How To Repair The Metal Edges Of An Old Pool

You've probably never sat by your beautiful puddle, sipping a cool beverage, wondering how to patch a pool liner. Information technology's far more likely y'all'll be all set to jump in for a refreshing swim, but stop dead in your tracks when you discover the yard by your inground pool feels swampy. Maybe you'll glance out the back window just before your first sip of java in the morning time, and see a growing waterfall has sprung from the side of your above footing pool.

If you're reading this, y'all may have just discovered the demand to patch your vinyl pool liner, and that'southward never a fun discovery. You lot may even be freaking out a fiddling. Take a breath. Unless you have a very old liner, a massive tear, or a tree fell on your pool, you lot tin probably patch it.

Why Should You Learn How to Patch a Pool Liner?

Depending on the size and location of a leak, y'all could face up serious damage if it isn't addressed quickly.

In a higher place Basis Pool Dangers

If an above ground puddle springs a leak, the water volition drain until it reaches the level of the hole. If the leak is near the meridian rails, the water might merely go downwardly a couple of inches. Simply if it's nigh the bottom of the wall or the flooring of the puddle, the extensive water loss could plummet the pool and turn your m into a muddy mess.

Inground Pool Dangers

A leak in your inground pool liner tin also cause a lot of damage. The water can create a pocket of liquid under your pool deck or crusade soil erosion, leading to instability and deck cave-ins. It tin can also cause rust on steel pools, or erosion of concrete ones.

While those issues tin can be repaired, you can merely find them if you completely remove and replace your inground pool liner. The all-time course of action is to stop the leak as quickly equally you can.

Tip: If yous've just found a leak and you're trying to effigy out what to do: Grab a roll of duct tape, and cut a piece a bit larger than the hole. Yous can stick it correct nether water and rub information technology onto your liner. It won't last forever, but it'll help go on the water in your pool until yous tin can properly patch information technology.

Notation: If your puddle is concrete and develops cracks (which it will over fourth dimension) that need to be patched, pool plaster repair is a whole other job with its own tools and precautions.

The Practicalities of Pool Liner Patching

So your pool is losing h2o, which ways your liner has sprung a leak. Or does it? That information is fundamental earlier yous start patching anything.

Leak or Just Evaporation?

Most pools lose an average of virtually ¼ to ½ an inch of water every day to evaporation. But if you lot notice y'all're losing an inch or more than per twenty-four hour period? That sounds like a leak. Perchance.

Confirm the Leak

Utilize the bucket test to be sure your suspected pool leak isn't just evaporation.

Locate the Leak

When y'all're sure you've got a leak, utilize the ink method to find the verbal spot you need to patch. Determine whether the pigsty is small enough to patch, so whether you lot need to patch it moisture or dry.

How Big is Likewise Big?

Patches are temporary. Some will last for years, but they're not likely to last 15 years. And the bigger a tear is, the more likely the edges of the patch will go snagged, curl upward, or pull away.

When the patch comes upward on its own, yous may be able to repair it. We'll refrain from examining how meta it is to repair a repair. Simply if the patch gets defenseless on something and pulled off, information technology could further rip the liner, and then you lot'll have a bigger problem than you started with.

No hard and fast rules apply to the size of leaks that tin be successfully patched. Yous could have a two-inch patch fall off after a day or a ten-inch patch stay in identify for v years. The more important factor to consider is whether your liner is worth trying to patch.

If your liner is two years old and in keen shape except for an 8-inch tear on the back wall, it'due south certainly worth trying a patch. The tear is large, but the vinyl is otherwise strong and in a spot that won't become much traffic.

If your liner xv years old with a 2-inch tear next to the stairs, you definitely demand to patch it to control water loss and prevent impairment. Simply yous also need to first shopping for a new liner.

An older liner is thinner, more prone to pinholes and weak spots, and more than likely to spring more leaks. Patching may extend the life of your liner, only know that this leak is likely a symptom that the liner is nearing the end of its life.

Note: Areas of the liner close to the stairs, bead, or whatever of the fittings have the weight of the puddle h2o pulling on them. They're under more stress than other areas, and so patches in that location may be less probable to agree up long term.

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Instantly Stop Leaks

Quick fixes come in three flavors. All three can be practical underwater or dry out.

Waterproof Tape

Not specifically a vinyl pool patching production, waterproof tapes are marketed for all sorts of quick repairs. It's similar to duct tape, but clear, waterproof, and UV resistant. The tape tin exist overlapped to create larger sections for patching.

It's low price, durable, and easy to re-practise if necessary. It's all-time for smaller patch jobs because it tends to pare.

Peel-and-Stick Patches

Equally easy as waterproof tape, but made from real vinyl and designed for utilise in pools and on inflatable pool items. Some peel-and-stick patches are fifty-fifty pre-cut in perfect, peachy circles. The circular shape makes them less probable to peel up effectually the edges.

Just remove the paper backing, and press information technology over the leak. These are also inexpensive and all-time used on minor punctures and tears.

Vinyl Patch Kit

If you need to seal a slightly larger hole or you're hoping for a longer-term fix, you tin can catch a patch kit. Kits include large chunks of liner and special vinyl agglutinative that works underwater. Some come with blue and clear vinyl.

