Why do Vinyl Pool Liners Wrinkle?

There are two main reasons why vinyl liners form wrinkles. The first is due to Chemical Imbalance. Either high chlorine levels or low ph will cause damage in vinyl liners. Everything designed for materials handling water in the pool industry will last the longest if the pool water is properly balanced. Perfect water has a chlorine level of 1-2ppm, ph of 7.4, Total alkalinity of 100-120 ppm and calcium of 220 ppm. If any of these levels are out of the proper range, the water becomes aggressive and will fade or wrinkle liners, erode metals  such as copper in the heater or rust stainless steel ladders. Excessive chlorine levels especially over the winter change the chemical state of the vinyl leading to fading and potential wrinkling.  If the water balance, either the ph or alkalinity is too low, this dramatically makes the water aggressive. An alkalinity of 20ppm will always have a ph of less than 7ppm and will change the chemical composition of vinyl causing it to absorb water and wrinkle. We find most pool owners tend to monitor levels throughout the season but towards the fall, let things slide. Over the winter, balance levels drop and chlorine levels can be high, so much of the damage is done then. In the spring, the water is again balanced, but the damage has been done and the liner will continue to grow slowly over time. These wrinkles can be anywhere on the liner and often, are smaller and multiple wrinkles. There is no cure for this problem and the only solution is to change the liner.

The second common problem which causes wrinkling is poor drainage around the pool. This is especially a problem over the winter when we have lowered the water level. Excess ground water can build up behind the pool wall and migrate between the steel walls and the vinyl liner. Often, as the water rises in the pool in the spring and the ground water resides, the liner settles back in place almost always leaving residual wrinkling. These wrinkles are usually on the floor in the shallow end and transition floor running toward the deep end and are larger folds. Some times, we do have solutions to remove some or all of the wrinkles. Prevention is the only cure for this problem. Improve the drainage around the pool and don’t lower the water level too much for winterizing. Also, be careful not to pump too much water off the cover in the spring as again, you may allow water to migrate under the liner.

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About Bremner Pool & Spa:
Established in 1981, Bremner Pool & Spa is one of the premiere swimming pool service companies in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Durham Region. We operate 16 state-of-the art vehicles and offer a variety of high quality and eco-friendly products & services including swimming pool renovations, openings, partial swimming pool openings, swimming pool closings, weekly pool and spa service, pool leak detection & repair, heaters, liners, pumps, filters and more. As well, Bremner Pool & Spa complies with all City of Toronto By Laws for Pools, Hot Tubs and Spas.