by no means loose, but I could get another quarter turn or so out of them without much effort at all. I snugged them up a little - maybe we'll start there.

I really do not think I have a ground water issue. This pic shows the drain and sump I installed because I knew the water table was high back there. I run a sump pump in there all year round to keep the water level below the walls. It runs a few times a day in dry weather and more often when it rains, but at no time is it overwhelmed - I've checked it in an after some torrential downpours, and it keeps up without breaking a sweat.


So that would seem to leave water entering between the liner and the wall. I do wonder if it's wicking back at an expansion joint. the coping is stainless steel - more of a mold, really, for the concrete deck. It is sloped very adequately, and I've never seen rain running into the pool or even close. I suppose, though, it could be wicking around and back into the liner track. I just find it super weird that it's only on that one wall.

 

[Newdude]

I snugged them up a little - maybe we'll start there.

Can't get anywhere without the first step, right ?

It is sloped very adequately

The top is. If water got underneath somehow, all bets are off in the dirt below. Step 2 (if needed) is playing with the hose. Start away from the pool and soak the deck real good. When there's no change in the liner, move forward to the next possible spot / expansion joint.

 

[wgipe]

Can't get anywhere without the first step, right ?



The top is. If water got underneath somehow, all bets are off in the dirt below. Step 2 (if needed) is playing with the hose. Start away from the pool and soak the deck real good. When there's no change in the liner, move forward to the next possible spot / expansion joint.

Got it! Makes complete sense. Thanks. Should the water eventually wick back out if I've corrected the issue?

 

[Newdude]

Should the water eventually wick back out if I've corrected the issue?

Yeah it should find its way down. Or you can probably gently massage it out. (Obviously stop if something doesn't seem right while trying)

Hopefully the skimmer screws took care of it and that's the last of it. Have some well wishes. . Keep us posted.

 

[wgipe]

Wrinkles are gone! Don't know if it was tightening the skimmer faces that did it or what, but they disappeared.