10 Tips to Make Your Pool’s Vinyl Liner Last Longer

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A swimming pool with a brand new vinyl liner makes you want to jump in immediately. The most common colors for vinyl liners are various shades of blue, turquoise and sea foam green – to mimic a natural body of water found in an exotic location.

Of course, vinyl pool liners can be custom made in virtually every color under the sun, but regardless of the color, they all have the potential to fade, tear, separate at the seams, pull away from the sides of the pool and generally degrade. The most obvious sign that your pool’s liner is beginning to break down is color fading.

Most pool owners notice that their liner’s color fades much faster below the water level. While this is common in almost every swimming pool with a vinyl liner, the portion of the liner above the water line will fade with time as well – especially in extremely hot and sunny climates like here in Dallas. Pool companies understand that their customers hate the look of a faded liner!

Because we empathize with all of you who are beginning to notice that your pool is showing its age, we want to give you a list of what we consider the best ways to keep your liner looking new. Nothing can completely stop your pool from aging, of course, but these tips will give you a few more years with a liner that looks and acts like it did when you first had your pool installed:

  1. Keep your pool chemicals in check. Unbalanced pools grow algae (low chlorine), which can stain liners. Too much chlorine will bleach your liner.
  2. Add water to your pool regularly to maintain the water level. The water in your pool helps keep your liner pushed into its shape, and a low water level can result in a liner that warps or tears.
  3. Avoid draining your pool for the same reason as #2.
  4. Attend to any minor damage immediately. This will keep the damage contained and prevent it from becoming a much bigger problem.
  5. Scrub the sides of your pool. Everyone who swims in your pool leaves a deposit of their sweat and oil, which cling to the liner. Scrub your liner with a soft brush made for swimming pools and a safe cleanser from your local Dallas pool company.
  6. Keep sharp objects out of the pool.
  7. Request that all guests avoid risky behaviors that may cause liner damage. This includes putting any inappropriate objects in the pool, including non-pool toys. Damage can also occur when someone is “thrown in” the pool by surprise – especially if they are wearing shoes (ex. high heels) and/or jewelry that may catch on the liner as they grasp the edge, like watches and rings, so discourage this behavior.
  8. Avoid shocking your pool excessively.
  9. Gently winterize your pool. Many pool owners believe that they should intensely shock their swimming pool immediately prior to shutting it down for the winter. This will cause great (and fast) damage to your vinyl liner! Use as few chemicals as you possibly can and make sure your pool water continues to circulate and filter for at least three days before you close it for the season.
  10. Use a high quality, protective cover during winter months. In order to keep out the unwanted dirt, debris, bugs, rodents and more, you must ensure that your pool’s winter cover fits snugly with absolutely NO gaps.