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Does your Vinyl Liner look like it has a Big Air Bubble in it? If so, you have a Floating Vinyl Liner

Take a deep breath, this isn’t the end of the world, many inground vinyl liner pools are build with high ground water or a high water table. Provided you make sure that the ground water is dealt with, you shouldn’t have any issues having your inground pool last for years to come.

Do you have clay as your soil base? Do you have a high water table? Do you have water issues?

Water takes the path of least resistance and will essentially find any gap around your pool to fill. If you have a high water table, high groundwater, or a soil base that doesn’t allow water to run through it easily, you can get what is called a “floating vinyl liner”. When the groundwater pressure is more than the water pressure inside the pool, it essentially pushes the liner off the swimming pool bottom. This hydrostatic pressure is what causes your liner to pop up.

There are some different techniques to use depending on whether you have an existing inground vinyl liner pool or if you are in the process of building your new vinyl liner pool.

The Traditional Way to Prevent a Floating Vinyl Liner

1. Dig a 3′ – 4′ deep hole next to the pool
2. Put a 4″ – 5″ diameter piece of PVC into the hole
3. Fill the bottom with rock
4. Put a sump pump into the pit to take out all the water

Existing customers who have this type of sump have come to accept that their liner floats. The problem that generally happens is that the liner has already floated by the time the water gets to the pipe. Reactively, all you can do is put a sump pump in the pipe to get rid of the water.  What happens if you live in a climate that freezes? Now you have a pump and hose that will freeze and crack.

The way to Fix a floating vinyl liner due to high ground water is to be BOTH proactive & reactive.

1. Proactive – The sump for the pool has to have a catch basin so the groundwater can seep into the earth. 
2. Reactive – The system has to have a way to pump the water out when it gets full.

How Build a Sump System for your New Construction Inground Vinyl Liner Pool

Sumps should always be built for vinyl liner pools that have clay soils and for ALL fiberglass swimming pools.

1. Over-dig the pool 2″ – 3″ in the shallow end and transition slope to the deep end.
2. Over-dig the deep end hopper 18″ – 24″.
3. Figure out your final elevations
   1. Bed the entire shallow end & ramp with a chipped clear stone.
   2. Fill the deep end hopper up 75% with stone
4. Build a rectangle out of 2″ PVC with holes every 2″ – 3″.
5. Top the rectangle with stone till you get to the elevation you need for you swimming pool bottom.
   1. Make sure there is at least 6″ of stone on top of the PVC rectangle
6. Run a plumbing line to the equipment slab with a valve on the intake manifold.
   1. When you service your swimming pool, you can now move a few valves and drain water out of the sump system.

We have now proactively made a large sump under the inground vinyl liner pool to hold the water and give it a chance to seep into the ground.  The stone on the shallow end and ramp allows any water to drain to the lowest point. As groundwater seeps around your pool, it will be diverted to the deep end under your pool. When your swimming pool specialist comes to service your pool, he can drain the water from under the vinyl liner.

Inground Vinyl Liner Sump Pump Process – Prevent a Floating Vinyl Liner

This tried and proven sump system should be put in every time you have high groundwater when digging your pool or if you have clay soils. If your swimming pool builder isn’t putting this in, chances are they don't have the knowledge or experience to build your pool. Don’t let any Bob & Joe build your pool.

How Fix a Floating Vinyl Liner for your Existing Inground Vinyl Liner Pool

Have a floating liner and need it fixed after the fact?  If you have main drains in your pool, there is a way to help your floating liner situation. This solution isn’t ideal, but it gives you a way to handle your high water table and fix a floating liner.

1. Remove liner
2. Cut out the deep end hopper of your pool and cut the main drains out.
3. Dig down an additional 2′ and remove the existing earth.
4. Fill the new hole with 18" of clear chipped washed stone (not rounded or pea gravel).
5. Place your rectangle pvc pipe with holes every 2" - 3" down and attach it to the old main drain line.
   
   1. You lose your main drain, but you will have a better chance of preventing a floating liner.
6. Fill in the remaining part of the hole with stone.
7. Pour pool bottom and hand your new vinyl liner replacement.

If you are worried about not having good circulation, you can install Infusion returns to get better circulation and heated water. These returns push the water down at a 22 degree angle, and help mix the pool water at the bottom of your pool with heated, sanitized water.

The pictures on this page is an example of high groundwater with clay in Muskego, WI. Notice how the ramp also gets washed rock, that way any water that gets to the ramp will drain to the bottom, sump system, where it can be sucked out. To date, this liner has yet to float due to a high water table.