Every pool dealer has their own “best” method for winterizing vinyl liner pools.  It varies greatly by region, so I recommend going with whatever method your local dealer uses.  While there are several different types of Winterizing Kits, I think it’s always best to winterize without chlorine if you can.  Algaecide is not really necessary when winterizing your pool given that algae does not grow when the water is below 60 degrees or so anyway.  Also, remember that ph is the most critical issue of all, so be sure to close the pool with the ph at 7.2 or higher.

There are a few things that you don’t want to do.  The following information comes from a vinyl liner manufacturer.

WINTERIZING THE POOL

1. Never add chemicals directly to the pool!  Dilute them first in a bucket of water and add them to the pool by pouring them into the skimmer, while the circulation system is on.

1. Circulate the pool water for a full 24 hours after the final addition of the chemicals.  Even liquid chlorine can concentrate in the deep end and cause bleaching of the liner.

1. The chlorine level should not exceed 2.5 ppm.

1. Do not lower the water below the skimmer.  Place a gizmo or a weighted plastic milk carton in the skimmer to protect it from freeze damage.  Once a pool has been filled with water, the liner begins to lose its stretching properties; therefore the pool should be kept full of water at all times.  The water acts as a protector for the liner and holds the liner in its proper position, thus eliminating any re-stretching and drying out of the vinyl.  Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations concerning the winterizing of the pump and filter.

1. Use a good fitting winter cover that is sealed around the entire perimeter.  An uncovered pool accumulates debris, such as leaves and worms.  The debris absorbs the chlorine in the pool, leaving a potential risk for staining or bleaching of the liner.

1. Do not use abrasive cleaning aids, i.e: steel wool, sharp bristled brushes, scouring pads, etc.  We recommend using alkaline base cleaning agents for cleaning the area above the water line. Acid base chemicals can leave a residue which causes the vinyl to fade out.

It’s August, it’s hot and this is one of the most critical times of the year to be on guard to protect your pool liner.  As reported in the Technical Bulletin below from the manufacturer of our vinyl, high chlorine and a low ph are your liner’s worst enemies.  I would also add warm water to that list.  In combination, these three factors can wrinkle a liner in one weekend.

Always keep your chlorine level below 3ppm except when super-chlorinating and cool your water below 86 degrees if possible.

Many of you love salt generators, but you can’t just “set it and forget it.”  Every week we see another liner ruined with wrinkles because the chlorine level rose to 10ppm and the water got too warm (as shown in the photos below).

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Subject: Swimming Pool Liner Wrinkling and Water Absorption

Research by both chemical suppliers and vinyl manufacturers have confirmed that wrinkles in swimming pool liners develop because of the growth of the liner’s dimensions due to an excess of absorbed water. Technical articles published in the past have stressed the adverse affect of low pH as the main cause of liner growth. However, recent experiments have shown that high levels of sanitizers, whether bromine or chlorine are the primary cause behind excessive water absorption. If the sanitizer level is allowed to remain high, double, triple or even four or five times the normal amount of water can be absorbed. Therefore, controlling sanitizer levels is the number one priority when maintaining proper water chemistry, which is essential, if wrinkling problems are to be avoided.

pH and cyanuric acid stabilizer levels are important secondary factors because they control the activity of the sanitizer. However, once wrinkles have developed, correction of pH or stabilizer content will not reverse the amount of water absorbed into the liner. In some cases, draining the pool and allowing the water to slowly desorb and evaporate has reduced or eliminated wrinkles. This procedure is not without risk because some liners, depending on age, may over shrink and not stretch back into place without failing. It has also been shown that once the surface of the liner has been affected by the sanitizer, water can rapidly reabsorb and the wrinkles may quickly reappear.

Pool water clarity is often reduced by undissolved particulate matter introduced by bather load. Often these particles can be flocculated by the use of a clarifier and removed by filtration. The filtration system must be operated at it’s optimum level, since sanitizer alone cannot eliminate excessive particulate matter present in the pool, and the overuse of chlorine or bromine to improve clarity will increase the probability of wrinkle development.

