Finding And Repairing A Leak In Your Vinyl Pool Liner

Even a small leak in your vinyl pool liner can result in a significant amount of water loss each day. As a result, you could find yourself spending considerably more each month on water and pool chemicals. This is why it is so important to quickly find and repair any leaks in your pool's liner. Thankfully, this repair process can be much easier than many people realize.

What You Will Need

• plastic 2L soda bottle
• small screwdriver or knife (needed to poke hole in bottle cap)
• red food coloring
• 5 gallon bucket
• waterproof duct tape
• measuring tape
• self-adhesive vinyl patch

Step 1: Verify The Presence Of A Leak

All swimming pools will lose some water each day as the result of evaporation. Therefore, you will need to begin by verifying that your pool does in fact have a leak and that your water loss is not simply the result of natural evaporation. In order to do this, begin by filling a 5 gallon bucket with water from your swimming pool. You will want to fill the bucket so that the water level is only a few inches from the top.

Next, cut two pieces of waterproof duct tape. Use this tape to mark the current water level both inside your pool and inside the bucket. Place the bucket near your pool so that both locations get equal amounts of sunlight throughout the day.

After approximately one day, use your measuring tape to determine how much water was lost from both the bucket and your swimming pool. This can be done by simply measuring the distance between the current water level and the piece of waterproof tape you used to mark the previous water level.

If the water level in your swimming pool decreased more than the water level in the bucket, you will have verified the presence of a leak. If not, you are simply dealing with evaporation and will not need to take any further action.

Step 2: Find The Source Of The Leak

Now that you have verified the presence of a leak, it is time to determine the exact location of that leak. This can be done by filling a 2L soda bottle with regular tap water. Squirt a few drops of red food coloring into the water bottle and shake well until the coloring is evenly distributed.

Using a small screwdriver or sharp knife, carefully puncture a hole in the bottle's cap. This will allow you to control the rate at which the water is introduced to your pool rather than simply pouring the entire bottle in at once.

Next, slowly squirt the colored water into your pool on the side furthest from your skimmer. This will help to prevent the water from passing through your filter before it can be used to detect the leak. Now simply wait a few minutes and watch as the water is pulled from the pool through the leak in your liner. This will allow you to pinpoint the exact location of the leak.

Step 3: Patch The Liner

Now that you know exactly where the hole in your liner is, repairing the problem will be quite easy.

Begin by entering your pool and verifying the location of the leak. This will allow you to determine how large the hole is so that you can cut your repair patch to the appropriate size.

Next, cut your vinyl repair patch so that it is a few inches larger than the hole you will be patching. Make sure the edges of your patch are rounded for maximum adhesion. Now, simply reenter your pool and slowly apply the repair patch to the liner. Finally, apply pressure to the patch for a few minutes while you wait for the adhesive to set. At this point, the leak in your pool's liner should be a thing of the past. Contact a company like The Pool Doctor if you need further assistance.