Pool repair question, vinyl liner leaking, temporary fix?

Question

I have a 4 foot above ground pool, and a very wet corner of my backyard, I believe I have located the slow leak. There's an area where the sidewall meets the bottom, where the sand seems to have been washed away or compressed, about the size of a softball. I put on my scuba gear for a longer/closer look and it looks like (because of the depression) the liner has been stretched very thin and is seeping. I'd like to make it thru the summer so then I can empty it and replace the liner in the off-season. What type/kind of patch can I use that can be applied under water and will stick well? I got some vinyl patches at my local pool store and they were crap, didn't work well. Any kind of underwater paste, glue, patches, etc?

windancerhil: Thanks, so I will look around for an underwater repair kit from a different place. After I round out the corners and peel off the paper backing, should the patch be very sticky? Or does the water "activate" the glue and I have to rub the patch for a few minutes to work out the air/water to get it to stick? Any particular brand of type of vinyl repair kit I should be looking for? Thanks again.

Answer 1

I have used underwater vinyl patch kits for years and never had any problems. Perhaps the ones you got were old. Try again with a different source. Unless the leak is in a seam the patch should work. Just be sure to cut the piece your attaching in either a circle or oval shape (no square corners.)

Answer 2

If it's leaking from the water pump's gasket then the usual leak repair additives that garages sell might stop it from leaking, even the traditional remedy of cracking an egg or two into the radiator water works. (yes, that really does work, this has got me out of trouble before now, I stopped my army truck from leaking badly this way and it never leaked again)(the principle is the same as with the stuff you can buy, it flows around with the water, gets into the crack and sets solid). If you can't afford the radiator additive and decide to opt for the egg remedy then you obviously must do this when the engine and water are cold, if you crack an egg into it whilst hot then rather than it getting into the crack and setting you'll just end up with a poached egg floating around in the top tank of the radiator! However, if the water pump is leaking from its spindle then no radiator additive is going to seal it because this is a moving part. If you're going to drive it whilst it's losing water then stop regularly, allow it to cool so that you don't get scalded when you open it up and then top it up. Driving it without water can cause serious damage to the engine such as a blown cylinder head gasket or cracked cylinder head. Until you get it fixed just use water with no antifreeze if you're using radiator leak sealant/egg/pepper/etc to block the leak because antifreeze often washes this sort of stuff out and starts it leaking again. As you live in Florida I doubt that you're at risk of the water in your car freezing overnight.

Answer 3

Not sure if this will offer a temporary fix, but try a waterbed repair kit. Of course not sure how well it works on the reverse (waterside), but hey, worth a try.