Sink Hole In My Above Ground Pool

by Trina
(PA)

I'm not sure how but it looks like a sink hole close to the center of our 15x30 above ground pool which we just put in about 2 months ago.

The liner dips down about 4 or 5 inches and the hole is about 2 1/2 ft. by 8" at the widest point. Is there any way to fix this without replacing the liner?




Hi Trina. It sounds like you have rodents under the pool. It might be moles or some other kind of critter. That's the kind of damage they do. It's also possible the ground was not packed well enough when you installed the pool and it is just settling. I've seen ants do similar damage, but until you get under the liner you will probably not know for sure.

The liner should be fine. You will need to drain the pool and pull the liner back on at least half the pool. You should leave as much in place as possible and only release enough liner to make the repairs.

In order to keep the amount of liner shrinkage to a minimum you should work fast and not leave the pool empty for more than a day or two. Refilling in direct sunlight, on a warm day, will help with any stretching the liner needs to fill up again.

Liners in their fist season or two are usually fine to drain and refill. After a couple of years they begin to loose their elasticity. After the repairs are made I would set the liner back into the same position on the wall that it was previously. Before the water is turned on be sure the liner is centered just as it was. There may be a small gap between the liner and the wall due to a little shrinkage, but that's OK, just make sure the gap is even and it should stretch back out just fine.

It is also a good idea to leave the skimmer and return attached. If you can work from the other side of the pool it will be easier for you. Once the skimmer is off things can get a little more complicated, you might as well keep it easy.