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How to Care for your Vinyl Pool Liner
Homeowners with backyard swimming pools depend on vinyl pool
liners to keep their pools looking beautiful season after season. Nearly 70
percent of the residential pools in the United States rely on durable and
easy-to-clean, solid & printed flexible vinyl to protect the interior pool
surface from the environmental elements and man made conditions.
The vinyl liner's surface is exposed to numerous hazards, from
sunlight and temperature fluctuation to chemicals and careless cleaning. The most
common causes of damage to vinyl pool liners are premature pattern wear due to
abrasive cleaning tools and bleaching due to improper chemical balance. These two
factors, exclusively or in combination, can attack the vinyl liner and cause
premature aging.
If you're one of the 5 million North American homeowners who
have a pool with a vinyl liner, follow these simple tips to lengthen its years of
service:
Chemical Maintenance
- Prior to installation, read and follow the chemical manufacturers'
directions. Many liner problems are a result of misuse of chemicals.
- When adding chemicals, add one chemical at a time.
- Add each dissolved chemical through the skimmer for best dispersion into
the pool (through the filtration system).
- Maintain proper water balance: pH in the range of 7.2 to 7.6; total
alkalinity at 80 ppm to 100 ppm; and calcium hardness at 200 ppm to 300
ppm.
- Keep free chlorine, the most common active ingredient that sanitizes the
pool, at 1.5 ppm to 2.5 ppm. If the concentration drifts below 1.5 ppm,
algae and bacterial growth can take hold more easily and may cause staining
of the vinyl liner. If the active chlorine concentration is maintained
greater than 2.5 ppm, liner wrinkling may occur. This problem can be
further aggravated if accompanied by pH levels that fall below 7.0.
Seasonal Care
- Avoid the use of any abrasive cleaning agents or cleaning aids.
- Vacuum and clean the pool with a cleaner designed for vinyl lined pools.
- Never use sharp objects in or around the pool, as they can puncture the
liner.
- After the chemicals have dissipated, cover your pool when it's not in use.
This will decrease its exposure to damaging ultraviolet rays. Less
chemicals are required if your pool is covered and/or not used. To
avoid high concentrations of airborne chemicals building up between the
water and the cover, open or vent the cover every 24 hours.
- Do not drain the pool completely for any reason without consulting a pool
professional. The older the liner, the higher the risk that it will shrink
and not stretch back into its original shape.
- Never close a pool without circulating the pool water for several hours
after the addition of chemicals.
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