Patch kits for soft-sided above footing pools as well include a piece of special laminated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material, so you can properly patch the outside of the pool walls.

Wet or Dry Patch?

If the puddle'south water level has dropped to the level of a wall leak, it's okay to patch it dry out. You don't need to drain your pool to apply a patch to whatsoever leak, though.

How to Patch a Puddle Liner Underwater

Letting all the h2o out can cause above basis pool walls to collapse. Elimination any puddle with a vinyl liner dries it out and exposes it to dissentious ultraviolet (UV) rays, which tin can brand the liner breakable. And draining an inground pool tin cause it to literally pop out of the basis if you're non careful. Information technology's best to patch the liner underwater, unless the leak exposed it.

Important: Never drain an inground puddle unless it's absolutely necessary—not even earlier a hurricane—because it can further weaken your liner and even cause structural damage. If it'southward necessary, and you're not sure how to bleed a pool, learn the process before you lot offset, or hire a professional to do information technology for you lot.

Y'all'll need:

Scissors
Non-abrasive scouring pad
Weight (pool cleaner head or brick wrapped in plastic wrap)
Swimming goggles (if needed)
Vinyl patch kit or vinyl agglutinative
Dauber applicator or craft stick (to spread agglutinative)
Patching vinyl

one. Clean the Area

Any droppings, algae, sunscreen or other stuff stuck to your pool walls makes information technology harder for a patch or adhesive to adhere. Use a non-abrasive scouring pad to gently clean the vinyl around the pigsty. Exercise not scrub. You don't desire to brand the pigsty whatsoever bigger.

2. Trim the Patch

If y'all're non using pare-and-stick patches, cut the patching vinyl into a circle. Exist certain it's at least ii inches larger in diameter than the hole. For example, if the rip is three inches long, the patch must be v inches in diameter.

three. Utilize Adhesive

For skin-and-stick patches, remove the paper backing to expose the adhesive side. For all other patches, be sure it's free of debris, so utilize the dauber to apply a generous amount of adhesive. Brand sure it reaches all the edges.

iv. Taco 'Tour Information technology

Fold the patch in one-half like a taco, with the viscous side out, and then submerge information technology.

5. Stick It

Holding the patch over the hole, slowly and gently open the patch taco while smoothing it onto the pool liner. Press out any air bubbles, then concord the patch in place for two minutes. The adhesive needs to cure to reach its full strength, so resist the urge to tug on the patch to check information technology.

6. Use Weight

Some patch products recommend putting weight on your patch for 24 hours while the adhesive cures. It's next to impossible to use weight to your puddle wall. Simply if your patch is in a spot where it's possible to do so, residuum your pool cleaner caput or a clean brick covered in plastic wrap on tiptop of the patch.

vii. Double Patch It

Placing a second patch over the commencement won't make your fix any stronger, only if it makes you experience more at ease, there'southward no reason you tin't double up. If you do, exist sure to permit the beginning patch cure completely earlier applying the 2nd. Cut the second patch at least two inches larger in bore than the first patch (making it four inches larger than the hole), so it can attach to the pool liner and the first patch.

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04/22/2022 01:59 pm GMT

Easy Soft-Sided Vinyl Pool Patching

Intex-style pools are made from slightly different fabric than vinyl pool liners, merely they tin can also be patched, even on the exterior. Y'all don't need to empty them, either.

Patch kits for this type of pool normally include clear vinyl, blue vinyl, and outside patch material (laminated PVC). The clear is for acme ring repairs, the blue is for interior repairs, and the laminated PVC is for outer wall repairs. The adhesive works for all 3. If yous're concerned about risks associated with PVC exposure, look for patch kits with bisphenol A (BPA)-free patching vinyl.

You can also find pare-and-stick patches for this type of pool, which may be easier to use.

Patching soft-sided pools follows the aforementioned procedure as with whatsoever vinyl liner, except when patching the top ring. Fully inflate the ring, mark the hole, and apply adhesive around it. Then apply agglutinative to the articulate patch and apply it. Press on it for a few seconds, then slightly deflate the ring so the adhesive tin cure without pressure. After 12 hours, you tin reinflate the ring.

When Patches Aren't Plenty

The road to a brand-new pool liner is paved with skilful intentions and waterproof record. Eventually, no matter how skillful you are with a dauber and agglutinative, your liner will give up the ghost. Knowing how to patch a pool liner can buy you lot time to find a replacement liner without letting leaks destroy your pool or property.

One time your liner has a patch or 2, be sure to go on an eye them. If they start to pull up, work a little adhesive under the edges and smooth them dorsum downwards. You tin besides double patch past smoothing a larger patch over one that'southward starting to give out. But call back, pool patches won't last forever. Merely if practical correctly, you may well keep enjoying your pool liner for years to come.

Happy Swimming!

Matt Giovanisci is the founder of Swim Academy® and has been in the pool and spa industry since 1995. Since then, his mission is to make pool and hot tub intendance easy for everyone. And each year, he continues to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting.

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