Liner Problem

I opened my pool today and found that I had lost about a foot of water. What really concerns me, and Im not really sure how to describe it, is some scaling Im seeing on my liner. Its only in a few places and well above where my water line has ever been. If I scrub it starts to come off and the liner appears a briter blue than the rest behind it. The liner does not appear damaged behing the scaling,but you never know. Here are some pics, Id really apprecieate any help here.
Thanks
John
24ft Round, Vinyl liner

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...v331/pool1.jpghttp://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...v331/pool2.jpg

I'd be giving nothing but a WAG, so I'll have to let the more experienced pros tackle this. But it looks like whatever stuck to the pool bleached it--which shouldn't be a calcium function, I don't think.

Does the liner feel any different there--softer, weaker, thinner? Have you tried rubbing it with Vitamin C, or a weak bleach solution? I'd try that, even using a Borax or Baking soda solution--the WORST is that your liner needs to be replaced anyway. The best is you get it back to true color. The intermediate is the liner is OK but ugly.

The only thing I've tried so far is rubbing it with the pool water and a dish towel. It doest feel any thinner than the rest of the liner, just looks a lot cleaner. Not really any softer either.I only have it in 3 or 4 places and all are by where my top posts are.

When I rub it, it comes off kind of like when rubbing a price tag off something - in little pieces that are blue. Im hoping its not a layer of the liner. I just dont know how it could be so high and only in those spots.

Im going to the local pool store now to get some cleaner for my scum ring and hopefully that will take care of it.
Thanks
John

Sorry, what is the vitamin C method?
Thanks
John

John, from what you and Carl said, I'm thinking that the screws that hold the top rail down are oxidizing and what you are seeing is rust that has dribbled down the wall. The ascorbic acid (vit C) will liberate the stain, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser also has been known to work. I'm not a large fan of the pool store tile line cleaners - I just use a paste made out of baking soda on a green kitchen 'scrubbie' to remove the oils and dirt that accumulate at the water line (though sometimes a weak acid solution is needed)

I sincerely hope that this is helpful to you and that you get to enjoy the pool more than you have to work on it (in CT - we are starting a 4 day heatwave with temps over 90 - maybe now the condo association will let me put in a pool:D )

Well heres what I've tried so far:
Magic erase alone - had no effect
PH Decreaser - no effect
Proteam Vinyl Cleaner - no effect.

I gonna try the vitamin C and paste mixture tomorrow. Its been warm her in ohio, we hit 92 yesterday. 88 today and high 80's tomorrow. The pool water is only 62 though. I just put the solar cover on today.
Thanks
John

Well I tried using Vitamin C, Borax and Baking Soda. All had no effect on the stain. Any other suggestions?
Thanks
John

Im hoping I can get a few other to chime in here. So far I have tried everything I can think of except straight muratic acid and nothing will take this stuff off. I pulled the top rails off and its not stain from rusting screws. It has not gotten any worse since pool opening.

Could this be it: last year I used a floating chlorinator and at times it sat in one spot over night stuck under the solar cover. Could the damage be from excessive clorine contact?

Other than looking unsightly the liner seems ok and I am not experiencing any water loss. Im not replacing it until I have to.
Thanks for all the help
John

I dunno...it looks like scaling but the center definitely looks bleached. I wish I had a better answer for you.

By any chance, did you have Trichlor pucks in a floating dispenser in the pool? If the dispenser parked itself in one place, then the acidity and high chlorine level could bleach out and even weaken the liner in that area. [EDIT] Ignore what I just said. You said that this affected area is ABOVE the water line and I can now clearly see that from your pictures. [END-EDIT]

[EDIT2] Well, if I actually READ every post, I might learn something! You actually said you did use a floating dispenser so that would in fact produce very acidic (low pH) and highly chlorinated (high FC) water in the vicinity of the feeder when the pump was off. The only thing is that this would explain bleaching in the area where the water contacts the liner, but I don't see how that would bleach the area above the waterline. If the water level did ever get near the top (from rains?), then that would explain it, but you said the water level never got that high. [END-EDIT2]

Richard

Hi, the picture looks to me like early stages of dry rot. It always happens above the water line. It takes many years before any serious damage will be done. Eventually the liner will become dry and brittle and start to fall apart. Many years down the road. The only cure is to keep the sun off it.

Later, Dennis

I can only add this:

When you say "I just opened my pool" do you mean after it being winterized and closed for the season? If it happened during the course of a a whole "winter" (or whatever the off season is in your area), it could be a lot of things. Just about anything could have slid down the pool walls at those locations and caused it. Liquid fertilizers being used on your lawn by a contractor, some one sealing your wooden deck with a chemical product, acid rain. Did anything like that occur in the area of the pool while it was closed?