We do recommend vinyl liner pools as one of the best types of pools for the climate in Michigan. Of course, a floating liner is no fun. The good news is that Ask the Pool Guy Al Curtis has been in the business a really long time. He’s got a solution that he implemented on three pools this past weekend (the last weekend in May) here in Michigan. With all the rain water, liners were floating. One was natural causes (groundwater issues) one was because the owners used a small pump to take the water off the cover (word of advice – DON’T! – unless you are simultaneously filling the pool under the cover) though the challenge with that is that the small pumps actually draw water through tiny holes in the cover, resulting in you draining water from the pool. The third was a groundwater issue, along with a hole in the liner that was just below the skimmer – also patched today when the issue was remedied.
So how did you resolve the groundwater issue? We have a very similar situation and had a civil engineer out who recommended digging a 9.5 feet deep trench ( our deep end is 9 feet) by 2 feet wide all around the perimeter of the pool on the one side and putting in perforated pipe and backfilling with washed stone to direct the groundwater away from the pool. Trouble is it would involve cutting all the return PVC lines and will cost a fortune. Not to mention the electrical lines too. Curious how you resolved it for the pool in the picture so that next time there is a ton of rain, it won;t happen again. Thanks for any advice.
In this particular swimming pool with a floating liner issue, located here in Michigan, we used a unique process to remove the water from behind the liner allowing it to go back to normal. (Our pool guy, Allan Curtis, has been doing this a long time and has solutions to a lot of common pool issues) We don’t think it is going to be an ongoing problem. The rain we had this may was unusual, and if this homeowner keeps the pool as full as possible at all times, it should be alright.
The trench and drain issue that the engineer recommended sounds sensible. I would want some more background information before giving you a recommendation (and we’d be happy to if you send some pictures of your pool, patio, and location in the yard, as well as a view of your pool with respect to your home), we are also available to stop out if you are in our service area to take a look. There are many factors, what type of patio do you have? As an example, brick pavers are not a good option for the surround of your pool. We typically caulk the joint between coping and the patio on any type of pool, so if a homeowner has brick pavers the water just runs down between them and settles at the pools edge. Not a good idea at all. Another question would be could the water from the house be causing an issue? We had one pool next to a house without downspouts. The surface area of the roof all ran down to the patio and toward the pool when it rained, again a relatively simple fix. We can also tell often times by the floating liner how much water may or many not have been in the pool over the winter – if there is a leak, tear or hole, you will find water behind the liner, which if the cause is fixed should not prove a further issue.
Thanks for the question and ability to give you several examples. If we can be of further help, please email or call.