How to maintain a vinyl pool is easy to learn and will keep your pool looking good for many years. When you regularly check the water chemistry and clean the pool it will provide you with years of trouble-free fun and enjoyment.
I recommend to not allow dogs in a vinyl lined pool because they tend to scratch holes in the vinyl.
Eventually your vinyl pool liner will wear out or develop too many tears to repair. Now it’s time to replace it. If it’s an inground pool call in some pool experts for a quote. If you have an above ground pool, I recommend replacing it yourself with the help of a friend or family member. Pool liners are cheap and easy to install in an above ground pool.
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How to Maintain Vinyl Pool
Check the water chemistry every week with your swimming pool test strips. Adjust the pH, chlorine, salinity, alkalinity, stabilizer, etc. as required by the results of your pool test. Correctly balanced pool water is essential with vinyl liner pools to protect the liner from becoming damaged by chemical exposure. The most important test is to ensure the pool is adequately sanitized with sufficient chlorine.
WARNING
Never mix pool chemicals together. Add them to the water one at a time and allow each to dissolve and circulate completely through the pool before adding the next chemical.
Read our complete guide on Pool Water Chemistry
Shock Treatment to Maintain a Vinyl Pool
Shock treatment your vinyl pool with a standard dose of pool shock. This super-chlorination of the pool kills all algae, bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants that may have entered the pool water. In the summer, shock the pool water every week. In the off-season shock the pool every two or three weeks as swimmers do not contaminate the water.
Clean Your Pool
Clean your vinyl pool every week in the summer swimming season. The best cleaning method is to do it manually with a vacuum head on a telescoping pole. Cleaning a vinyl pool should only take 20 minutes of your time each week.
Clean the waterline with a sponge or soft cloth. Dirt and contaminants build up on the waterline leaving a dirty ring on the vinyl. Never use harsh cleaners, kitchen or automotive products, or abrasive brushes and scouring pads on vinyl. If you damage the vinyl liner at the waterline you will need to replace the whole liner.
If you are going to use a chemical pool cleaning product, please ensure it is formulated for cleaning vinyl to prevent damage.
When your pool brush is old, replace it. Worn bristles develop rough edges that can damage vinyl pool liners. I do recommend suction pool cleaners for above ground pools because they work well with vinyl lined pools. Other types of cleaners will exert too much cleaning force (brushing, scrubbing, etc.) on the vinyl.
Clean the Skimmer Basket
Clean the skimmer basket frequently during the summer, every day if possible. The skimmer basket is the first line of defense between your pool and the filtration system. When the skimmer basket is full of leaves and debris it reduces the effectiveness of the filter leaving the pool water less clean than it should be. You can purchase a skimmer basket filter bag that sits in the skimmer basket to collect more dirt and take the load off your filter. These skimmer basket bags reduce the frequency of cleaning the filter. Check the pump basket every week although they require cleaning a lot less frequently than a skimmer basket.
Clean the Pool Filter
Clean the vinyl pool filter weekly in the swimming season as they quickly become dirty. A sand filter must be backwashed and rinsed. A cartridge filter must be removed from the filter container and hosed down to remove the debris build-up. I recommend using two filter cartridges so you can swap them over to keep the filter working while cleaning the dirty cartridge. When your filter is worn out replace it with a new one. This will be every two or three years.
Regularly Top Up the Water
Regularly top up the water to maintain the correct water level at the skimmer box. Water evaporates out of all pools especially during the summer. A low water level will cause the pump to suck in air making a gurgling noise and place a strain on the motor. The filter will not be able to function correctly causing your pool to not be clean.
Install a Pool Cover
Install a vinyl pool cover over the pool when it’s not in use. This protects the pool from dirt and debris messing up the water and keeps out unwanted wildlife like ducks and frogs. A pool cover will also prevent evaporation and reduce the need to add additional chemicals to the pool. I recommend to cover all swimming pools when they are not in use to keep out dirt and debris which saves your filter and pool chemicals. Floating solar covers are also good for keeping the pool clean and keeping the pool water warm.
How to Repair Vinyl Pool Liner Damage
Although, vinyl pool liners have a short lifespan (under 10 years) compared to other types of pool lining, they are still the least expensive option by many orders of magnitude.
Repairing or replacing a vinyl pool liner is a task that you can complete yourself and save money. The average inground pool liner costs $3,000 to $4,000 including installation. Whereas, the average above ground pool liner costs $500.
If your pool liner develops a hole or tear it can be easy to repair with a vinyl patch repair kit.
Obviously, it’s easiest to repair the liner when the pool is empty but liners can be repaired when the pool is full of water.
Pool Liner Repair or Replacement
How to Replace Your Above Ground Vinyl Pool Liner
Small holes and tears in your vinyl liner can be successfully patched and even double patched. However, larger tears are more difficult to repair and tend to tear further even after a repair. If the liner is old and has developed several tears or holes it is usually a better option to replace the liner.
Replacing your above ground pool liner is easier than most people think when you have some basic instructions.
Try replacing the liner in the spring or fall when the temperature keeps the liner soft and flexible but not too hot as in the middle of summer. I don’t recommend replacing liners in the middle of winter as the liner is hard and less flexible making it difficult to install.
Pool Liner Repair or Replacement
Remove Vinyl Pool Liner Wrinkles
Vinyl pool liners can stretch to form wrinkles and have a shorter lifespan than other options. It’s important to remove liner wrinkles as soon as possible to prevent the problem becoming worse and damaging the vinyl liner. As wrinkles often develop in cold water wait until the middle of summer to remove the wrinkles. It will be a lot easier in warm water when the liner is softer and more flexible.
Work out small wrinkles from the liner by pushing the wrinkle to the sides and up the walls. Larger wrinkles require the pool to be emptied and the whole liner re-installed with a wet and dry vacuum to remove the problem.
How to Remove Pool Liner Wrinkles
How Much Does it Cost to Maintain a Vinyl Pool?
Vinyl pools are low maintenance. After balancing the pool water chemistry there is little for you to do except a quick weekly check on the pool. A pool cleaner makes it easier otherwise you need to manually clean the pool once a week. The ongoing costs are mostly chlorine and power for the filtration system which will average about $100 per month.