Beaded Liner To Small

by Bud
(Western Ohio)

I began to slowly fill my pool as you directed today as it was 76 and bright sunshine, when the water got to about 9" deep the liner bead came off the pool frame and dropped into the pool.

The liner is not damaged anywhere that I can see. Obviously I have to drain water and repair sand bottom.

I took some measurements of my pool frame and it is 23' 11" at bottom and top. As I mentioned in my previous email to you, the liner fit real nice to the top of pool frame upon installation, but I questioned the 2-4" air gap at the bottom of the pool frame, which would explain the approx. 7" difference in the next sentence. I measured the liner after it came down today and it is approx. 23'4". Is this normal?

Also from pool frame bead channel to sand is 48"-49", this is the original dimension from my old liner as I did not change this during prep and grading of sand. To my uneducated eye it seems the liner is to small for the pool or I need to add additional sand and slope the sides more? Is there a general measurement you use from pool edge out? Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thank You.



Hi Bud. I would find the measurements you provided just fine here in Arizona when it's one hundred degrees plus in full sun. The stretching properties of vinyl change so much with every little increase in temperature. The seventies is still a little chilly to get much stretch out of a liner, even in direct sun.

I assume from your measurements that you ordered a 24' liner. On a warm day, if you were to get in the pool on your hands and knees and push the liner towards the wall in all directions, you would probably get pretty close to 24' out of it. So much depends on the temperature.

If it were me I would continue to work with the liner you have as opposed to returning it and taking your chances of getting one to big. You could try adding a little more cove if you think it would help. You could also try pushing the bottom towards the wall and seeing if there is any way to gain a few more inches that way. Use the sun and the soon to come warmer weather to your advantage and the liner will probably fit just fine.

The only other suggestion is to make sure the bead is firmly in the receiver. Downward pressure on a liner should not pull a liner out of the receiver, is it possible it was not firmly set in that area?

Beaded Liner To Small

by Lori
(Warwick, RI)

We installed a new 15 x 30 pool and now the beaded liner will not fit, it is too small. What do we do to make this fit?



Hi Lori. I am going to assume this is a brand new liner going in to your new pool. I will also have to assume the liner is just a little to small as opposed to being completely the wrong size for your pool.

Try installing the liner on the warmest day possible with direct overhead sunlight. Direct sun on the liner can make all the difference in the world. If the liner is to small, as in not enough around the top, and it is not fitting in the bead, the sun will help. You may need to make several tries at this, taking the liner completely out each time. As you are putting it in the groove, pull and stretch it as you go. This is where the direct overhead sun will make all the difference in the world.

If you have the bead at the top in all the way around, but the liner is away from the walls, this is probably just fine. Again, use the sunlight as you begin to fill the pool. In direct sun it is amazing how much a liner will stretch. As you are adding water push all the wrinkles to the edge, keep working the bottom to get all the liner to the outside as possible. If the liner is still away from the wall, and you loose the sun, shut the hose off and try again the next day.

Please use the comments option below if you need more information.