POOL LINER CHANGE
Home Counties Swimming Pools carry out many Liner Changes each year.
Here are some questions and answers relating to liner changes.
When should i change my liner ?
Of course the obvious one is when the pool is losing, if the liner is the culprit + its beyond repair.
However, as we all know these situations only ever occur when we least expect them, when its mid summer and you have that graduation or birthday party planned, so it is worth trying to be proactive rather than reactive on this.
The average life of a liner in my experience is around 12 years, having said that there are many factors that have an influence on this, how sunny a spot it is in, how warm you run your pool, but most likely the largest deciding factor is how good you are at keeping on top of the chemical balance.
From experience i have known people to ignore the factors that can preserve the life of the liner and with some serious chemical abuse to the pool they can shorten this to just a few years.
Likewise we have clients with the same liner they have had for 27 years, there is no pattern left but it still holds water.
If you observe the signs that the liner is nearing the end of its life then take action, book it to be changed at the end of or start of a season, or completely off season subject to the weather of course, so that you do not have any of that troublesome downtime when you least want it.
What are the signs.
- Splits occurring, particulary in the corners above the water line and predominantly in the corner that gets the most sun.
- Wrinkles starting to appear where you had none before.
- The liner pulling out of its tracks for no apparent reason, particularly on the corners.
What is the process of changing it ?
Assuming you use a pool professional the process is likely to be very similar to ours.
These are the steps.
Liner Change Process
Empty and measure the pool.
- Empty the pool of water
- Remove liner and dispose
- Remove underlay from floor if present
- There is not always underlay on the floor as not all pool companies fit it, we always do
- If underlay is present on walls then remove it to inspect the walls
- Take accurate measurements of pool
Portapools
- Where possible and practical to use portapools to store water in prior to the refitting of a new liner
Pressure test the pipework
- Pressure test pipework from all fittings back to the plant room
- Provide report of pressure test results
Replace hydrostatic relief valve
- If present replace the hydrostatic relief valve, this is the only opportunity to replace such whilst the pool is empty and the rubber ‘O’ ring within them does eventually perish so this is done as a precautionary measure
Check and patch floor
- If there is any minor damage to the floor then patch this as necessary
- If the floor is completely degraded then it may need a complete re-screed though this is very rarely the case
Check and patch walls
- If there is any damage to the walls then to patch them accordingly
Check copings or coping stones
- Copings and coping stones are check for sound adhesion
- Any pointing under the copings at the face of the pool where the liner is fitted is checked and any loose pointing replaced with a white sand / cement joint mix
- Copings to be cleaned with pressure washer or by hand
Clean and check the white goods
- Clean and check any white goods on the pool, skimmers/return/main drains etc
- Looking for any damage including cracks and checking screw holes
Underwater Lights
- Check the operation of the underwater light and replace lamps as necessary
- Also check the housing for damage and the cable gland to see that it is secure and watertight
Supply new gaskets and faceplates where available
- Source and supply new gaskets to all white goods where possible
- Occasionally these are found to be redundant item for which new faceplates cannot be sorced
- On these occasions it is sometimes possible to clean and re-use the old faceplates or possibly have new ones custom made
- Some roman end in particular have faceplates that cannot be sourced as replacement and having one made is not possible, often with these we are able to use generic faceplates
Wash pool
- Wash pool floor down with sodium hypochlorite prior to fitting the liner to make sure there are no contaminants present nor algae growth within the screed
Fit liner
- Lay new 4mm felt underlay to the floor
- Fit new 8mm foam underlay to the walls, glued in place
- Fit new gaskets to the white goods
- Fit new 30 thou liner and vacuum into place
- Fill with water whilst fitting the faceplates at strategic points
Linerlock
- Fit either linerlock or linerlock cover up wedge as is felt appropriate
Ladder bungs
- Replace ladder bungs as these pose a real problem to pool liners if they should wear through
Shock dose
- Shock dose the newly filled pool with chlorine
Chemical balance
- Check and adjust the chemical balance of the pool
- Provide report as to the chemical balance
Warranty
- Hand the pool back to the client and supply warranty and care advice for the new liner
Which Liner
Choose from a variety of patterns from the two leading Liner material Suppliers in the UK.
Please call us on 01892 522 299 for more advice or to book a Liner change.