Vinyl liner pool draining issues/liner floating

[LHK]

Oh boy, where do I start? I’ll try to make this ongoing saga as concise as possible.

We bought a house with an existing vinyl liner pool 5 years ago. We had been in the home for a week when the liner floated. We called a plumber, they augered the pipe that drains water away from the pool and it was great for the next few years. Then last year it happened again, but this fix wasn’t quite as simple. We ended up going back and forth between plumbers and pool companies until we found a plumber who would auger it again, only after we signed a contract agreeing that they weren’t responsible for any resulting damage. Fast forward a few more times of dealing with a floating liner (and each time 1-2 weeks of not being able to use the pool after heavy rains), and some back and for the between pool guys and plumbers and we learn that the only way to fix it is to dig up the yard to find the problematic pipes. And at this point the liner has pulled away from the wall so much that the pool can only hold the minimum level at the skimmer and any higher drains out around the liner, so I have to add water weekly.

So we’re at the point that it has to be fixed, whatever that means. Some have suggested installing a sump pump around the pool, but it sounds like this is just a band-aid and the real issue is that the water can’t drain from around the pool. I had a landscaping company (one of the few places who would even talk to me about the issue) come out today and the options they gave me are (1) do a “search and rescue” excavation to find the problem area and repair it, which will cost an estimated $50k+ from them, plus whatever a pool liner company will charge to fix that separately (they don’t work with vinyl liner pools themselves) or (2) dig everything up and replace the pool entirely with a fiberglass pool (which they can install) for an estimated $150-200k. **I’m shocked** That’s more than a third of the value of our home. (We live in the greater Cincinnati area.) I was expecting $20-30k to fix the problem or $70-80k if we needed to replace the pool entirely.

(Edited to add: I say that it seems like the pump is just a band aid because our back yard slopes away from the pool. The pool area is level to the fence about 15 feet away, then slopes down 4-5 feet to a park behind us, then slopes another 20+ feet to a lower level of the park. So it seems like we really just need the water to be able to drain away way by gravity rather than having to pump it out of the space.)

So I’d like to hear any and all suggestions for how to go about addressing this or any advice for what to do next. TIA

 

[Mdragger88]

Many people need a sump pump (well points) around their pool.
It is not necessarily a bandaid.
With adequate well points & a functional sump its fine to have a liner pool.
Unless you just want a fiberglass pool?
Without adequate drainage a fiberglass pool will have its own problems.
Switching pool types isn’t really the solution.
Not sure if you may need a new liner (current condition) - that will be an additional cost but nothing like $200k
I wouldn’t go on a search and rescue mission but instead a new drainage system mission & abandon the malfunctioning drains.
Lets see what @Jimrahbe says.

 

[Jimrahbe]

LHK,

Often, when they install liner pools, there is a layer of rock/gravel under the pool that captures any excess water and funnels that water to a pipe that allows the water to flow down hill and away from the pool. Everything operates by gravity.

As pools get older this rock/gravel base can fill up with crud and no longer let the water flow out.

One option would be to sink a shaft near where the liner floats and install a sump pump. The problem is that depends on the location of your pool, it might be almost impossible to dig the shaft deep enough.

I have a sump pump that runs 24/7, even in the middle of a Texas heatwave, because my gunite pool was built over an unknown spring. I have a sports pool, so my sump pump only have to be about 8 feet down.

Thanks,

Jim R

 

[LHK]

LHK,

Often, when they install liner pools, there is a layer of rock/gravel under the pool that captures any excess water and funnels that water to a pipe that allows the water to flow down hill and away from the pool. Everything operates by gravity.

As pools get older this rock/gravel base can fill up with crud and no longer let the water flow out.

One option would be to sink a shaft near where the liner floats and install a sump pump. The problem is that depends on the location of your pool, it might be almost impossible to dig the shaft deep enough.

I have a sump pump that runs 24/7, even in the middle of a Texas heatwave, because my gunite pool was built over an unknown spring. I have a sports pool, so my sump pump only have to be about 8 feet down.

Thanks,

Jim R

Thanks for your help. Ours is also a sports pool, only about 4 feet at the deepest, so this may be an option for us. The shallow end (2ish ft deep) is where we have the most problem with the liner floating but I suspect this has more to do with the lesser weight of water inside the pool/liner compared to the deep end rather than the actual location of the problem.

 

[LHK]

Many people need a sump pump (well points) around their pool.
It is not necessarily a bandaid.
With adequate well points & a functional sump its fine to have a liner pool.
Unless you just want a fiberglass pool?
Without adequate drainage a fiberglass pool will have its own problems.
Switching pool types isn’t really the solution.
Not sure if you may need a new liner (current condition) - that will be an additional cost but nothing like $200k
I wouldn’t go on a search and rescue mission but instead a new drainage system mission & abandon the malfunctioning drains.
Let’s see what @Jimrahbe says.

Installing a new drain system is a brilliant idea I hadn’t thought of!! You’re right, that seems much easier/better than trying to address the clogged pipe. Thanks for the suggestion!