How to Repair/Patch a Leaking Vinyl Liner Pool

[@bftruly]

A sandbag can provide weight on a patch at the bottom of a pool at the curved part of the wall.

[@bigsmiler5101]

you are TOTALLY CORRECT. Use a sandbag even if it isn't on a curve. Sand gives Total & even pressure. An ordinary weight will touch only a tiny percentage of the patch

[@crackerjack4u]

I have dive patched several holes in our liner, and actually it was kind of fun. I did my patch just like you did, put on my goggles and under I went. I rigged up a small wall paper roller on the end of a broom handle so I could apply pressure for a couple of minutes, and also roll out any wrinkles in the patches and not have to be underwater to do it. Finding some of the small holes, however, wasn't fun at all. The only way I could locate them was to dive down, with my goggles on, to the suspected area of the hole, and squirt red food coloring right along the area watching for some to draw out. Knock on wood, so far I've been able to locate and patch all the holes, some of which I could not even see because they were so small. It's amazing that just a tiny pin hole can cause a pool to lose so much water.

[@SPL]

Thanks for posting! Good job Jacques Cousteau 😜👍

[@rickcrawford7307]

I tied two bricks to a rope and put around my neck to keep me from floating back up everytime I pushed on the patch. Worked great. LOL

[@janapetrova9390]

K

[@joeguhin181]

You can go big on your repairs.I had a 12 by 8 inch area of vinyl just below my skimmer get all wrinkly and brittle. The pool installer service man said it was from concentrated clorine from the inflow, but refused to repair it. It was leaking three inches a day until the level was below the wrinkles. When I got my liner replaced last, it came with a 4 by 4 foot spare piece of the side pattern. I bought a pint of adhesive on Amazon. I drained the pool below the wrinkles, and cut a patch 21 wide and 23 high. I unscrewed the skimmer face and cut away the damaged liner below the skimmer. The patch covered the skimmer hole and the damaged area with 4 inches extra on sides and bottom.I applied adhesive over the backside of the patch , edge to 6 inches in. Placed the patch, lining up the side pattern. After it set up, I cut out the vinyl over the skimmer hole and replaced the skimmer face, with a new paper gasket. The patch looks newer than the rest of the side but should fade to match by next year. No leakage anymore. Problem solved.

[@williamb81]

Did you patch the inside and outside of liner?

[@SinnisjInsulator]

Thank you for this video. Just bought the repair kit. I'm loosing lot's of water in my inground.

[@maglo8]

More details how to apply the patch would be helpful. Everyone shows you fold it in half and then open it up under water. But when under water, do you have to start unfolding it with the fold line already on the liner? Or just pull it apart and quickly press it on? Also when patching above the water, do you still need to fold it, or wet the liner surface?

[@DeanO]

I've used the same product on my old liner - I had teens dive down to the deep end. The only thing we didn't do was weight the patch

[@cagcag5012]

Used plastic bags...made 3 sandbags...hope they help...thx

[@pipedreams57]

Throw the glue that comes in those kits in the trash. I use E6000 vinyl adhesive or GOOP which is the exact same product. It works much better. Also, those clear vinyl patches are inferior to the blue colored ones. Put the glue on the textured side of the patch.

[@pauldrogaris5725]

pipedreams57 just wondering what kind of vinyl patch to buy? I tried these kits and filled pool but it still has a slow leak. I'd like to buy better adhesive as per your suggestion and vinyl that's maybe 5-6 inches x 24 inches to cover a linear tear on floor. What do you recommend? Many thanks

[@pipedreams57]

a piece of an old liner works best if you can find some at a local pool shop that installs pools & liners. E-6000 glue or GOOP, or Shoe Goo is the same stuff which is waterproof and works well under water.

[@0102232006]

@@pipedreams57 question sir I can use this adhesive in the water

[@LennartSchreiber]

"is the exact same product. It works much better" :-D How can it work better, if it's exactly the same?

[@LucyFurSmack]

thanks for vid..I tried on a small tear and folded but the glue went off right away. WTF. At least I know through your vid that I was doing everything right.

