How to Service Your Leaking Pool Liner

Vinyl swimming pool liners are an economical way to protect the concrete of your in-ground pool, they and are an attractive alternative to having an outdated pool completely refinished or re-tiled. Still, with every cost-savings comes a trade-off and vinyl is not an indestructible material. As such, you might occasionally notice a leak or tear in your pool liner. Don't panic! There are a few solutions that you can try before you call in the experts or replace your entire liner altogether.

Step 1:  Drain the pool. Unfortunately, there's no way to begin your repair underwater, so you'll need to drain out at least enough water to reach the affected area. Since you'll be attempting a repair anyway, you'll probably want to drain the entire pool and check for any other cracks, tears and leaks in the liner while you're at it.

Step 2: Grab a heat gun. If you don't have one, try a professional grade hair dryer. You're attempting to use the heat to seal the vinyl back together, so use caution and be sure to press the sides of the crack together once you've heated them up. Keep the heat moving during this process to avoid burning a hole in your liner! Don't use this method unless there's no water in the pool. Electricity and water don't mix!  Finally, tuck the vinyl into the top track to secure it.

Alternative: Use boiling water. If your leak is at the top of the liner, and you'd rather not drain your entire pool, you can break out the kettle and use boiling water to heat the vinyl until it becomes pliable. Keep your hands out of the way, and use an implement such as a paint stir stick to press the sides together, pulling the vinyl taut into the track. You'll probably want an extra pair of hands to help you with this task, but it's not impossible to accomplish this alone.

With either of these methods, you'll want to buy a few plastic shims from your pool supply store to secure the liner in place after you adjust the position in the track.

When all else fails, grab a vinyl patch kit. Both of the above alternatives are great, but occasionally you won't be able to seal up the leak with the vinyl you have available. You can purchase vinyl patches from your pool supply store that match the colour and pattern of your liner.  These will be especially handy if you accidentally burn your pool liner!

To prevent a liner and other parts of the pool from getting too damaged, make sure to employ regular pool service to keep your pool in the best condition.