Yea!!!!!!! The pool is up and running!

Everything went together and was amazed that we filled the 18 x 40 x 54 inches in two days and 1 night. And I mean 54 inches. We had to let some water out. I will add pictures when I get time. Got to get those solar panels hooked up permanently and get full sun. Got the pool up to 81 degrees with the solar panels laying on the ground. Got to move them up the the two story flat roof so they get full sun. Will do that this weekend. Thanks for all the advise. We love it. And the 2" Styrofoam bottom worked out great. We love it. It feels firm, but soft. Not foot prints or dents or wrinkles. Every thing pretty much worked out perfect. One minor concern. We found a close-pin under the liner by the edge of the cove. The liner seams to have stretched around it, but it looks like so much work to drain the pool and remove part of the liner to get to it. We just left it there. Hope it doesn't cause a problem later. Any way everything worked great but man was it work. Will post later on all we did with pictures. Thanks everyone for all the advise and input.
Aranon

Congrats on the pool, I have ordered mine and can't wait for the final product..

Oh, and Dennis, I have new found respect for you and your wife. Yall must work really hard I found out.

Aranon

Thanks Aranon, very nice to here.

About the cloths pin. Had to laugh a little, I have done that.

If you leave the pin there it will cause problems down the road. If it pokes through on it's own because of a cleaner rubbing against it or a heavey foot coming down hard on it you will not know until some sort of damage is already done.

This is going to sound a little strange but I would not waist all of that water. I would grab that piece of vinyl you cut from the skimmer opening, cut a 1"circle out of it and get some Boxer vinyl glue. Make a very small incision and remove the pin. Apply the patch. The patch will last as long as the liner does and if you use actual pool vinyl you will never see it.

I have done this on occasion with a rock that sticks up through the sand. I go down with a rubber malet and gently tap the rock. Most of the time it sinks into the sand with no damage done. A couple of times I have had to hit the rock so hard it damaged the liner before it dissapeared. I just patched it. I still feel that is better than draing the pool. Just my opinion.

Later, Dennis

Are you saying that I can patch the bottom under water? I mean while the pool is full, I can still use a patch under water?

Yes my friend, I stake my life on it. Use Boxer glue and real pool vinyl. Apply the patch, put your big toe over it, come up for air and wait 60 seconds. The waite of the water will take care of the rest.

Some may not agree but that is what I would do.

Why? I know the expense of water and I know the durability of a well installed patch.

I tell my customers, if and when, I should ever need to repair a whole. I do not patch vinyl liners, I repair them. And when I do I warranty it for the life of the liner.

A patch is where you pull some clear plastic off of a sticky sheet and stick it over the whole. A repair is when you use the proper glue and actual pool vinyl.

Later, Dennis

I gather the BEST glue is Boxer #100.

If you have a piece of liner (overlap liners frequently have extra) that it makes an invisible patch. I like to double patch, first with a thin patch from a standard patch kit (but I gather the Boxer works FAR better as glue), then with an over-patch. That way, if the edge of the under patch isn't perfect, then the over patch seals it.

I cannot advise you on hrsdennis's advice. It's one of those places where his work in the field is important and certainly supercedes my experience, but I HATE the idea of cutting a healthy, new liner. But short of draining and re-setting the liner, I don't know what your choices are other than:
1) Leave it alone--I agree, a potential problem.
2) Try to pound it down--a long 2x4 applied carefully MAY do it (I'd sand the "hammer" end first).
3) Same as 2) but patch over it.
4) Dennis's solution.

My inclination is 3) but unless someone like Poconos or PoolDoc says otherwise, Dennis is probably right.

Hi Carl, In most cases I would go for the pound it down method before anything else. This pool has a styrafoam base so I am just not sure how that would work. Might be worth a try though but definately be ready to patch.

Dennis

I vote for hrsdennis, A patch works as a quick fix, a repair as he described is best.

Aranon gets the final and deciding vote--as pool owner!