FAQ:

1) Regarding vinyl pool liners, what is the difference between Mil and Gauge?
Mil and Gauge are both measurements of thickness.

Mil, by definition in Merriam-Webster, is "a unit of length equal to 1/1000 inch used especially in measuring thickness (as of plastic films)."

Gauge is defined by the same resource as "the thickness of a thin material (as sheet metal or plastic film)."

2) How do I know if my swimming pool has a leak?
The most obvious answer is that there is a larger-than-normal drop in water level. This water loss may not be obvious if the pool has an automatic fill device that keeps the pool water at a constant level. If the pool has this type of device, it should be turned off for 24 hours to keep track of the true water level.
Here are more symptoms considered to be leak-related:

• An abnormal increase in the water bill

• Cracks in the deck that result from settling earth

• Unexplainable evidence of water outside the pool—i.e., puddles

• An unexplained increase in pool chemicals usage

• Air in the pump, or being blown into the pool. A leak in the suction-side plumbing (from skimmers and main drains to equipment), may pull air into the lines where it will show up in the pump or be blown back into the pool through the returns. This condition can also be caused by a blockage or obstruction in the suction lines. Either situation will require immediate professional attention to mechanical damage to pool equipment.

Another important point to consider is that an uncovered pool will lose water due to evaporation over time. Evaporation is caused by environmental conditions and can vary greatly from pool to pool, season to season. An easy way to tell whether or not water loss is due to evaporation is by performing a "Bucket Test," as follows:

• Place a bucket filled with water into the pool on the first or second step, which will assure that the water in the bucket is exposed to the same conditions as that in the pool.

• Fill the pool to its normal operating level and mark the water level in both the bucket and the pool.

• Measure the amount of water loss in both over a 24-hour period and compare the difference.

• If the bucket loses the same as the pool, all of the water loss is due to evaporation and not a leak.

• To calculate gallons of water lost, use this calculation: Inches of water lost x area of pool surface (in square feet) x .62 gallons.
  

3) How can I find a leak in my pool?
There are several steps to take to locate a leak in a pool since there are several areas where a swimming pool may leak:

• In and around the pool equipment—e.g., the pump, filter, and heater

• At fittings—e.g., skimmers, returns, and lights

• In the shell or liner of the swimming pool

• In the pool's underground plumbing system

Any leaks in the underground plumbing will require professional attention, yet it may be possible to find obvious leaks in other parts of the pool using simple visual inspection techniques.

Check for signs of moisture or drips around the pool equipment. Also check to ensure that the multi-port valve is not positioned to allow water loss to waste.

Underwater leaks in the pool shell or fittings can be identified with a simply made dye tester consisting of some dark food coloring and a turkey baster or a plastic syringe. A dye tester allows placement of a small amount of colorant near (within ¼") a suspected leak.

If using a baster, slowly depress its bulb to allow a slow steady stream of the dye to be injected into the pool. Liquid follows the path of least resistance, so dye will be drawn out of the pool where there is a leak. Start by testing suspect areas such as cracks in the tile or plaster, and places where return fittings, skimmers, or stairs join to the pool shell.

Much of this testing can be done from the pool deck. At some point, however, this testing will require entry into the pool with a dive mask to completely inspect the pool's structure.

That said, most leaks are not visibly obvious, or may be in parts of the pool—such as the underground plumbing system—that are inaccessible. A qualified pool leak professional with the proper equipment should be able to find a leak anywhere in a pool within an hour or two.

4) What steps does a professional take to find a pool leak?
A pool leak detection professional first will ask questions about the pool or spa, when you first noticed leak problems, and, if possible, how much it is leaking—based on the results of a "Bucket Test" (see question 2 for an explanation). The more information you provide about your swimming pool leak the better.

Most leak-detection jobs will involve a pressure test of the plumbing lines to confirm whether the leak is in the plumbing or the shell of the pool. Based on the results of the pressure test, the technician may then use a variety of electronics or diving equipment to pinpoint the pool leak. Such tools include listening devices or helium detectors that pinpoint underground plumbing leaks; LeakTrac Leak Detectors that pinpoint even the smallest vinyl liner leaks using patented electronics and Hydrophones; special dyes; and diving equipment to find leaks in the shell of plaster and concrete pools.

Once the pool leak is found, the professional will provide you with several repair options that they will perform themselves or refer to someone else.

5) Are there advantages in colors—dark vs. light—when choosing an in-ground pool liner, for keeping the water warm? Are dark colors better at heat absorption?
It would be difficult to measure or quantify any warming effect, nevertheless, logic says there should be some positive difference with darker liners. The best advice is to choose a vinyl liner on its looks and let any warming effect be a bonus.

