This will be our 3rd summer with new vinyl liner pool. Last year, early summer we sudden developed a wrinkle on slope. Also where walls meet floor felt spongy and like a water balloon. We had a very rainy spring/summer and never put any water in pool. Upon closing in fall, the liner floated terribly! Called the pool company and it was too cold to replace liner, so they ordered us a new one bc they said it’s not good for liner to be like that all winter. They felt as though there was a leak in the liner somewhere. I’m concerned bc we never noticed any loss and upon opening it this spring it is very full. I’m concerned that ground water may be an issue? We have clay soil and our back yard can be soft. Not really flooding, but wet. How will we know if our problem is liner vs ground water? Any idea on how to fix it if it is ground water??
Vinyl liner troubles-liner vs ground water
- Thread starter Rocketslp
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,890
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome to TFP! 
Sounds like you have a couple issues to contend with. I'd say first it would be ideal to see if a leak is confirmed or ruled-out. The liner might be the culprit, even though you didn't notice much of a change over the winter. If you have a main drain, don't forget to have them check the hydrostatic valve to ensure it didn't get dirty or malfunction.
If the liner, drain, lights, steps, and any other potential seam locations are solid, then you go back to the local soil. In that case, you may need to invest is a French drain or alternative drainage of some sort to prevent water from collecting under the pool. To understand more about your clay soil, you might contact your country Environmental office for assistance. They should have records on file about flood plains and potential water table issues. Or perhaps they ca refer you to a private contractor who can do such soil analysis for you.
Sounds like you have a couple issues to contend with. I'd say first it would be ideal to see if a leak is confirmed or ruled-out. The liner might be the culprit, even though you didn't notice much of a change over the winter. If you have a main drain, don't forget to have them check the hydrostatic valve to ensure it didn't get dirty or malfunction. If the liner, drain, lights, steps, and any other potential seam locations are solid, then you go back to the local soil. In that case, you may need to invest is a French drain or alternative drainage of some sort to prevent water from collecting under the pool. To understand more about your clay soil, you might contact your country Environmental office for assistance. They should have records on file about flood plains and potential water table issues. Or perhaps they ca refer you to a private contractor who can do such soil analysis for you.
Thanks! How do we know if all of those seam locations are solid? I’d hate to invest a bunch of money in drainage if it’s not necessary. I originally assumed the water level in pool is good, so it must be the ground water. When I sent the pool company video of liner currently, they said it must be ground water and we must deal with that issue before replacing liner. Can they tell that from video?
@Texas SplashWelcome to TFP!
If the liner, drain, lights, steps, and any other potential seam locations are solid, then you go back to the local soil. In that case, you may need to invest is a French drain or alternative drainage of some sort to prevent water from collecting under the pool. To understand more about your clay soil, you might contact your country Environmental office for assistance. They should have records on file about flood plains and potential water table issues. Or perhaps they ca refer you to a private contractor who can do such soil analysis for you.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,890
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Leak detection around a liner can be tedious and frustrating, especially if there's a chance it could be in a deeper area. If you have time, patience, and the water is warm enough, you might be able to test areas with some food coloring.
- Jan 28, 2021
- 157
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
What time of the year was the pool dug and did they hit any groundwater? Can you associate heavy rain or rainy periods w the liner float or sponginess?