Damaged Pool Liner

When a pool liner becomes severely damaged, Swimming Pool Inspection Services is called on to determine that cause of the damage.

 Swimming Pool Inspection

Swimming Pool Inspection Services was called out to inspect a swimming pool to determine why the pool liner and pump motor had failed. Our inspector spoke with insured over the phone prior to the inspection. When asked about the pump motor, she explained that there was no trouble with it, and that the only problem was the torn liner.

Pool Inspection Observations

Our inspector performed a thorough inspection of the pool and surrounding areas and made the following observations:

• The liner appeared to be about 15 years old, and was about 40×10’.
• At one time, there was a ladder in the area where the major destruction of the liner occurred, evidenced by two white circles on the pool deck. It seems that the ladder had caused a hole and was patched.
• There was also another patch near the other ladder.
• Rust was present behind the liner, where the original leak had occurred.
• The patch that had been used to repair the earlier leak failed.

Analysis of the Inspection

Our inspector determined that 0ne or both of the patches might have failed and caused water to leak down to that level. When the water leaked down to that level, the liner was not being held to the side of the walls by the water pressure and therefore shrank dramatically.

When an old liner loses water, the material starts to shrink and also becomes brittle. The brittleness is what caused another hole in that area to increase in size to what you see in the picture.

Cause of Damage

It is our inspector’s opinion that the patches that had earlier been used to repair the liner gave out, which caused water to leak out and the liner to shrink. The lack of water also caused the liner to become brittle and tear to create its present condition.