installing vinyl liner

[bazman]

i have decided to carry on regardless for the next month and a half filling the pool and to get the best out of our short summers.
when i do decide to change (which i think i will do myself) i will ask for any all tips available here. first question: does the fall or spring make more sense? i would think the spring: clean water etc...
in the meantime the cause of my leaks is very important, for the next time around. everything you suggest regarding the vacuum being the root cause makes sense. the only thing that flies in the face of that logic is that to my recollection, anytime i came out to find the vacuum stuck, it was a different end of the pool as to where i find the pinholes.
however, when i do change the pool, i will make sure to be on point when the vacuum is running. i wil aslo use the little vent pipe that lessens the power of the vacuum.
thanks. for the tips.

[hrsdennis]

I do agree, spring is best. That will save you some money in winter upkeep. You can basicaly let the pool drain itself over the winter without having to worry about keeping the water clean. You will, of course, want to keep enough water in the pool to keep it stable and safe from strong winds. Your judgement is best there.

Good luck with the new liner and I hope you can find the cause of the holes.

Dennis

[Poconos]

Dennis,
I'm confused about your comment in post #2 about a hand vacuum causing holes. I can understand if the liner is really old and very brittle and/or the vacuum has rough or sharp edges, or really agressive brushing, but with a good vacuum head, how else can you get holes? With robotic cleaners I can understand pebbles or something similar getting caught under the tread or track and punching holes.
Al

[hrsdennis]

Good point Al. I should have gone into a little more depth on the hand vacuum. These holes are only found at the top of the cove. They are caused by letting the wall guide the vac head around the bottom of the pool. It is the edge of the vac head bumping the wall of the pool that causes the holes. The cure is simple. Don't vacuum all the way to the edge of the pool. Stay about 6" from the wall and you will never have these pesty little holes and wet spots around your pool.

Dennis