Now WHAT?!!! Pool Disaster

We installed a 41x21 oval ourselves last summer. We got to swim for about 3 weeks, then closed for the winter. We obviously didn't do a great job, because over the winter, the ground above the braces settled, and you could see them in the pool bottom. Since the liner was less than a year old, we pulled the liner back, left it attached at the skimmer and return, and re-leveled the sand. I put the liner back around the pool, and used a shop vac to check how everthing layed. Then I started filliing. When the pool was about 1/2 full, the liner pulled away from the wall and is now laying at the bottom with water running under the pool wall. There is about 5 inches of water under my deck. The liner didn't rip at all, it just pulled out from the top rails.

Now what do I do???

http://home.comcast.net/~marykat/images/DSC02583.JPG

Are you saying you drained all the water out of the pool to make the adjustments/leveling? If thats so, then a liner will shrink and that could be the reason it pulled away from the walls. You should NEVER drain the water from your liner unless you plan to replace the liner.

yeah, we completely drained it. I was risking it since the liner was 6 mo old. I think tIhat liner didn't shrink too much, I just didn't get it put back in right. There is about 12-14 inches of overlap on another side- but it looked right.:o

I'll add to the drama, and why this has pushed me over the edge. DS 18 months, is going to have his tonsils removed on Friday, so unless I can round up help, we won't be doing pool repair this weekend.

Also wanted to add that DH is putting the top rails back on right now.

EDIT BY WATERMOM:
Just a note for Trimom and anybody else reading this who may not know. When you need to add or change something right after you make a post, you can just click on the edit button in the lower right corner of the post and make your changes instead of having to make another new separate post. Just FYI.

Thanks, Watermom

Hi Trimom, you made a safe choice by my way of thinking. Anytime in the first year if you need to drain and refill to correct an installation problem you are safe to do so.

After that never drain.

Once the underside has dried out you could try setting the liner the way you did before. Fill at high noon, full sun and it might work. If that is what you did before you might try this.

With the pool assembled, pull the liner over the top rail and using many cloths pins, pin it to the top rail. Fill to two thirds full in full sun, then a couple of rails at a time, remove and set the liner and reinstall. Keep the skimmer and return attached, that was a good move on your part. Start pulling over the top rail close to the filter area but keep that area attached.

Hope that helps some, Dennis

Well I'm sure you will find help when you need it. Your son should come first so when you get to it, you get to it. Round up some friends with the promise of a little BBQ and brew or something. Hungry men never turn down a little work for a good meal. Good luck.

If I'm reading this righ, it sounds like your liner was offset to begin with, you might be able to shift it (even with the return and skimmer connected in).

You would take your large overlap end as your starting point, letting a little more liner down into the pool, (you'll only be able to do this with little to no water in it) then pulling that slack towards the center, then work it towards the other side, up and over until you're realtively satisfied that you have enough overlap. work anything else that's bunched towards the opposite end of the skimmer/return area. Your return and skimmer may give you a problem but if you do it an inch at a time it may work enough for you to hold up
If you stick a shopvac behind the liner you should get a good idea of what it will do when it's full/filling since the shopvac pulls it towards the walls - if there's still a lot of space (3" or so) that needs to be filled between liner and wall, it should be fixed/adjusted before adding water or else the same will happen again.

Thanks everyone for all the advice! I really think we could fix it ourselves, but with little man's surgery, I am overwhelmed. We found a pool guy who used to work for the big pool store in our area, but now he does pools out of his home. He has agreed to come out and rehang the exsisting liner for us. It's the best solution for this situation. Again - thanks for all the info.

Trimom, I can feel your anxiety. Our pool lost 1/2 of the water this winter and I found the reason this spring. Two holes happened last fall when my husband and son took out the steps. One the size of a nickle, the other a pea-both around 4 inches from the bottom. I tried to patch under water but the temp was very cold and it froze or dried up the glue before it would adhere. Next I drained down below the holes and patched. I let it dry 48 hrs before starting to refill. The water is up about 18 inches and everything is good so far. I hope the liner won't pull away. Denise--I also have a 20 yr old going in Monday for a toncillectomy. Fun week ahead. ;)