Go Back  DoItYourself.com Community Forums > Garden and Outdoor Center > Pools, Spas and Hot Tubs
Reload this Page >

Brand new pool/liner leaks!!! Who's responsible??

Brand new pool/liner leaks!!! Who's responsible??


  #1  
Old 08-26-04, 06:29 AM
Shelley
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Angry Brand new pool/liner leaks!!! Who's responsible??

Our Esther Williams pool was damaged earlier this Spring by tornados. The insurance has paid for a new one. We wanted another Esther Williams pool installed since it has been a very good pool for us before. We took in a few quotes from pool centers who sell EW pools. The one we chose for the job is about 2 hours away from us. Only one dealer was close to us and they were pretty high. Anyway, the installer for them drove out with the pool and set it up. We filled it with water and it has leaked from the beginning. We found one hole right away which was in the sidewall, a small half moon tear. Pool still leaks and I have also found about 4 separate "canals" running under the liner. Installer says I have to find the leak(s). If it is not a separation in the liner seam, than it is not under warranty. Pool center has tried to pass the buck to the installer. Installer passes it to the liner company. Liner company passes it to the dealer, etc. My question is this: Could the installer and his crew damaged the liner when they were walking on it as it was being filled? The pool had about 1/2" of water in it when the installer and one of his crew got into the pool with their muddy/sandy workboots on! They walked around and did a couple of things. I was surprised by them going in with their gritty work boots on. The boots prints can be seen clearly in the liner. When we installed our first pool, we did not get in the pool when it was filling. Opinions, help, please!!
 
  #2  
Old 08-27-04, 05:13 PM
Ed Imeduc's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Mountain Williams Missouri
Posts: 17,505
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Thumbs down

I for sure would say the guy that put it in. Id go after him.

ED
 
  #3  
Old 08-29-04, 05:33 AM
Shelley
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Thank you for the suggestion! The installer tells me that it has to be bugs that have eaten a hole(s) in the liner when they installed it. I don't buy that for a minute. He tells me to go to the liner company and complain. The liner company says that the pool center has to send the liner in and if it is not a separation in the seam, they won't cover it. The pool place has told me to go back to the installer. I am now in touch with the owner of the pool center. He would like for me to do the bucket test and mark the pool as it loses water. I am waiting for the rain to let up so I can do this. I told him about the installer going into the pool with his work boots on when it was filling. He said that they should not have done that. Here is one of four pics that I have taken where you can see the canals under the liner. The boot prints are just inches from the canals.
http://www.wcrtc.net/~rboyd/canal1.jpg
 
  #4  
Old 09-01-04, 03:29 PM
S
Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 324
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Liners are pretty reliable, unless seam failure.

If you have chemical burns, that's your issue.

If the installer put holes in it, he's probably scared of eating the cost of replacement.

Hopefully it's a simple mechanical puncture, and even that isn't very simple.

You need to find the holes and make a decision. It's a shame the installer is weaseling out of the responsibility, since the warranty is void if the pool is drained for more than a day. Liners shrink, and removing the water will allow the liner to contract.


A good liner installer can do everything from the outside of the pool, they will use a shop vac to suck the air out from underneath the liner and a pushroom to manuever the liner into position.

Rule of thumb is NEVER to walk on the sand until the pool is full and the water is compacting the sand.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: