My Anderson Vinyl Swimming Pool Is Leaking

Verifying the Leak

• Before you assume you have a leak, it is best to rule out other sources of water loss. The most common source of water loss is splash loss. This is caused simply by swimmers splashing water out of the pool. The way to check for splash loss is to verify your water levels on days when no one swims. Evaporation during hot, dry summers can lead to a 1/4 to 1/2 inch loss of water per day. This is solved by using a solar cover over the pool at night. If you’ve ruled out both of these possibilities, then it is likely you have a leak.

Diving for the Leak

• To find the leak, you’ll need to don some scuba gear and go hunting. Bring along some food coloring for dropping as you go. Start with the area near the natural cuts in the vinyl such as the ladder, skimmer and filter. Once there, squeeze some food coloring into the water near the liner. If there is a leak, you’ll see the food coloring be sucked through the leak. If it is not one of those spaces, then start searching around the bottom corners of the liner.

Preparing the Patch

• Measure the leak with a tape measure and cut a patch that is five times larger than the leak. Coat the patch with a thick layer of glue and fold the patch in half with the glue on the inside. Placing the glue sides together will activate the glue. Open the patch once you are under the water.

Fixing the Leak

• Dive down to the leak and press the patch into position. Use a small rubber roller to smooth out the patch. Wipe away any glue that seeps out from under the patch. The patch will take 24 hours to set. After that time, return and try the food coloring test again. This time the food coloring should simply dissolve into the water.