[@dragynnmagickk7332]

What if the is on the actual wall sideways and you can't really lay anything up against it inside the pool, how do you apply weight to something and you have to dive under underwater, thanks so much

[@SPL]

Try some duct tape on it. It may hold it just long enough.

[@jenniferriddle1846]

My patch has held up well in the middle but the edges are coming unglued. Can I add glue to just the edges of the patch somehow underwater?

[@SPL]

yes, give that a try

[@riverrat9412]

How the hell did someone measure out a liner in a concrete pool? Well done either way!

[@SHIAISTHEREALISLAM]

Hello sir, can bicycle tire patch seal a crack in rubber or plastic children swimming pool? Please, guide me to a solution.

[@SPL]

I think you need this kit since the glue is water proof.

[@morneerasmus9954]

No it will not hold with bicycle patch.

[@poppylove3673]

Do dogs claws hurt the pool lining?

[@SPL]

They might damage it. Anything sharp

[@anthonynunez1213]

Unrelated to this certain video. But is brushing the pool the same as vacuuming? Vacuuming is a hassle-.-Does brushing work the same? I brush while my filters run,so it can suck up the dead algae in my pool.

[@SPL]

Sometime brushing down to the main drain is effective, but just brushing stirs up the debris and most will just resettle on the pool bottom. Maybe purchase an automatic pool cleaner.

[@StevieLee2114]

Brushing and vacuuming is like the difference between sweeping and vacuuming. One you bush the debris and the other brushes but sucks up the debris at the same time.

[@wagnerj01]

Hi, Thanks for the video. How did the patch hold up?

[@SPL]

Held for a good 6 months. Repatched it again and after 1 year they finally got a new liner.

[@omarjackson6736]

how do I patch a hole around the drain plug on a above ground pool?

[@SPL]

That doesn't sound good. Contact these guys as they are more specialized in liner pools: kzbin.infofeatured

[@tomthegamemaster]

Great video! I looked at reviews for several patches and all the ones you apply the glue to yourself had some reviews of it melting the lienr (including the one you used in the video). I assume that this is user error and was wondering if you have any tips to avoid issues, thanks in advance!

[@SPL]

This brand is pretty good and you should not have that issue. The glue is messy but strong. It should not damage the liner.

[@jeffreyl5151]

can you use this on airbeds?

[@frankadler4835]

Hi Dave, love your work. Quick question if you have a moment. I have an inground pool with vinyl liner. The pool has been running great so far this summer until i noticed I've been losing about an inch a day ever since I had a tech come out to vacuum the bottom. The liner is in rather poor condition but could the tech have punctured it? I turned the pump off and let it sit for a week or so. The water level is currently level with the return inlets and has remained at this level. There doesn't seem to be any holes above the return inlets. Would love to hear your thoughts.

[@SPL]

Maybe a leak at the skimmer. Typically if the liner was ripped it would drop below the return lines and keep going down. If it gets below the skimmer and stops that indicates a leak at the skimmer in most cases.

[@leticiamendoza7704]

this was so useful thank tou so much!!

[@leeleemaggs1347]

Thank you!!!!!

[@antonioroman8227]

where do I get the kit

[@SPL]

Hydro Tools 8815 4-Ounce Vinyl Pool Linear Repair Kit - AMAZON

[@hectormendoza5320]

Two Quick questions! Which product do you recommend using in the skimmer area (pool putty?)? Which product do you recommend using on Pebble tec surface?

[@joshrandell3202]

can I patch my pool without water in it?

[@larrygabriel2016]

What is the best cement to use to patch a vynl pool liner above the water?

[@TheJKDGuy]

Thank you 😊

[@Papacam797]

Does the glue get in the water?

[@SPL]

No. It stays on the patch.

[@alexsparks-bakota3099]

What’s the name of the adhesive??

[@SPL]

Hydro Tools 8815 4-Ounce Vinyl Pool Linear Repair Kit

[@alexsparks-bakota3099]

Thanks

[@vaquero3578]

just use flex tape. glue is too fiddly and not needed.

[@StevieLee2114]

Flextape does not bond at all. Tried it 3 times.