The following is a summary of the main points learned during recent experimentation’s.

1. Samples taken from heavily wrinkled liners, preserved in pool water, surface dried, weighed, then desiccated to constant weight, indicate that absorbed water can reach as high as 10% of liner weight.

2. Immersion testing of precisely weighed liner samples in pure distilled water and sanitizer free tap water showed that weight gain due to absorbed water leveled off at 0.6%. No dimensional changes occurred.

3. Immersion testing of precisely weighed liner samples in chlorinated and brominated water in the 20 to 50 ppm range showed weight gains that continued to climb indefinitely and did not level off. Dimensional increases of 1.0 – 3.0% were also measured on these samples.

4. Immersion testing in water containing mono potassium persulphate type non-chlorine shock showed weight gains leveling off at about 0.6%, essentially identical to unsanitized tap water.

5. Samples from heavily bleached, used pool liners showed high weight gains in immersion tests in comparison to unbleached samples, taken from the same liner from above the waterline. Bleached test samples curled into tight coils with the bleached surface facing to the outside, as a result of greater water absorption occurring on the faded side than on the unfaded side.

Recommendations

1. Do not allow free chlorine levels to exceed a maximum of 3 ppm, bromine levels a maximum of 4 ppm for long periods. Peak chlorine levels of 5 -10 ppm are required for superchlorination, but should be allowed return to the 2 -3 ppm range by natural dissipation. If bleaching of the blue liner colour is occurring, it is a direct indication that the chlorine levels have been too high.

2. Routinely stabilize outdoor and indoor chlorinated swimming pools with cyanuric acid stabilizer and maintain a minimum level of 50 ppm. It is recommended that levels be checked every 3 or 4 weeks.

3. Maintain pH levels in the 7.2 – 7.8 range.

4. Test result accuracy can be adversely affected by poor quality test kits and reagents. Keep reagents current by replacing them every 6 months and use a professional quality test kit recommended by your pool dealer.

5. Use non-chlorine shock to reduce organic contaminants, rather than high levels of chlorine or bromine during the pool season, as well as preparing the pool for winter.

6. Use flocculants and a filtration system in proper operational condition to remove undissolved particulate matter instead of high levels of chlorine/bromine oxidizer, to attain sparkling clear pool water.

7. It is important to maintain thorough circulation of the pool water in order to prevent settling and concentration build-up of chemicals on the pool bottom. Even liquid chlorine can settle to the bottom if sufficient inter-mixing is not achieved.

8. Frequent reports have been received concerning wrinkle development on walls of pools employing automatic pool covers. The phenomenon is most likely a result of chlorine concentration build up due to the air tight nature of the cover design and/or temperature differentials between water side and ground side of liner causing accumulation of moisture from condensation that forms ripples.

We recently had a homeowner ask a question in response to our blog post, What are the causes of discoloration, deterioration and “dry rot” above the water line on a pool liner?

My pool is doing is doing all three of these and it is only six years old. How can I prevent this from happening again?

As our blog article states:

There are three main contributors to this problem: chemical attack, high temperatures and UV rays.  However, the UV resistant characteristics of pool vinyl are excellent and the UV rays themselves do not present a significant problem.

Clean your pool often by taking a soft cloth and rinse the contaminates from the vinyl using the pool water.  Substances such as body oil, sun tan lotion, baby oil, etc., will collect at the water line.  These substances, when exposed to the sun and the high temperate that can be found just above the water lines, will oftentimes turn brown and can be very difficult to remove from the vinyl.

We should have added that chemical attack means high chlorine and/or a low ph.  The two things you can do here are to not over chlorinate and to keep your ph at 7.2 or higher.  These are the two most critical things you can do to prevent dry rot.

The other issue is high temperatures.  Your pool vinyl is not intended for use over 80 degrees.  On the hottest summer days, you can direct your return nozzles up so that the water shoots up out of the pool.  This will cool the water overnight.  If you have a heater, don’t set it too high.

