How to Replace an Above Ground Pool Liner

1. Make sure the pool is drained of water. Pump out with a small submersible pump. When you cannot get any more water out this way. Bail water out and or make several cuts in the liner and allow draining and drying before moving forward.
2. Disconnect hose from skimmer to pump and from filter to the pools return. If your pool has a lighted return feature remove the light. Remove return fitting using a large channel lock pliers on the outside of the pool. Once you break the connection with the pliers. The return fitting can be removed using your hands.
3. Remove skimmer from the pool. Do this by unscrewing the skimmer screws located on the inside of the pool. Be careful when you get to the last screw, hold the outside of the skimmer so it doesn’t fall and break. Inspect the skimmer for cracks and be sure to take gaskets off the skimmer as you will need new ones to re-install the skimmer.
4. This is a goodtime to inspect overall condition of your filter/pump. Clean your cartridge filter; replace sand in your sand filter and or clean DE filters as this is a perfect time to do so. Also inspect O-rings, lubricate them. Make sure all parts are cleaned and ready to go.
5. Take new liner out of its packaging and spread out near bye in the yard and let sun start to warm it up.
6. From inside the pool being careful not to touch the walls interior. About 6 -10 inches from the top of the pool. Use a utility knife and cut liner all around the pool. Again be careful not to cut into the pools wall. When liner is completely free and laying on the inside of the pool. Start cutting into smaller more manageable pieces. Put these pieces in large trash bags being careful not to over weigh them.
7. Inspect the floor of your pool after liner is removed. Fix any and all imperfections in your floor with cement trowels. Your cove should be at least 3” high on the wall and 4” away from it. This cove shouldn’t have any divots or worn areas as it’s needed to support your new liner. Fix all imperfections and pack with a wet base. “You cannot just fill in holes and divots with dry sand and walk away. You must wet sand and pack into place with cement trowels.”
8. Take top caps and top rails off the pool. There are many different types of caps and top rails. They are all very simple to figure out and to take off. You may get a few rusty pieces of hardware that will need to be drilled out. Finish taking off accompanying coping strips that hold your pools liner in place. Remove the section of liner that is still attached to the pools top edge. Be careful when cutting it as you do not want to cut the wall. This could cause premature rusting of the wall if it is steel. Throw away pieces into trash bags.
9. It’s now time to place the vacuum hose either into the return hole cut-out or the skimmer cut-out from the outside in. The hose should be lowered to about 4-6inches above the bottom of the floor. Using duct tape on the outside of the pool and tape off any air space that is left after placing vacuum in place.
10. Roll liner back up the best you can and place it in the pool so you can start spreading into place. Liners come with seams. Locate the seam that goes all around the pool bottom and spread liner roughly into position. Locate the one seam where it comes from the bottom to the top of the liner. That is where you will start to hang the liner. Depending on what style liner you have as to what is the next step. Once liner is hung turn on vacuum and adjust liner by gently pushing out wrinkles as the vacuum sucks out the air behind your liner. Place hose in the pool and start to fill.

• You will need help (2-3 person job)

• New Liner

• New Gasket set for skimmer

• Utility knife

• Garden hose

• Large channel lock pliers

• Large trash bags

• Screw gun with #2 and #3 tips

• Flat head attachable bits

• Cement trowels

• Electrical Outlet

• Shop-vacuum

• Duct tape

Beaded – before installing liner make sure your bead track is in place and ready to accept new liner. Start by holding liner vertical seam meets the top bead and start by snapping into place. Work the bead into the bead track until the entire pool liner is in place. You may have to put the pools top parts back together at the same time to avoid collapse while hanging beaded. Re-check that the bead is secure before moving to next step.

J-Hook – Start by holding liners vertical seam meets the top and hang the liners J-hook over the pools wall and install the entire liner. You may have to put the pools top parts back together at the same time to avoid collapse while hanging your j-hook liner.

Overlap – Start by holding liner vertical seam meets the top and hang liner over the pool wall. Make sure that inside the pool the bottom seam stays where the pool bottom meets the wall. Liner is held on using coping strips and metal coping rails. Adjust accordingly as you go.

• When the water level reaches above the bottom seam all around the pools bottom. Shut off the vacuum and check liner for any wrinkles. A properly installed liner should be free from wrinkles. A small crease is different from a wrinkle. You simply push out wrinkles to the pools walls. Creases are flat and will not affect pool vacuuming after installation.
• While filling is taking place the top rails and top caps are returned to their original state. Make sure when you place your top rails on that you do not tighten them until they are all on also, check with a level and plum all uprights before tightening top rails.
• Continue filling pool until you are several inches away from the return. This is the time to place new gaskets on the skimmer and to install skimmer, return, lights, hoses and clamps.
• Once connections are made continue filling the pool to halfway through the skimmer, start circulating water and add chemistry to water.
• Congratulations! Your done