New Liner?

[Pharmacyman]

I have been experiencing a lot of water loss so I had my pool guy come out and check for leaks. He used epoxy to patch a couple at a light fixture and on the side, but said that one at the main drain and another at a Caretaker return could only be fixed by replacing the liner.

So I decided to do a bucket test with the pump off and after seven days the bucket water was 1 and 1/8" lower and the pool measurement was 2 and 1/2" lower. This proportion of evaporation versus leak was consistent each day of the test. 1/8" loss in the bucket most days and the about twice that amount of loss outside the bucket.

I went into my records and found that I put the current vinyl liner in during 2008, so it is about 9 years old. Should I just go ahead and get a new liner? Does that make sense that leaks could only be fixed by replacing the liner?

Thanks!

 

[duraleigh]

What is the cost to refill 1/8 " of water daily? Unless it is really bugging you, a leak that small is inconsequential.

 

[Pharmacyman]

It's 2 inches a week total (counting evap.) and runs my water/sewer bill about double to $200 per month.

What is the life of a vinyl liner? I think the life of the liner would influence my decision-making greatly. If the liner is too old, why not replace it and have no leaks?

 

[duraleigh]

1/4 inch daily is considered as evaporation so you could expect to lose 1.75" weekly and call it evaporation.

Help me understand how it affects your water bill?

 

[Pharmacyman]

It normally runs about $100 to $125 when the pool is closed. It is running $200 a month now. That is not inconsequential to my budget. I just thought I could get someone's comments on how long a liner should last since mine is 9 years old already, or when someone should consider getting one replaced.

As I said before I am losing an inch a week just from evaporation per bucket test. I find it hard to believe that the remaining leaks can only be repaired by replacing the liner, but I'm not the expert. Does that make sense that some vinyl liner leaks can't be repaired? He said one was around the main drain and one was on a Caretaker return. Should I get someone else to look at it?

 

[Catanzaro]

Pharmacyman:

Water will evaporate at a faster rate in the pool than the bucket test due to the fact that the moving is moving and some splashing around. If you leave the water in the pool and there is no use with the filter off, then you can compare a bucket test with the pool water. Your water loss is normal, depending on the conditions.

By no means am I a liner expert, but you should replace your liner when you do not hold water. The main drain, skimmer covers, pool light and return jets are installed with gaskets on the back of the galvanized steel wall and also in the front. When the liner is installed and cut out for each area, another gasket is placed over the liner (and there is one behind the liner already), and then the face plates and screws. This is what holds everything together (unless I missed something during the installation).

It appears to me, unless your water loss is at the stitching, that you could get away with replacing the gaskets all around the pool. The main drain would require a little more work and probably a diver. You could need someone to come out and figure out where the leak is really at. The amount of water you are losing during the week is normal. In New Jersey, we get enough rain during the year that maybe I have had to fill up my pool 4X for about one hour. Even had to pump some water out and should have waited to fill up.

So I decided to do a bucket test with the pump off and after seven days the bucket water was 1 and 1/8" lower and the pool measurement was 2 and 1/2" lower

I personally would not replace any liner until you can confirm that the leak can not be repaired. Liners can last anywhere from 5 years to 20 years. All depends on many variables. Calculate 2" of water loss per week by gallons. Then call your water company to determine the cost of water. I am paying $0.61998000 per unit. Or $.62 per 100 gallons. If you lost 1,000 gallons per week, then your total cost would be about $6.20 per week or around $25 per month. This assumes same water rates. Look at your monthly invoice and how much you pay per unit, not including anything else.

I would not replace the liner if spending $25 per month for water. This does not include mother nature stepping into the picture and added some water to your pool. Search for a repair type of solution.

 

[Catanzaro]

Is it possible you could be leaking water at the plumbing, unions, pump, heater, etc? Just a thought.

 

[Pharmacyman]

Thanks for your input Catanzaro. No, I had the plumbing and heat pump with no water flowing through when doing the bucket test. I recently replaced both gaskets at the skimmer and it was confirmed no leaks there. I didn't realize that evaporation loss from the pool could be more than in the bucket? I thought that if the pool lost more water than the bucket you have a leak, period. Interesting!

Another reason for pursuing this further is that out near the garden there is a low spot. The grass is very wet in that area due to the leak. Since my pool guy came out and fixed some of the leaks it has gotten better, but the leaks I still have keep that grass and soil pretty wet.

 

[Catanzaro]

Evaporation from a pool is more if the water is moving. You could have a leak, but you also have to rule out the gaskets at other parts of the pool and confirm everything else. That being said, the cost of water will definitely be a lot less than replacing the liner at this point. In NJ, liners could be anywhere from $2,500 to $4,500 for the same pool. So far my liner is in good shape (after 4 years) with some fading showing, but the color is uniform.

Also, I corrected the calculations. It is $.62 per 100 gallons, not 1,000. And with 2" per week, which includes evaporation, if you have a water leak, it is very minor. I would hold off until you start using a lot more and ruled everything else out.