Leak in Above Ground Pool

We have a 12/24 oval pool. It has a slow leak and it was near the ladder. We patched it. However it continues to leak slowly.

If we let it continue will the sides cave in. It is a Crestood oval and has supports. By the way, we did check the patch and it was doing its job. Any suggestions?

Hi

Either your patch is not doing the job or you have another hole, probably the latter. The first thing you could do is to apply a slightly larger patch over your existing one.

If it still continues to leak I would look for another hole. This page might help.

Holes in Vinyl Pool

The worst thing you can do is to just let the pool leak dry. As the pool drains, the liner shrinks, it is not at all uncommon for the liner to pull the walls in as it's doing this. So yes, pool damage is possible.

The age of your liner determines how you go about fixing it. The older the liner is the more water you need to leave in it if you are draining to find and fix leaks. Most liners will allow you to drain down to about a foot or so, find and repair a hole, and refill. Really fresh liners would allow you to drain completely, get up underneath them to fine the hole, and still refill without a problem.

I would recommend finding the hole and fixing it, or changing the liner. Leaving a pool sit empty is just asking for problems.

Leaking Pool Dangerous

by Sue
(RI)

Hello, we have a 24' above ground pool that is 10 years old. We have several small rust spots that are leaking water. I would like to get through the rest of the season (6 weeks.) and then replace it.

Is there something I can put over the outside of the wall to get through the season??? Is it safe to be in the pool?
Thank you

Hi Sue

It is impossible for me to say if the pool is safe or not. I can give you some information for you consider.

Holes that are low on the wall are the most dangerous. The higher up the wall you get the less pressure there is on the holes. Holes in the upper half of the wall are much less dangerous than those in the bottom half. Rust holes in the bottom half of the wall can burst open at any time spilling all that water very quickly.

Water coming out of the holes is a little bothersome. That means your liner is already leaking, and that is not good. If you do nothing else try to stop the water from leaking. Holes are easy to find and patch. That is what I would do, find the holes, patch them, and stop the pool from leaking.

You really have to use you best judgment with regards to how save the pool is. Hopefully it will get you through this wonderful heat wave without any problems.

Pool Loses Water During The Winter

by Nancy
(New Jersey)

I lower the water to below the skimmer, add winterize chemicals and cover my pool in the fall. By the time I am ready to open it in the spring I have less than 1 foot of water remaining in the pool.

The first time this happened I thought it was a leak. I couldn't find a leak so I filled the pool and it was fine all summer. This has happened the last 3 years.

In spring it's very difficult getting the leaves and water out of the liner. I think the weight of the accumulating water and leaves is forcing the water out somehow. Do you think I could try a only using a mesh cover?Hi Nancy

It sounds to me like the pool has a slow leak. As you said, the extra weight put on the water during the winter probably forces the water out faster than in the summer. If you can't find any signs of holes in the liner it's probably those hard to find pin holes.

If this condition does not bother you during the summer months then I would recommend trying to keep it as full as possible during the winter months. Try to add water to it, as needed, to keep the level up to where it should be. This might help.

As the leaks get worse you will more than likely be replacing the liner then the problem is solved.

These pages might help in the future.

Vinyl Liner Replacement

Holes in Vinyl Pool

Leaky Liner Maybe

by Mel

I have a vinyl liner above ground pool installed 4 weeks ago on a sand base that was wet down with water prior to the liner installation. I have had 2 wet soil areas around the pool within the first 2 weeks that I was assured it was water pressing out from the sand. They did resolve over the course of a week and sun/warm temps.
A new area began 3 weeks after installation. Its still wet 6 days later. Have not had a lot of full sun days and it is a more clay than sand ground. I did a bucket test and they were similar,about 1/4 inch loss over night in the pool.
The pool has since been winterized and closed. Trying to decide what to do. Is it possible for water to still be pressing out from the sand and water pressure? Thought about digging out that soil and replacing it with dry fill and seeing if it gets saturated. Thank you for your thoughts.

Hi Mel It sounds like a leak in the liner but I like your idea of replacing the wet dirt with dry dirt.