Hydrostatic Relief Valve for Vinly liner pools(?)

I have a 3 year old vinyl lined pool with a vermiculite base. We have significant ground water problems that have caused the liner to float and has left extensive wrinkling and creases in the line. We leave the pool filled in the spring, but every year the liner worsens. This spring we drained the pool and tried to smooth out the liner and fit it back into the coping, but there was no real improvement. We have to replace the liner in the near future.

I have spoken to our installer about adding hydrostatic pressure relief valves, both in the deep and shallow ends of the pool, however, he is not familiar with the relief valves being used on the liner/vermiculite pools.

Question: can the hydrostatic relief valved be used on the liner/vermiculite pools? If so, how complicated is the process? Can an installer who has not done it before successfully handle this?

Any information or help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Welcome to the forum!

It's easy enough to install a hydrostat in a vermiculite pool - all you have to do is put in a main drain pot.

However, I'm not sure that the hydrostats are the best way to go. I think a well point with an automatic pump would be a better option, especially if the builder laid down gravel when the pool was built.

Do you know if it's ground water or surface water? Also, do you have somewhere to redirect the water to?

I'm more than happy to bounce possible solutions around with you so that you won't have to worry about the liner floating every spring!:)

Thanks for the response!

I am not sure about the source of the water, ground v. surface. Our house is part of a newer development (6 years old) and we have poor drainage with a lot of clay. We have had problems with trees and plants drowning due to the poor drainage, so I am thinking surface water.

We have talked about the well point with the pump, but not sure how close the pump needs to be to the pool, as we have a paver walkway that extends 3 feet from the pool. Also, if we are getting wrinkling in the shallow end will the well pump solve that problem?

Where would a well point need to be situated?

Thanks.

Thanks for posting back :)

If this is a surface water issue with clay soil, I'd be inclined to install some curtain drains to catch and carry away most of the water before it can get under the pool and push the liner around.

A well point requires that the water puddling under the pool can quickly/ easily reach it.

I wrote a post last year (elsewhere :o) on designing a curtain drain system - I can copy it for you or just let you tell me the shape and slope of your yard and get back to you in a week or so (my 25th HS reunion is this weekend and I'll be off the boards for a few days - heading up to Al's territory, Pa. - Pottstown to be precise)

If it's just surface water and you can redirect it away from the pool, the floating liner issue should stop. :cool:

My concern over the curtain drains was ripping up all of the patio decking that we have around the pool and destroying the yard - again. Cannot afford going through that again.

Time's short for me, and I'll be gone til ~ Tues - BUT, put the drains further out than the deck. Keep the water from getting anywhere near the pool.

I will give a look after posting this, but did you say you had a post about curtain drains already? I am thinking of a three pronged approach - curtain drains, the well point and the valve. I want to make sure I get it solved before I replace the liner.

Thanks again.