Liner pulling out of track

[Vinyl_Guy]

Here's a little bit of anatomy. Sorry it's not to scale or exact, but it is from memory.

Left is a cross section of what is going on, far right is a more detailed image of how the liner holds in the "track". Assuming you have the coping I think you have (CP-2 or very similar).

The lone image in blue is how you should be trying to fold the liner in on itself, as you pull on it.

A proper build should hang the coping out over the edge of the pool wall slightly (less then a 1/2 inch more then an 1/8th, depending on foam thickness). This is to make room for a wall foam, and if no foam is installed, at least to give the liner some room so that it doesn't more easily lift out of the "track". If the very front of the "track" portion of the coping is flush with the wall, it's going to be a lot harder, if it's even slightly back from the front top corner or edge of the wall, it might be a nightmare.

[shadowman]

Thanks for the additional detail VG. I understand how it hooks into the coping and the need to fold it back on itself. I just can't seem to get a good enough grip on it with just my thumbs and index fingers. I think you are both right about lowering the water level. I wish I would have worked on it when my PVC joint failed (earlier thread). I guess I was too concerned about getting the filter back up and running. You guys live on the wrong coast. I could use one of you for a neighbor

I gave up for today and went for a swim. I'll get back to this next weekend.

[aylad]

My husband and I have better luck standing in the pool and pushing up than lying on the deck and pulling...and sometimes it takes two people, one to "grab" the liner with the knife (I use a butter knife) and push upward with the other hand to hold it up there, and the other one to use a spoon to push the liner back into the bead. It takes a little practice, but it doesn't take long to develop a routine.

Janet

[Vinyl_Guy]

Thanks for the additional detail VG. I understand how it hooks into the coping and the need to fold it back on itself. I just can't seem to get a good enough grip on it with just my thumbs and index fingers. I think you are both right about lowering the water level. I wish I would have worked on it when my PVC joint failed (earlier thread). I guess I was too concerned about getting the filter back up and running. You guys live on the wrong coast. I could use one of you for a neighbor

I gave up for today and went for a swim. I'll get back to this next weekend.

I got time on my hands can you tell?

With that type of short but fairly dipping "outage". Lowering the pool will help. It does for all types of these situations.

Your going to have to "feed" the liner in from either the far left or right. I don't see you being able to lift it up in the middle for example then work you way towards the two sides.

It's not easy, many a day I spent trying to stop my fingers and thumbs from cramping up into the positions I used to pull liners up. I loosened a bottom tooth one time when I let go of one unexpectedly. Gave my self a quick knuckler to the bottom lip.

I had a fairly well off customer hook a garden hose up to his garage hotwater heater (used to wash his cars). His liner had pulled out in multiple places for long stretches due to some unseasonable floods. The water can rise up the wall panels and lift the liner right out. I spent half a day pulling his liner up while lying on the deck soaked in hot tap water. My nipples were worn red and chaffed. Ewwwwwwwww. But we saved it for the remainder of the season and through the next.

When all is said and done shadow. This spot in your coping could a "trouble spot". Something about the lip, coping or liner that causes it to fall out a lot. A small bend in the coping, an imperfection in the liner bead, anything can cause it. Even age as the chemicals wear down small places in each. So what you might want to do is get some "LinerLock" and install it in this one location to ensure it doesn't fall out again, only worse the next time.

LinerLock is a rubbery plastic formed into a "wedge" that can be cut into any length needed.

[shadowman]

Well, I didn't get back to it last weekend. September weather arrived in mid August this year and it doesn't look like it's leaving any time soon. The temps are not going to be out of the mid-70's for the next week. We had enough rain that I may have to pump some water to waste. I may have to seal up the two dropped spots in the liner with tape to keep the rain out for the winter. I am getting closer and closer to bulldozing this thing. Eight week pool seasons, if that, aren't worth it!

If I sound bitter, I think I am. Unfortunately, it was my idea to buy a house with a pool in western Oregon!

[Vinyl_Guy]

Well, I didn't get back to it last weekend. September weather arrived in mid August this year and it doesn't look like it's leaving any time soon. The temps are not going to be out of the mid-70's for the next week. We had enough rain that I may have to pump some water to waste. I may have to seal up the two dropped spots in the liner with tape to keep the rain out for the winter. I am getting closer and closer to bulldozing this thing. Eight week pool seasons, if that, aren't worth it!

If I sound bitter, I think I am. Unfortunately, it was my idea to buy a house with a pool in western Oregon!

If your going to leave it that way over the winter get two small pieces of that LinerLock and put them in, on each side of the pull. This will keep it from getting any worse. And it probably will over the winter with the extremes in temperature change day after day.

As long as it doesn't get any worse, I've seen pulls that size last for years on older liners when the effort of the fix, wasn't worth its benefits.

I hear ya about filling it in. I've filled a few in over the years too. To do it properly isn't cheap. Tamping every 18" over 8 plus feet is labor intensive. If you don't in a few years you have pool shaped depression in your lawn.

[shadowman]

If your going to leave it that way over the winter get two small pieces of that LinerLock and put them in, on each side of the pull. This will keep it from getting any worse. And it probably will over the winter with the extremes in temperature change day after day.

I hear ya about filling it in. I've filled a few in over the years too. To do it properly isn't cheap. Tamping every 18" over 8 plus feet is labor intensive. If you don't in a few years you have pool shaped depression in your lawn.

Actually, the pull pictured in my original post has already been through 2 winters with no appreciable difference. I will do as you suggest though since I have no idea what to expect from this winter. Our winters have been so mild lately that I haven't even winterized. I just pump it down a little and wait for the rain to fill it up.

As far as filling it in goes, I think we'll just move in a few years and let someone else have all the fun