Divots Under Pool Liner

by Stephanie
(Plymouth Indiana)

We bought an above 15x30 ground pool the end of May. We used it up until the middle of August without any problems. Then on August 9th we had a pool party and on Monday morning I get up and half of the water in my pool is gone since the night before. I looked around pool and saw no leaks. But I saw a number of divots or sink spots the size of 1 foot print or 2 persons feet print. There were no tunnels, just divots. When the pool installer came over and removed the wedding cake style ladder there were 2 cuts/slashes under the ladder on the metal strips (1' X 10") that are a part of the bracing of the side walls. The sand had eroded away and worn 2 slashes in the liner from people getting in & out of the pool. The installer thought it was moles and had us remove the liner so that he could install a new one, put a plate (4'x5')where the ladder was and repack the bottom with sand. When we removed the liner the next day there were little holes with piles of sand like ants nest around them But no tunnels. One week later we go the vacuum & place the ladder back in the pool on some rubber padding and there are more divots in the pool the size of 1/2 a foot print about 1-2" deep. We are stumped. I don't have another $1500 to spend ABOVE the $7800 I spent on the pool in May. Is the a padding we can put under the liner? Hear something about putting a layer gravel then sand to help keep moles away. Can you help us??
Stephanie



Hi Stephanie. It can sure get expensive fast, I understand that. Before I would take any water out of the pool again I would spread a product called Green Day ant killer around the pool. If you can not find the exact same thing, I am sure any kind of granule or powdered ant and bug killer would work.

Holes in the liner can be patched underwater, without draining the pool. If you have holes you should try and patch them. Try and keep water in the pool and see if the bug killer around the outside helps.

I have seen ants and bugs do bad things under vinyl liners but keeping them away from the pool usually helps.