Patching A Hole With Water In The Pool

by L Flores
(San Antonio, TX)

I just found a hole in my above ground pool. I looked for it after noticing water all around. The pool still has more than half its water in it. Can it be patched with the water still in it or do I need to drain it?



Hi. The worst thing you can do is to drain the pool. Vinyl liners shrink as soon as they are empty. If the liner is over a couple of years old it could easily shrink and become unusable. So no, do not drain the pool. I have always found the patches to stick better when the liner is wet as opposed to a dry liner.

Boxer vinyl patch glue is what I use, it works great underwater. It works even better when you can use actual vinyl instead of the patch material that comes with the kit. Many pool stores sell small pieces of pool liner so if that is possible you should consider buying some. With every pool I install I give the customer the vinyl from the skimmer and return area, telling them someday they may come in handy.

The clear plastic in the patch kit discolors after a year of so, with actual liner material you will probably not even know the pool has been patched.

You need to cut the patch material into a circle shape, a couple of inches bigger than the hole. You put plenty of glue on the patch and take it under water and place it over the hole. You then come up for air and place your big toe over the patch and hold it in place for a couple of minutes.

There are times when it is necessary to drain the pool in order to find the hole. The photo below is a good illustration of how much water you should always leave in a vinyl pool. Never go below this amount.