Pool liners come with a manufacturer’s warranty for seam separations.

Sometimes liners can develop holes that are not in the seam. These holes can easily be patched even under water.

If you suspect a leak in your pool follow these steps:

1. Perform a bucket test to determine if you have a leak or if it’s just evaporation. Bucket test article

2. If you are sure there is a leak the next step is to figure out if the leak is in the liner or in the plumbing. To do this plug the return and skimmer and perform the bucket test again.

3. If the leak is in the plumbing often you will need to just tighten fittings or clean and reseat O-rings. If the actual plumbing pieces are cracked these can be purchased from Galaxy or at your local home improvement store and replaced.

4. If the leak is in the liner the next step is to determine where it is and what kind of hole or defect it is.

· Check around the exterior of the pool for any wet spots.

· Dye test: a dye test can help you find a hole especially if it’s not real small so that there is a good amount of water flow coming out.

· Let the water continue to drop until it stops then look around the top of the water line to locate the hole.

· If you believe it could be a seam separation take a clear photo for us to submit to the manufacturer. Sometimes the manufacturer can determine if it is a seam separation by photo, but other times they will require a cut out section of the liner to be submitted for review.

· Liner warranties cover the liner only, not the labor. If a manufacturer requires a cut out of the liner to be submitted before approving warranty the liner and labor must be paid up front by the customer and the liner cost will be refunded once the warranty is approved.

  1. If the hole in the liner is not in the seam it can be patched easily. How to patch a vinyl liner

Keep in mind that it is important to maintain the appropriate amount of water in your pool to for stability and structure. Finding and patching a hole in a liner quickly is the key to keeping extra damages from occurring to the actual pool itself.

Tips for maintaining liner health:

  1. Keep water balanced and don’t let pool chemicals directly come in contact with your liner.
  2. Don’t overdo it with chlorine.
  3. Maintain water level.
  4. Don’t drain the pool completely, even to do a deep clean. If the liner is drained for too long it can cause it to shrink, change shape, or become brittle.
  5. Patch tears quickly. Small holes can be patched without having to drain pools and replacing the liner.
  6. Make sure to carefully clean the water line with appropriate chemicals.
  7. Use a cover over winter.