Need help with Oval pool liner installation

[MikeyVortex]

I have a 15 x 30 oval above ground pool. I've spent the last week trying to install my new liner but I can't seem to get it centered. The liner is from Swimline and it has 2 seams running the length of the liner but neither seem is the center so I keep trying to guess and it's obvious once I get to the end that's it's not centered because the liner won't hang on the track easily. I can't understand why the manufacturers of these liners can't simply put a notch or a mark where the center is on either end. If it were a round pool it's simple but because it's oval the liner must be precise or you're gonna have fitment issues like I'm having. I'm very close to giving up. My last resort was to buy an oversized 16x32 liner so the extra length on each size could make up for it being off-center. I dunno. Any ideas?

 

[willyk9]

Having replaced a 12x24 oval in the past myself, the liner looks a little small for that pool?

 

[johnnydot]

I have a 15 x 30 oval above ground pool. I've spent the last week trying to install my new liner but I can't seem to get it centered. The liner is from Swimline and it has 2 seams running the length of the liner but neither seem is the center so I keep trying to guess and it's obvious once I get to the end that's it's not centered because the liner won't hang on the track easily. I can't understand why the manufacturers of these liners can't simply put a notch or a mark where the center is on either end. If it were a round pool it's simple but because it's oval the liner must be precise or you're gonna have fitment issues like I'm having. I'm very close to giving up. My last resort was to buy an oversized 16x32 liner so the extra length on each size could make up for it being off-center. I dunno. Any ideas?

From the looks of it, I would say it is too small. Many many years I ago I replaced my 18x33 liner with the help of a few friends and even though it was kind of a hassle, we did not have the problem that you are experiencing. However, the next time I need to replace the liner I will hire someone to do it.

 

[MikeyVortex]

Thank you for the replies. Deep down I had a strong feeling that was the problem but just ignored that and kept truckin' hoping I'd pull it out. I've been doing the entire install by myself including leveling the ground which took me over a week to get it right. I did measure the pool and it was exactly 15x30 ft with a depth of 48" Should you go a little larger when choosing the liner size? The next size up is 16x32. I'm thinking going with that size with the 52" depth version. This way I got some extra room all around. I guess better to have a little extra liner than just barely enough. Just barely enough means a lot of pulling and stretching. Doing the install by myself I don't have anyone pulling the liner where it needs to be while hanging it so it gets very aggrevating when you finally get to the end of hanging the liner and that last few feet won't hang and you gotta take it all down and shift it etc rinse and repeat half a dozen times. But yeah I think the 16ft x 32ft x 52" is going to be the answer to all my prayers. I'll post an update. Thx again.

 

[willyk9]

My pool is 12x24 but the side walls are not 100% straight so my width is almost twelve and a half feet. Still not issue with a 12x24 liner but the key to mine is the depth, I needed a 52" liner.

 

[MikeyVortex]

Yes I feel that was my problem too! Here is a word of advice for anyone hanging a beaded liner that may be too tight that it's pulling out of the bead track. NEVER use screws to hold the liner in place! Everywhere the liner would pull out because it seemed a bit too short I would drive a pan head screw through it into the track and possibly through the wall itself. Well it wasnt until the pool was half filled with water did I notice the absolute elemental disaster I was about to unleash on mine and my surrounding neighbors back yards. Every spot that I put a screw through the liner the weight and pull of the water would cause it to tear at that spot and continue to tear down the more water that was added. So like Willy just mentioned I had a 48" depth but obviously needed a 52". You just hope things will work out because purchasing another liner is so expensive so you get desperate but trust me don't do it. So I just took this liner down permanently and ordered a new 52". Let's see how that goes. I'll keep updating. Thank you for help.

 

[MikeyVortex]

OK bought a brand new liner (again) and finally got this one to fit. Only thing that worries me is that the right side has these big air pockets that protrude outwards. I'm hoping as I fill it the weight of the water will push it out. For anyone buying a new beaded liner for their above ground pool, don't buy a universal or "unibead" liner where itll work for overlap or J hook or beaded. You have to trim the edges with a razor just right to make it work for beaded and even then it still doesn't sit tight in the track. Do yourself the favor and get a standard beaded liner as they fit tight in the track so much better. Here's an updated pic.

 

[kellyfair]

Did you attach a shop vac to return to suck air out between liner and pool wall?

 

[MikeyVortex]

Did you attach a shop vac to return to suck air out between liner and pool wall?

I did finally do that. That helped a lot. But I'm pretty sure I figured out what I was doing wrong from the very beginning. I would work on the liner installation every day after work which wasn't til around 9-10pm. I didn't think doing it in the daytime when it's much warmer would have made that much of a difference. Oh boy was I wrong. The liner went from way too small and an impossible fit to fitting like a glove. The vinyl material itself literally transforms from a hard tough plastic (Nighttime) to a soft flexible fabric (Daytime). And then I did the vacuum trick and that helped out big time with areas that seemed to bubble out a bit much. After a couple grueling months though I think today is finally my day. The liner is in snug and I even added liner lock around the entire edge to keep it in place and I'm about halfway full with water so I'm hoping if there was gonna be any problems they would have happened by now. This has taken up so much of my time anymore its almost surreal to think this will be the end of it. But I've learned with big pools don't count those chickens before they've hatched. Here is an updated pic of the pool atm.

 

[johnnydot]

I did finally do that. That helped a lot. But I'm pretty sure I figured out what I was doing wrong from the very beginning. I would work on the liner installation every day after work which wasn't til around 9-10pm. I didn't think doing it in the daytime when it's much warmer would have made that much of a difference. Oh boy was I wrong. The liner went from way too small and an impossible fit to fitting like a glove. The vinyl material itself literally transforms from a hard tough plastic (Nighttime) to a soft flexible fabric (Daytime). And then I did the vacuum trick and that helped out big time with areas that seemed to bubble out a bit much. After a couple grueling months though I think today is finally my day. The liner is in snug and I even added liner lock around the entire edge to keep it in place and I'm about halfway full with water so I'm hoping if there was gonna be any problems they would have happened by now. This has taken up so much of my time anymore its almost surreal to think this will be the end of it. But I've learned with big pools don't count those chickens before they've hatched. Here is an updated pic of the pool atm.

Looks quite a bit better. But in the end, was it worth saving a few hundred bucks doing it yourself with all the hastle versus having professional installers do it ?

 

[MikeyVortex]

Looks quite a bit better. But in the end, was it worth saving a few hundred bucks doing it yourself with all the hastle versus having professional installers do it ?

Finally completely finished! It's crazy me seeing the pics I posted in this thread compared to this final one. Wow a lot of work.
Johnny, my wife posed the same question and tbh I guess it depends. The problem was that the cheapest installer I found was around $1,200. At the time I thought that was insane because I was very ignorant to the whole liner installation process and I thought that was all labor not knowing I was about to drop a good $500 on sand alone. Also the first liner I bought was the wrong size so there's another $400. Then the 2nd liner was another $500. Then all the extra materials like the foam cove, plastic liner underlayment, plastic sheeting around walls, liner lock, etc. was another $350. Then all the wasted water in having to empty the pool several times but worst of all was the wasted time.
So now I look back and think about the $1,200 install price and wonder how they could possibly do it for so cheap hahaha. But it was my first time and I had no help and it was a great learning experience. It made me truly appreciate the finished product that much more. So even though I spent more than double the install price I don't regret it. I guess it depends on the person. Some would rather pay for others to do it while some like to do the work themselves.
Wow just realized how long this post is. Holy Moly! Sorry about that!