Wrinkles In AG Pool Liner

[Catherine_B]

Hi All -

New member here with problems, please, hoping for help. Long story short: I had to drain out all the water in my 18' round pool (metal sides) professionally installed in 2003 or 2004, even though I had read that liner problems can result. I got it emptied over many hours which included cleaning, thousands of buckets worth of emptying, sucking up algae with towels, etc., just gruesome.

There were several wrinkles in long arc shapes along one side, as much as one inch or so folded and sticking up. A friend's husband who had replaced his water similarly said not to worry, they would 'lie down flat' once the water was in. Sounded too good to be true.

Well, I have 8-10 inches of water in, and if anything they are worse. Being on a well, the water is even more precious, so I don't want to waste it and only fill about 4 inches a day (these past 2 days) so as not to use too much at one time. I got in and waded around to see if I could 'smush' those wrinkles to flatten them, mostly in vain except for the tiny ones. Walking on those wrinkles is extremely annoying, and I know it will drive me crazy. BUT I am not prepared to pay someone this year to replace the liner for me, which feels soft and pliable still. There is sand over ground underneath the liner, and some of the smaller wrinkles that did 'push out' felt like underneath there were some tiny ravines or narrow ruts where the sand was no longer smooth, but I don't know if that means anything good or bad.

I'm a woman on my own with no one really to assist; everybody I know is overloaded with their own lives, and I don't want to bother anybody for something 'recreational' in these tough times when many people are worrying about necessities.

Can anyone please steer me to any other options that I might do myself, or possibly paying a pool person if not more than approx. $150 tops for a service call? I'm not finding much info online, something about a shop vac (huh?), don't understand that. If I take some of that water back out (boo hoo), is there a technique I could do? When the whole thing was empty and those sweeping arc wrinkles (covering half the pool) were present, I tried pushing them out and gently pushing on the side vinyl, but they didn't move, but I didn't really try too hard, because I was expecting (naively) that as the water went in, the weight might magically push them out or at least down flat.

Even minimizing those gigantic wrinkles would be a huge improvement. I've just bought a new salt water system (Intec, hope I won't be sorry) to install and learn how to use - so I've spent about all I can this year on this luxury. I may just have to live with it this year, but I sure hate to fill the pool for a season knowing I will just be dumping the water out again, it seems such a waste.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[Watermom]

I can't help unfortunately, not my area of expertise at all. Just wanted to say I'm sorry you are having this trouble. I assume you just found our forum. I wish you had found it before you drained that pool. No matter how green a pool is, we can usually talk you through getting it cleared up. Draining a liner pool completely often destroys the liner. I hope that is not the case with yours. Sit tight and somebody else who can help you will hopefully be along soon. Welcome to the forum and good luck!

[Catherine_B]

Thanks so much! I knew I was taking a risk, but after 2 years of leaves in the pool, when my pool motor and cleaner both died and the economy went south - plus this year a tree toad tadpole explosion infestation, I felt I just had to dump it out and start new no matter what.

I live right next to a creek, so I was able to siphon the water out so the tadpoles at least had a chance by going right into the creek. I was not willing to nuke them (hundreds) with chlorine, it was just too gruesome.

[CarlD]

Here's a cheap cure, since you only have a foot of water in it:
Buy a new toilet plunger--the simple red rubber kind. Push the air and water out so it sticks to the liner and try to pull the worst wrinkles out. It may not work, but it doesn't cost much!

BTW, you should put a little bleach in the water in the pool to keep it from growing new algae. With a foot of water you have about 2,000 gallons in the pool. Two quarts of 6% bleach will bring it to 15ppm--the maximum shock value you should use.

[Catherine_B]

I had read that about the plunger. I have a 'blue' one, do you think it will work as well as the red?? ;-)

I'll bet it will help, but I wonder about those big folds standing at attention.

I'll give that a try. And thanks for the suggestion about the bleach; I was going to do something as soon as I was finished splashing around in there on my hands and knees. I had one of those 6-way shock packs from Home Depot. Those wacky toads came back yesterday for a love-fest, I had eggs to skim out again today. I heard them out there again tonight, too, lured in by that fresh, untreated water.

[CarlD]

I have no idea what's in a 6-way shock pack from H-D or how much. That's the problem. But if you must use that instead of bleach, be sure to dissolve it completely in 5 gallon bucket of water first. In fact, dilute the bleach the same way so it distributes better. It's just much easier to get the right amount with bleach.

As for the plunger: unless it's a rubber one, and has the shape of the old-fashioned plungers, rather than the newer, more effective ones (like the black rubber ones), you run the risk of damaging the liner and it not working. The plastic ones are definitely no good. Remember: You want to create a suction on a flat surface and you don't want to damage that surface. Spend the $3-$5 on the rubber one.

Good luck!

[Catherine_B]

Great advice! I can return that shock pack, and the 'pretty blue' plunger IS plastic, not rubber. I'll pick up a red one today while I'm out.

*What about removing the 10" of water again and doing something to flatten out the bottom, is that feasible?

[CarlD]

Great advice! I can return that shock pack, and the 'pretty blue' plunger IS plastic, not rubber. I'll pick up a red one today while I'm out.

*What about removing the 10" of water again and doing something to flatten out the bottom, is that feasible?

I assume so, but you are hitting on the limits of my knowledge of this here. Try the plunger first.

[Catherine_B]

Hi Carl -

I am buying one at Walmart tomorrow along with bleach as you suggested and will try that. Those big folds standing up have me perplexed though.

I'll post back how it goes.

Thanks so much!

[Catherine_B]

I promised to follow up. I had some things come up so only just today got back to the pool. I emptied it all the way out but could not get the wrinkles out, even though the liner is pliable, it just didn't work, even though someone was helping by pulling it out from the wall to give me something to grab on. It was like the liner was too narrow. I did try the plunger, but the size of the liner seemed to have changed, so the wrinkles would not stay gone, they would just reappear or move sideways.

I had finally decided that by mid-June, it was best to live with it and move on. The wrinkles did improve, though, which was nice. I rented a 'trash pump' and filled it from the clean creek right next to the house rather than spend days gingerly filling it with well water and worrying about using too much.

Thank you to everyone who offered their kind help and time!