In a properly maintained vinyl swimming pool, liners have a lifespan of 8 to 12 years. However, pool liners can be ruined by negligence or poor maintenance in as little as 8 to 12 minutes. Technically, you can continue to use your pool liner as long as it holds water, but by doing this, you may be setting yourself up for an unexpected expense at an inconvenient time. The key with anything regarding swimming pools is preparation, proper maintenance, and preventative care.
Reasons to replace:
It’s Ugly
As liners get old, they get ugly. The ink pattern on the vinyl begins to fade and the pool begins to have a bleached look. This leads to being able to see every stain and speck in the pool. It can be extremely unsightly and cause the water to have a tinted dirty look. This happens due to chemical wear and metal staining. When the pool liner has become ugly, replacement is the key to give the liner the brand new feel and look. See the before and after photos below.
It Leaks
A leaking liner can be extremely frustrating. This can happen for a number of reasons. The most common reasons include stretching and aging, which leads to leaks around gaskets and seals. Another common leak comes from tears that have developed in liners due to misuse. This can be caused by a pole being pushed into a liner, a vacuum that causes a tear, or a rock penetrating through the surface floor. A lot of time these types of holes are patched, but patches tend to have a shorter lifespan due to the glue failing over time. If a pool liner is leaking and aging, then it is time to replace it.
Chemical Burn
A chemical burn on a pool liner is permanent and unrepairable. This is easy to spot because it creates tight wrinkles and bleached areas on the pool liner. The main cause is improper pool chemistry (Corrosive LSI conditions), such as chlorine tabs being allowed to touch the surface of the pool liner, granular chlorine (shock left on pool floor and not brushed), stain treatment products, and backflow from pool skimmers. When this occurs, even if it is a new liner, you must replace it. If not addressed, these areas of chemical burn will split during seasonal temperature changes and cause rapid draining and potential pool floor and wall damage.
Age
As pools get over the 8 to 12 year mark, they become very brittle and lose their elasticity. This can create a very shocking moment when the liner cracks like a potato chip in the middle of winter. This tends to happen during colder months because of shrinkage and is quite common in Georgia for older liners. This is why when liners reach the 8 year mark, it is time to be proactively getting quotes. You always want to be ahead of the liner season or you will spend much of the summer waiting for your replacement due to high demand and backlogs.
Floor, Wall, Tracking, and Step Failure
In the event of failure to the floor (Large divots in pool bottom) or structure the liner would need to be replaced as part of the larger renovation project. We are not able to replace a sunken fiberglass step without replacing the liner as well. These projects can be more expensive and required on older failing pools. If your pool has wall failure and or failed steps, remodel work is required and the cost can be much higher than a standard replacement.
A liner replacement investment is an extremely important decision for any vinyl pool owner. J&M Pool Company offers the largest selection of pool liners and has the experience and follow up support to handle any problem a swimming pool can throw at us. With our fast acting and educated team, we guarantee that your liner will have the perfect fit and offer many years of satisfaction. We work directly with our manufacturers to guarantee the highest accuracy in measuring, proper installation, and preventative care. Call J&M today to schedule your liner replacement.
Learn more about Common Upgrades for Liner Replacement.
