Finding a hole in liner

[Joe44]

I had a new liner put in last year. Everything went smooth last year. This year, I have been battling sand particals everytime I run my pump. I thought it was the catridge, but I took that out and ran the pump without it. Low and behold, sand particals! I know there has to be a hole somewhere in the liner. The water level seems to be affected a little. But nothing significant. There is some gathering of the liner at one end of the pool, which is 15x30 AG. My question is this. How can I find the hole? If there is one. I have tried to find the hole, but to no avail. Thanks

[matt4x4]

From what I'm gathering, you are thinking the sand in your pool is from a hole in the liner - ie - the vac is sucking sand through the hole.
Impossible, due to several reasons:
1. If you had a pin prick hole you would see a loss of water, but sand could never get back up through the hole since it would be too small.
2. If you have a hole big enough for sand to get through, your pool would be dropping an inch or more a day.
3. Sand would NEVER go up through a hole since the water pressure forcing down on it is too great.
4. Even if teh vac were to suck it through, it would deposit in your filter, never to return into your pool.

If sand is showing up in your pool continually, it is a problem inside the filter, here are some possibilities:
1. Broken Lateral
2. Bad spider gasket
3. Bad seal on the standpipe to multi port valve connection.
4. too much sand in your filter.

[Joe44]

Matt, thanks for the reply..As I said, I have a cartridge filter, not sand. This is what is confusing me.

[matt4x4]

I can't see sand pushing up unless it's an IG pool with a lot of ground water pressure washing sand up through a hole, and that would mean the water pressure under teh pool is greater than the water pressure downwards in the pool, so your water table would be above your pool water line for that to happen.....
Is it possibly atmospheric sand - ie crap that the wind brings?
I get fine silt in my pool all the time from the fields and such, around my area it's clay dust because we do not have sand around us.
If it is in fact a hole, and sand is working it's way into the pool from it, then you should be getting an indentation where the hole is since the sand needs to be replaced by something - and that something would be the liner sinking into the hole left behind. Have you checked your cove all the way around?
Also, the sand probably won't travel too far from the hole under normal circulation, so if you don't run your vac for a few days, see where the sand collects, then it's down to that area as suspect.
Holes usually look like a little speck of dirt (black dot), it could also be a little slit (more likey).
I'm still baffled about it though since I cannot see that happening.
Possibly ants?? I know they carry grains of sand out of their tunnels, but those would have to be mighty good diving ants!

[mbar]

Could it be mustard algae? Sometimes it appears to look like sand. If you can get some and put it between you fingers and rub, see if it is gritty or a bit slimy.

[GraceByDesign]

Children tracking dirt in on their feet?
Children playing in dirt/sandbox and throwing dirt/sand which then gets carried by wind?
The Dog? (yeah, always blame the dog!:rolleyes: )
Uninvited animals cooling off/getting a drink at night?

[treyk]

I would also be thinking along the lines of Grace. We have ducks and seagulls in our area. The ducks often like to take a swim in local pools.

[Joe44]

Could it be mustard algae? Sometimes it appears to look like sand. If you can get some and put it between you fingers and rub, see if it is gritty or a bit slimy.

I think It may be mustard algae. I just tries to get it between my fingers and it dessolves. What should I do to get rid of this. Thanks , everyone for all your help. Joe

[Kinguni]

I thought the same thing with my pool running earlier this year. That it's settled on the bottom of the pool and the pool is clear means I don't worry about it and just vacuum it up once or twice a week. It's worse after windy weather so in my case it's just dirt settled in spots. It does look like sand though.