Pool liner died, questions on replacement

[Mom2Czars]

OK, so the ice has finally melted away and we can now see why we suddenly lost 75% of the water in our pool in one day in the middle of a New England winter. There are two large holes in the liner right at the spot where the wall meets the ground, running horizontally. Can I guess this is a seam issue?

When we bought the pool, we just got the standard liner, no the upgraded one. Since at this point we're assuming it's a seam issue, the pool company will have to replace the liner. Will they kick in anything for having to have the installation redone? We're looking at around $1000 for labor and water.

Don't even get me started on how we spent around $3000 for this pool last year, got 3 months of use out of it and now it's just an eyesore in the back yard.

[hrsdennis]

Hi, Mom

You should never assume a seam. Most of the time it is not. Seams will usually go bad on the initial fill up. After that they tend to stay good. Holes in the cove area are usually caused by cleaning equipment. Vacuums and cleaners tend to wear on the top of the cove area. This is also the area the bottom seam is located and everyone wants to blame the seam but it is seldom the case. The ladder is also a possibility but not as likely.

If it is a seam it should be very obvious once the pool is drained. I hope the pool store helps you out whatever the problem. Are they coming out to look at it?

Best of luck, Dennis

[Mom2Czars]

We're not even dealing with the pool store because the one we dealt with isn't so great with customer service. We went directly to the manufacturer. The manufacturer will cover it if it is the seams and they've asked us to have the installer come take a look at it. We're hoping to get him out here this week. The pool drained completely mid-winter, all in one day. The ice layer on top finally finished melting last week and revealed 3 foot long slices a foot or two apart right at the bottom seam line.

We didn't use an automatic cleaner, or anything sharp for cleaning. And the tears are about 1/3 of the way around the pool away from the stairs.

[matt4x4]

Wow, that does sound like a seam issue - esp. if it's around 1/3 of the pool.
Sorry to hear about that. possibly the manufacturer may kick in a littel extra or cover the install, but I would not hold my breath for anything above the liner being replaced.
I wish you better luck this year with your pool, sounds like you could use it.