Pool Liner holes at Return Connection

[Mitch401]

Hello, I'm new to having and taking care of pools. But here is a start to my problem.

I have an above ground pool 18' round and 5' deep. I noticed that this year when I opened my pool I have a few holes in my liner right at the pool return eye. I bought a patch kit and I'm ready to patch it up but I dont know how to take apart the return connection.

Can anyone help me or point me to a place I can find information?

Thanks

[PoolDoc]

Photos, photos; send photos to poolforum AT gmail DOT com, along with your user ID

[Mitch401]

OK Thanks PoolDoc, I sent them to you

[waste]

Welcome to the Forum!

Once I see the pics, I'll tell you how I would go about patching the liner.

[PoolDoc]

Your pics are below. By the way, to remove the eyeball, just unscrew the nut in the first picture. You can hold on to the smaller hex flats next to the threads to keep the body from turning as you remove the nut.


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0FJnwZ6fljk/Tg0XUggcgMI/AAAAAAAAATw/dA9jN6lZoAw/s800/2011-06-29_18-25-49_617-ed.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aZGleer3I9A/Tg0XVPYaTOI/AAAAAAAAAT0/h6ZNLkhEbPQ/s800/2011-06-29_18-26-01_26-ed.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MJCemxF0oCM/Tg0XVoFcZHI/AAAAAAAAAT4/wQL3OklvqYk/s800/2011-06-29_18-26-20_893-ed.jpg

[waste]

Ahhh, I see what happened! (thanks for the pics!)

See the wrinkling above the return and the rips under it, and where it used to seal (the darker semicircle under the rips)? What happened is either that the r4eturn was originally cut in when the liner hadn't fully stretched into the floor/ cove, or the floor or cove washed out over the winter.

Leave your water level where it is and remove the return (just like Ben told you, keep track of the gaskets and their orientation! and replace any that look worn. This will let the wrinkles settle down to partially cover the hole in the wall for the return. Carefully trim any liner that blocks the hole. Then apply a patch to fully cover the return hole and the rips + 1". Allow patch to fully seal, then cut an "X" across the wall hole and reinsert the return. Trim the liner that pokes through the back of the wall and retighten the retaining nut. Reattach the hose and you're ready to refill the pool and fire up the system:)

p.s. - it looks like you have iron in the water.

[CarlD]

You can even replace the return entirely...that's a standard unit.

Ted's given you great advice. It's much easier to patch a pool liner ABOVE the water than below it, and you get better results (I've done a number of underwater patches and hate doing it).

I would take Ted's suggestion further: I like to patch about an inch around the holes, then put a bigger patch around the patch, again, at least an extra inch if not more. That helps prevent the edges of the important patch, the first one, from peeling. It seems like a lot of patching material but....it's a LOT cheaper than a new liner and may buy you a couple of years.

Carl

[waste]

Good idea, Carl! If there is any doubt about a patch holding, double patch it!

[Mitch401]

Thanks "PoolDoc" - for the help

"waste" - Thanks for the help, and yeah the water is discolored because I just started with the cleaning process when I ran into this problem. I had to make a little "Tool" reach into the connector and remove the inside piece, once I did that it came out ok.

"CarlD" - Yeah notice no matter what I did the outer edge of the patch keeps peeling a little, So I will try what you had said to make a bigger patch just to make sure.

[CarlD]

Yup. That's REALLY the reason I double-patch...I can NEVER make the edge of the first patch 100%. But if you go another inch on the second patch, it seals the first soundly.

Carl

[waste]

I'm pretty sure I've put the tip about using a wallpaper seam roller here to keep the edges from 'rolling' up... ? (if not, I gotta find the time to type up my patching info )

[CarlD]

I'm pretty sure I've put the tip about using a wallpaper seam roller here to keep the edges from 'rolling' up... ? (if not, I gotta find the time to type up my patching info )

I use a rubber roller used by the tile, formica and vinyl flooring guys. Same idea.

Actually, I try to NEVER use it at all! :)

[PoolDoc]

I'm pretty sure I've put the tip about using a wallpaper seam roller here to keep the edges from 'rolling' up... ? (if not, I gotta find the time to type up my patching info )

You want to write a sticky . . . that I can migrate to PoolSolutions? A "How to patch or repair your liner?" page? We can start it as a thread here, to let people comment and correct (at least my stuff needs corrections!) before moving it to a static page on PoolSolutions.

Now that we've passed the 4th, traffic will began dropping and I'm going to go back to working on PS pages, cross links, stickies and . . . boring stuff like firewalls and security add-ons that will allow me to relax some of the new member entry hurdles.

[waste]

Ben, I'll gladly try to type liner patching info up, so it will be in one place - and I have no doubts that it will need a little 'tweaking' once I get some feed back on what I write :)

[PoolDoc]

Thanks, Ted.

[Watermom]

That Ted, what would we do without him?? He is such a big help around here! (Hi, Ted!)