Has My Above Ground Pool Liner Shrunk?

by MIKE A. JONES
(BERWYN, PA, 19312. USA)

Recently I emptied by above ground pool and scrubbed it clean. The liner seemed OK apart from one small area that appeared to come away from the top, which was easily refitted, hooked over the aluminum lip around the edge.

All looked good until I started filling. I just left the hoses running all night. To my dismay the following morning the liner had detached itself from the upper lip and was "looping" from the top in a few places.

There was too much water in the pool for me to lift the liner back on to the aluminum lip around the edge and consequently had to drain again. I have asked the original liner installer and his first response was that the liner had shrunk and needed to be replaced. However the liner appears to be loose and I was still able to easily reattach the liner over the top lip when it was re-emptied.

The liner is approx 8 years old and was professionally installed. I use Baquacil sanitizer and chemicals in my pool.

The question is, has the liner shrunk or have I not taken sufficient care when refilling. i.e. keep watching the water level and/or should I try clamping the liner to the top lip?



Hi Mike. Most of the time after a liner has been through a couple of seasons it cannot be completely drained because it will shrink and not be reusable. After eight years I seriously doubt whether your liner will stretch back out. The only way to know for sure is to try filling it in direct sunlight on a warm day. Vinyl will only stretch when it's warm and the amount of direct sun it gets makes all the difference in the world.