6) The pool liner on the deep end has floated out some and is pulled out a small amount from the coping. I can definitely see water behind it, possibly due to a lot of rain this season. How do I repair this and suction the liner back?
The recent heavy rains probably raised the water table to uncommon heights. Fill the pool to the proper height, as this will equalize the hydrostatic pressure. Use a pump to remove the water from behind the walls. The liner should be able to be reattached by tugging it back into the track. As the water in the surrounding area recedes, the liner should stop floating. Improving drainage in the immediate pool area might prevent this from happening again.

7) There are shoots coming through the bottom of the vinyl liner of my in-ground pool. The dealer said it may be nutgrass. How can I eradicate this growth?
Nutgrass is an uncommon problem. First and foremost, be advised that you cannot add a weed killer to the water. If you pull it out, you will have a hole. However, the hole can be patched. Also, if you don't get all of the roots, it could come back. 

Try pulling out the nut grass, one shoot at a time. Use a turkey baster to inject some weed killer through the hole and then patch the spot.  It might work, but it could sprout elsewhere.
If the vinyl liner is replaced, you should remove the old sand base and replace with new material. Follow this with an application of a long-lasting weed killer before dropping in the new liner.

8) When my vinyl liner was installed a few years ago, it was nice and smooth.  Today, I see some wrinkles in one area. What's the cause?
It is possible that the bottom has undergone some shifting or settling over the past few years and this led to some wrinkling. Another possibility is that corrosive, acidic water conditions caused the vinyl liner to increase water absorption, leading to a stretching of the liner and subsequent wrinkling.

It is possible that the pH has been kept too low. It is important to maintain the pH in the 7.2-7.6 range for bather comfort, sanitizer efficiency, and to protect the pool equipment. Low pH can be quite common with the use of Trichlor tablets in an automatic chlorinator because the product is acidic and requires regular pH monitoring.

Because the water looks good, many people tend to neglect the pH.  The practice of "dumping" in chemicals and allowing them to remain on the bottom, for prolonged periods, is not recommended. Acidic chemicals such as pH decreaser, muriatic acid, or cyanuric acid can create the acidic conditions that contribute to vinyl pool liner problems. 

9) How do I repair a swimming pool liner?
A familiar sight each season for many vinyl-liner pool owners is sags or gaps at the track holding the liner in place. Constant fluctuations in temperature over the winter can cause the vinyl to stretch and pop out at certain spots—most often at corners or where there is plastic trim in a concrete deck that meets with the pool coping. In many cases, the vinyl can be pulled up and snapped back into place in just a few minutes.

One method for repairing the liner is to pour a kettle of boiling water directly on the sagging vinyl. As the hot water softens the vinyl, pull the vinyl up and into the track. Have a dull flat head screwdriver ready to help hold the vinyl in the track as you pull the vinyl up and into place. For longer splits, use wooden clothes-pegs, broken in half and placed along the split every few inches.

A safer option is to heat an area of the liner to enable stretching it by holding the blow dryer a couple of inches from the surface and at an angle. Keep the dryer moving so you don't burn the liner. Heat just enough to make it pliable and put the liner back in the track.

10) How many pieces of coping strips do I need to attach my pool liner?
Multiply pool size by 3.14, round it up and divide by 2. This equals the number of pieces of coping.

11) How much of a cove should I have for my above ground pool?
There should be a 4-5-inch cove.

12) What is the wall depth of a beaded/unibead pool liner?
A 48-inch pool liner measures 43 ½ inches and a 52-inch pool liner measures 46 ½ inches.

13) What is the lowest temperature to install a pool liner?
No less than 65 degrees for a beaded pool liner and 60 degrees for an overlap pool liner.

14) Why doesn't my liner fit?
To determine why your liner is too small or doesn't fit properly, use this checklist of possible problems:

• It is too cold. Vinyl will shrink and stiffen when the temperature is below 65 degrees. The sun will soften the vinyl making it easier to pack folds and wrinkles.

• Your pool is out of round.

• There should be two inches of sand or Styrofoam under the pool liner with an 8-inch cove along the inside of the pool wall. Do not use coarse sand.

• The pool may not be level.

• The liner may have been installed unevenly. Verify that the bottom seam of the liner is centered in the pool. The liner may be pulled to one side.

15) What is the measurement on the overlap of an overlap liner?
An overlap measures 54" and is used both for a 48-inch and 52-inch wall.

16) When should I cut in the skimmer and return when replacing my pool liner?
The skimmer and return should be cut in when the pool is one-third to half-way full of water. This will allow the pool liner to stretch into place before any cuts are made in it. If this step is done prematurely it could cause the pool liner to tear, or allow wrinkles to form.