I would also add that covering your pool during the off season can significantly increase the life of the liner since it’s out of the sun and without chlorine for much of the year.  I think this is why liners always last longer in NY than they do in Texas.

I would also add that this homeowner’s liner made it six years and the average life is seven.  It failed a little earlier than expected, but not by that much.

Hope this helps!

This is a friendly reminder from McEwen Industries to take care of your vinyl pool liner throughout the summer.

Always maintain a proper water balance.  pH should fall in the 7.2 – 7.6 range, total alkalinity should be at 100-150 ppm, and calcium hardness should be a 200 ppm minimum.

Avoid allowing your pH to drop below 7.0.  This can cause your liner to form wrinkles.

Remember to maintain free chlorine residual between 1.0 and 1.5 ppm.  If free chlorine drifts below 1.0 ppm, algae and bacterial growth can hold more easily and may cause staining of the vinyl liner.  Chlorine is quickly absorbed by sunlight.  For this reason, it is recommended that all vinyl swimming pools be stabilized with cyanuric acid and that a range of 25-100 ppm be maintained.

Have a safe and happy summer!

While all stains are either mineral or organic, the most common cause of staining and discoloration of your liner below the water line is secretions by micro-organisms.  As these micro-organisms feed, they secrete dyes, which can be one of many colors that stain the vinyl.  Although these stains are unsightly, they in no way degrade the performance of the vinyl.  These dyes are compatible with the plasticizers in the vinyl, causing the stains to go all the way through the sheet.  There is no proven method for removing these stains.

There is a common misconception that the microbial resistance additives used in pool liners will kill the micro-organisms in the area adjacent to the liner.  Many people believe that there is a “protective zone” near the liner that will not support life, but this is not the case.  The additive in the vinyl prevents the vinyl from supporting life, but in no way does it prevent life in areas adjacent to the liner.  Extreme care must be taken during installation to insure that there is nothing behind the liner that may become a food source for these organisms.

There have been cases of stains forming in pools soon after the installation of a replacement liner when there was never a problem with the original liner.  Although there is no way that we can say for sure what has happened behind that new liner, it is believed that when the environment behind the liner is exposed to light and oxygen, a “rebirth” of micro-organisms takes place.  If the bottom and sidewalls of the pool are not properly treated, there is a chance that problems may arise.

There can also be changes in the ground water that introduce organisms into an area that had not been previously exposed.  Extended periods of heavy rain will often cause significant changes in the microbiology of the ground water.  Whenever there is a change in the environment around your pool, there is an opportunity for micro-organisms which hitherto were not present to move into the ground water, thereby creating the possibility of staining.

*The information provided comes from a liner manufacturer.

Yes, we make liners for every brand of pool, but with the Polynesian low-hung pool, you have a unique opportunity.  This pool originally had an acrylic pool wall like a spa and a track at the bottom of the wall so the liner could be “hung” 8 inches from the floor.  Seemed like a great idea at the time.  It’s kind of a hybrid of the acrylic wall/concrete floor pools that are still built today.  You get the beauty and durability of an acrylic wall without the maintenance demands of a concrete floor.

Only problem was, it was often difficult to keep the pool from leaking around the liner bead.  They had a system that used silicone caulk in the bead track and a special 3M brand tape to try and seal it off, but it often proved impossible to stop the leaks.  Today, we still make low-hung style liners, but many people take the opportunity to convert these pools to traditional liners that snap into a track at the top of the wall.

This is definitely a project for an experienced pool contractor.  You add a side mount bead receiver to the top of the wall.  The skimmer and lights usually already have vinyl liner style face plates anyway.  There are a few challenges to converting the returns and perhaps steps to receive a liner, but it’s very doable and suddenly your liner snaps in up top like every other pool out there.  Don’t miss this opportunity.

* The pool shown was installed by Ebeling Pools in Hutchinson, KS. 

* Pattern shown is Morrison.

The average life of a vinyl pool liner is seven years.  Though some make it 10 years or longer, seven years is the expectation.  If you live in a cooler climate where the pool is covered six months of the year, it may last twice as long as one in Texas that is exposed to the sun 12 months out of the year.

