holybuzz
07-09-2006, 01:45 PM
Yesterday I tried to patch a liner tear (about 9"x1") at the bottom of the deep end of our 16x32 inground diving pool. I bought flippers, belt weights (to keep me down), and a mask. I used a tube of Boxer Adhesives and a piece of the original liner that I got from my local pool shop. (Incidentally, the pool guys practically laughed when I told them the size of the rip. They said that a patch might be OK for this season, but that new liner was a must in the Fall. The current liner is just two years old. Sigh.)
I'm still losing water at a rate of about 3-4 inches every 12 hours (Arg!), a rate that the pool store guys say is more than enough to cause softening/deterioration/foundering in the underlying structure, which would cost thousands to fix. Some questions:
1) Does the size of the rip match with my water loss? Is a rip of this size really too big to patch?
2) Is there any way to add more adhesive to the patch? The pool guy said I should put some adhesive on my fingers, dive down, and continue to work it into the edges of the patch. Unfortunately, the adhesive he gave me is like syrup, not putty; it basically runs off my fingers. Also the stuff is clear, so seeing it at the bottom of the pool ain't easy. Is there another, more malleable adhesive that I could use?
3) Can I remove the patch and try to re-apply, or do I risk making a larger rip? The patch I used is already 12"x4". I'm assuming that covering it with an even larger patch is a non-starter.
4) Has anyone here ever rented scuba gear and done a proper job of patching? I feel like I could do a bang-up job if I could just stay down there and do it right. The problem is that I've never as much as snorkeled, so perhaps the scuba learning curve is too steep?
4) Is the safest thing to bite the bullet and put in a new liner? What is the risk to the underlying structure with this level of water loss? How long can I keep refilling the pool and putting off a new liner?
Sorry for all the questions. Answer as many as you like.
BTW, we bought the house in November. The previous owner, despite having installed the new liner, hadn't opened the pool for two seasons. Neighbors say that there were ducks in there last year. We believe that the rip was caused by one of several large landscaping stones (the red, scalloped-top ones) that were used in lieu of water bags on the winter cover.
"A pool is a hole in the ground that you need like a hole in the head."
I'm still losing water at a rate of about 3-4 inches every 12 hours (Arg!), a rate that the pool store guys say is more than enough to cause softening/deterioration/foundering in the underlying structure, which would cost thousands to fix. Some questions:
1) Does the size of the rip match with my water loss? Is a rip of this size really too big to patch?
2) Is there any way to add more adhesive to the patch? The pool guy said I should put some adhesive on my fingers, dive down, and continue to work it into the edges of the patch. Unfortunately, the adhesive he gave me is like syrup, not putty; it basically runs off my fingers. Also the stuff is clear, so seeing it at the bottom of the pool ain't easy. Is there another, more malleable adhesive that I could use?
3) Can I remove the patch and try to re-apply, or do I risk making a larger rip? The patch I used is already 12"x4". I'm assuming that covering it with an even larger patch is a non-starter.
4) Has anyone here ever rented scuba gear and done a proper job of patching? I feel like I could do a bang-up job if I could just stay down there and do it right. The problem is that I've never as much as snorkeled, so perhaps the scuba learning curve is too steep?
4) Is the safest thing to bite the bullet and put in a new liner? What is the risk to the underlying structure with this level of water loss? How long can I keep refilling the pool and putting off a new liner?
Sorry for all the questions. Answer as many as you like.
BTW, we bought the house in November. The previous owner, despite having installed the new liner, hadn't opened the pool for two seasons. Neighbors say that there were ducks in there last year. We believe that the rip was caused by one of several large landscaping stones (the red, scalloped-top ones) that were used in lieu of water bags on the winter cover.
"A pool is a hole in the ground that you need like a hole in the head."