17) What is above-ground pool cove and why is it necessary?
A cove is needed to keep the weight of the water from causing the pool liner to balloon out under the bottom of the pool wall. Previously, pool cove had to be hand-formed with plenty of sand or dirt. Liner failures due to cove washout were all too common, and corrosion occurs rapidly where metal components at the bottom of the pool come in contact with moisture in the sand or dirt. Hand-formed coves also are uneven, making cleaning difficult.

WITH COVE:
Liner rests tight against cove, creating a sealed barrier that keeps moisture from getting between the wall and liner.

WITHOUT COVE:
Sand and dirt can be washed out, leaving a gap and causing excessive strain on the liner, which could result in liner failure.

Pool cove becomes part of the pool to seal the space between the wall and the liner, and to prevent liner strain. Made from chemically neutral foam, the cove will fight corrosion. It also is compatible with all vinyl liners, and eliminates the need for banking sand, otherwise used to create a sealed barrier between the wall and liner.

Glossary of Terms: Pool Construction and Finishing

Cobalt Bleeding: A condition occasionally present in older fiberglass pools and spas, resulting in dark black spots or blotches forming on underwater surfaces. Stain removal treatments may prove useless or temporary. The most practical remedy is to refinish the pool or spa.

Coping, pool:To maintain a pool's shape and to hold its liner in place, a tile or lip is installed around the edge of the pool. This edge is called coping (also known as edging).

Epoxy Based Refinishing: Refers to materials and processes used to refinish and seal a masonry pool. Such refinishing offers the advantage of strength and durability and reduced interaction between the masonry products in the walls and the pool water chemistry.

Exposed Aggregate Finish: A type of product used as the interior finish in some masonry pools—typically, a mixture of selected aggregates and Portland cement.  An acid etching is used to expose some of the aggregates, creating its textured, finished look.

Gorilla Pad:A 1/8-inch-thick geotextile pool floor pad that adds a layer of cushioning to eliminate footprints from forming on the pool floor. It is cut to size and seamed for your pool. No more cutting and taping as with foam. The padding virtually eliminates vinyl pool liner bottom leaks and inhibits weeds from causing holes in the pool liner.

Gunite: A water, sand, and cement mixture that is "gunned" onto the formed shape of a pool interior under construction. After application, a trowel is used on the walls, and a layer of a "plaster" finish is applied over the Gunite. It is this "plaster" layer—most commonly a marble dust Marcite (see separate glossary listing) or an aggregate finish—that will actually contact the water and be visible.

Leaching:A term used to describe the movement of slowly soluble constituents, present in masonry pool finishes, into the pool water. Overall water chemistry governs to what extent any leaching can occur. This normally affects the parameters of pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness.

Marcite: A finish for Gunite pools that consists of crushed marble and white Portand cement, which forms a watertight layer over the underlying gunite.

Mottling: A term used to describe dark blotches, spots, or stains that appear on some plastered pools. This condition may be caused by the "use and abuse" of calcium chloride in the plastering mixture. There is no solution, short of refinishing, if mottling occurs. Algae and metal stains are other possibilities.

Plaster: A type of finish that is applied over the concrete shell of an in-ground pool. Typically, it is a mixture of cement and aggregate used as an interior finish on concrete pools or spas.

Pool, above-ground: A home pool that is built on top of the ground, constructed of various materials including a vinyl liner to contain the water.

Pool, in-ground, fiberglass: A pool that is built into the ground, with fiberglass as the material of construction. This type of pool is not very flexible in terms of size and shape.

Pool, in-ground, Gunite:A pool built into the ground—usually level with the surface—and constructed with a concrete shell that is "gunned" on (hence the name gunite). The surface can be finished with plaster or aggregate materials. This type of pool is very flexible in terms of size and shape.

Pool, in-ground, vinyl: A pool that is built into the ground—usually level with the surface—and constructed from various structural materials such as aluminum, steel, polymer plastic, and wood. This type of pool has a vinyl liner, and is very flexible in terms of size and shape.

Pool, on-ground, residential:A removable pool that is on the ground and also has an excavated area below the earth.

Precipitation: The formation of an insoluble chemical compound, thereby causing it to drop out of solution. Changes in the water analysis parameters of pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness can cause precipitation. Not treating dissolved minerals, such as iron, can lead to precipitation, and resulting staining and discoloration problems. Precipitation of calcium can lead to cloudy/hazy pool or spa water or scale deposit problems on underwater surfaces.

Quartz:A commonly used ingredient in quartz-aggregate finishes. Quartz or silicon dioxide is more chemical-resistant and durable than the more traditional marble dust additives.

Vinyl Liners: Placed inside the formed shape of a pool, vinyl liners are made of a heavy-gauge vinyl. They are used to contain the water within the inner surfaces of the walls and bottom. Vinyl liners are chemically inert, and enable the use of various materials as pool walls. Available in a variety of colors and patterns, vinyl liners are available in both stock sizes and custom sizes.

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