swimming pool liner

Has anyone reapaired an above ground pool liner? If so was it done with or with out water in the pool? What did you use? How old was the liner? How long did the reapair last?

I seem to have developed a leak in my pool. The water is not clear enough for me to tell if it is in the liner or it is leaking past return in the bottom of the pool.

The pool is 24' round above ground.

I fixed mine a couple of years ago. I borrowed a buddies scuba gear. I had a general idea where the leak was, so I bought a couple bottles of red food coloring at the grocery store. When you are under water, you can squirt a little cloud of red dye, and watch where it drifts to. When you get to the leak, it will be sucked right out. This requires a pretty big leak though...I was losing about an inch per day from a 24' pool.

The repair kit is available from any pool store, and includes adhesive that works under water.

I've done a couple of these repairs. First one was several years ago on an oval pool. It had straps that ran under the pool. These straps had screws that held it together. Don't remember exactly how it went together - it was 24 years ago I helped set that pool up and I was only 12. Anyway, flash forward 2 or 3 years. One of those screws had a bur on it. It finally worked its way through the liner. I used one of those underwater patches like described earlier. My first attempt at it I just barely got the hole covered. Decided to make another attempt at diving down with another patch. That one centered pretty good. That patch held for probably close to 10 or 12 years when they finally got rid of the pool. This was an 18'x30'x4' oval above ground.

Second time I did it was last year. I moved the pool that I had at my parents' house. Purchased a new liner from intheswim.com. Started filling the water. Wife noticed a little black spot in the liner. A little hole about the size of an ink pen barrel. Went to the pool store and got the patch kit. It has held fine now for a year. I just vacuum last night (it was so I hot I got in to vacuum) and it still seems tight. This is a 27' round 4' deep pool.

Both repairs were done with the water in the pool.

thanks for the stories

sounds like the patches will work if I need one

I would say I am loosing about an inch over two days

Well I went and picked up a handy dandy patch kit from my pool store for $7.00. INstalled a patch. Was not too hard since I am down 2 feet of water. So far so good! It stopped dripping!

Now I have to wait a week for the water. Trucks are booked out that far right now.

Hope it holds casue I really do not want to buy a new liner right now.

Just thought I would post a little follow-up to this. Monica came to me last Sunday night. Said it was all wet around the pool. I said it was over flowing because of the rain, she said no it was down. It had dropped almost 6" in about 4 hours. Turns out, my son took the pole that you use for the leave skimmer and the vacuum and punch 17 holes in the bottom of the pool. I was able to take one of the repair kits and cover all of the holes, but a couple were so big, I'm still not 100% sure they are holding. So far, I haven't added any water since last Wednesday. I guess we'll see. I don't want to buy a new liner as this one is only 2 years old and the pool is 12. I was hoping this liner would make it to the end of the pool life.

jwstewar said:

Turns out, my son took the pole that you use for the leave skimmer and the vacuum and punch 17 holes in the bottom of the pool.

Click to expand...

I think the ending of this story was "And jwstewar's son was never heard from again."

Why do you think there is a loader on the front of the tractor?

Our liner gave out finally last fall, and I had to take down the pool before winter. It wouldn't hold water, and without water it never would have survived the first good storm.

It is now sitting rolled up in the corner of the machine shed waiting for the time and money to buy a new liner and put it back together.