How To Repair a Hole on the Bottom of a Pool Liner

Vinyl-lined swimming pools are susceptible to leaks. Age and sunlight can cause the liners to dry out and crack. Locating a leak in the bottom of a pool liner can be a difficult task. However, before a leak can be repaired, it must be found.

Supplies

• Pool patching kit


• Rubber sealant (optional)

1. Determine if your pool is leaking. Generally, if you are adding more than two inches to your pool per week, you have a leak.


2. Get into the pool and inspect the bottom for any sinkholes. These are formed when water leaks from the bottom of the pool. Check the bottom of the liner around the step or ladder area, which is a friction point where a leak can develop.


3. Using a snorkel and goggles, feel around the entire bottom of the liner.


4. Air bubbles often escape from a leak. Check the bottom for areas which appear dirty, as dirt is often drawn into a hole to drain.


5. Repair the leak with a piece of pool patching. If the hole is small, the repair job will be fairly easy. Purchase a patching kit from a pool supplier. 


6. The kit contains a small piece of a pool liner and a contact cement that will work both above or underwater. Cut the patch to fit the hole. Rough it up with a piece of sandpaper to adhere better to the pool bottom. However, be careful not to tear it.


7. Apply the contact cement to the patch and put it over the leaking area.


8. Use your hand to rub out any air bubbles.


9. Allow the adhesive to "dry."


10. Some pool supplies stores offer a rubber sealant, which can be applied directly to the original liner without using a patch.