You can extend the life of your liner by keeping the PH and chlorine levels in the proper range.  However, after seven years of exposure to sunshine and chlorine, it will most likely be time for a new liner.

*Pattern pictured is Logan.

What are the effects of salt water chlorine generation systems on vinyl pool liners and swimming pools?

The growing use of pool chlorination by salt water chlorine generation systems has added some serious implications for pool liners, steel walls and equipment that need to be considered.

Let’s start by making the following statement:  Salt water in the swimming pool, maintained at the recommended concentration and PH, does not constitute any potential for either equipment corrosion or liner deterioration.

However several other important factors need to be considered:

1. The splash out areas around the pool, where deck, coping and equipment are wetted by salt water, will go through a cycle of wetting and drying, creating much higher concentrations of salt and salt residue, which is much more corrosive and will etch decking and corrode exposed aluminum and metal fittings and deck anchors.  It is recommended that after each use, the areas are flushed with non-saline water.
2. High levels of chlorine will damage liners and equipment much the same way as high salt concentrations would speed up the corrosion of metal components.  Because chlorine is continually generated in a salt system, unless monitored, it is very easy to have chlorine concentrations well above the recommended levels which will have adverse effects on pool liners.
3. The prolonged use of solar covers will allow the chlorine levels to build up to higher than normal levels as the chlorine cannot dissipate or gas off into the air.
4. Auto-covers kept closed for long periods of time create the same build up of chlorine which can damage the cover and the uncoated aluminum components.  This can be more drastic because the condensation that will occur under the cover will coat all areas under the cover and lead to a buildup of salt levels as well.
5. The continual generation of chlorine does not have the same build up of chlorine amines as normal chlorination.  The chlorine amine is what provides the characteristic chlorine smell and consequently, in salt pools this lack of chlorine smell may lead users to assume the chlorine levels are at an acceptable level and not monitor the water chemistry as often as necessary.
6. Salt Systems are often sold as low maintenance products and the users are not educated properly.  The assumption that these systems require less maintenance applies only to the addition of chemicals.  The water testing and monitoring frequency is the same as for conventional pools and perhaps for many of the reasons mentioned above, even more attention is required as high concentrations of chlorine over even short time duration can and will alter the vinyl and affect other metal pool components.  High chlorine concentrations can also cause a swing with the levels of other stable water components such as PH and total alkalinity.  Both are instrumental in balanced water which is critical for the longevity of pool liners and components.

*The information provided comes from a pool manufacturer.

This is a tough question. Below is a suggestion from one of the product engineers at the plant that makes the actual vinyl sheet.

The following approach could be used to narrow down the possibilities; however, there is risk of damage to the print pattern and liner material in doing so.

First, try direct contact on a small spot with some pH down in a sock to see if there is any change in the stain. If there is no change, the same approach can be tried with a neutral or high pH sanitizer (i.e. dichlor or calcium hypochorite).

If the pH treatment alone reduces the stain, it is likely a mineral stain. If the chlorine application reduces the stain, it is a microbiological stain, such as an algae.

If the stain is from algae growth on the back side of the liner, any success on removing the stain will likely only be temporary.

To answer this question properly there must be a basic understanding of the procedures involved in the printing of your pool liner. The print pattern is applied by a process called “roto-gravure” printing. The inks used are solvent based and when applied to the vinyl, they actually bond themself to the vinyl by “biting” into the vinyl. Then a clear “top coat” is applied to increase abrasion resistance and provide an added layer of UV protection.

The cause of ink flaking off the vinyl is low water PH. An acidic environment will weaken the bond by softening the coating, and eventually the ink. The more acidic the environment, the greater the likelihood of damage. The effect is cumulative and irreversible. Once this softening occurs, the coating and ink are susceptible to abrasion and flaking.

Always keep your pool at the recommended PH of 7.4 to 7.8. Deviation from these levels will adversely affect the performance of your liner.

*The information provided comes from one of our liner manufacturers.