Vinyl Pool Main Drain Leak

Break out the leaking area with the jackhammer.

Vinyl pool main drain leak.

Most common pool leaks one thing any pool installer would tell you is that fixing the leaky sections of a vinyl pool liner is a whole lot easier than finding where exactly the hole is located. There may be a grid of rebar under the pool plaster which you will need to cut with bolt cutters. This type of leak is a very common leak location. If so there are special considerations.

Pay close attention to steps and corners where the liner may be stretched more than normal. Some holes in a vinyl liner do not leak but if you find any it s best to use a vinyl patch kit to seal it up. Most of the time the leak is above the frost line so the warmer your climate the deeper the crack could be. This repair will likely cost between 400 and 700 unless the entire drain needs to be replaced.

We have here a comprehensive guide for finding a leak in an above ground pool with a vinyl liner and how it can be repaired. An inground swimming pool s main drain is located in the deep end of the pool. This leak will probably be under the main drain well or within 2 feet of the main drain where it makes its turn towards the trench. When the pool and the pool return pipes settle in the ground at different rates this almost always results in a leak where the return meets the pool wall.

During winter months or periods of non use most pool drains do not need to be plugged but in some cases plugging a main drain is required or recommended. In addition to the individual items such as the skimmer returns lights and main drains already discussed leaks through the physical structure of the pool itself are very common. Some adjustment to circulation or filtration is usually needed to make up for the missing main drain. Leaks in main drains are hard to fix and for this reason leaking main drains are commonly abandoned.

The main drain is one of the hardest complicating factors for finding leaks in pools. The leak will probably be at a joint that has been improperly glued. If the depth of the main drain you re testing is different than 9 the pressure the water puts on the air lock can be calculated at 43 psi per foot of water. The pool s main drain can crack and require repairing which can cause serious leaks.

Structural leaks vinyl liner pools structure leaks are very common in swimming pools. Look for tears or separations around all fittings. A main drain circulates the pool s water by pulling water off the bottom of the pool and sending it to the filter.