Swimming pool liner care and maintenance

The information on this page is for general guidance only. Before using any chemicals or treatments, you should check the care notes provided by your swimming pool liner supplier. Failure to adhere to their instructions may void any guarantees or warranties.

Natural resistance

One of the big advantages of swimming pool liners over tiled pools and none lined pools is the resistance that vinyl has to bacteria, algae, mould and other naturally occurring water based contaminants.

Modern swimming pool liners are specially treated to prevent the build up of bacteria and micro organisms and therefore they have a natural resistance to discolouration and scum that far exceeds that of a tiled and grouted pool surface. Even so, both the water in a lined swimming pool and, from time to time, the liner itself will require cleaning and treatment.

Cleaning swimming pool liners

Chemicals

Liners can be cleaner by the application of chemicals and by direct contact with one of a number of cleaning machines.

Cleaners include special liner and tile chemicals that prevent bacteria build up, and there are "spray on" liner chemical cleaners that can be applied to the water level zone of the pool where scum lines can appear.

Cleaning devices

Prevention is always the best way to keep a swimming pool maintained in tip-top condition. Removing any deposits or debris that find there way into a swimming pool is an activity that needs to be performed regularly if pool hygiene is to be maintained. (This is particularly true if an uncovered pool is situated in an area where plant life and debris can accumulate.)


At their most basic level, swimming pool cleaning devices take the form of catch nets on telescopic poles which allow the collection and removal of visible pool debris with the net.

At the other end of the scale there are automatic swimming pool suction cleaners and vacuum cleaners. These machines usually use the swimming pool's pump and require 4 or 5 minutes to set up. Once in operation, the cleaner's suction and internal filters extract and remove debris in the form of dirt, plant life, insects and even small stones.

These under water vacuum cleaners are comprised of several pieces and usually have a long hose, a handle and a vacuum head. The vacuum head is manually moved over the base of the swimming pool and any debris that comes into contact with it is removed. Brushes and other attachments can also work in conjunction with these cleaning machines. Some vacuum cleaners even have controls to aid the steering of the vacuum head.

Robotic pool cleaners

At the very top end of the scale you can now buy robotic swimming pool vacuum cleaners.

These machines work in a similar way to there domestic robot vacuum cleaner counterparts. The machine is setup, submerged into the swimming pool and turned on. Special robotic sensors then map out and detect the shape of the pool, including the location of the pool's walls. The robot then cleans the pool using its own power and programming. The robot's "intelligence" ensures that it covers every inch of the pool whilst never cleaning the same are twice.

Most machine pool cleaners come ready assembled and videos are usually included to show how the machine connects to the pool pump and how it operates and is cleaned.

Even with adequate pool care and maintenance it is still possible to have problems ranging from faulty or broken down pool equipment to leaks in the pool or associated plant. Information concerning identify leaks can be found on this swimming pool leak detection page.

If your liner is damaged or if a section has escaped from the top tracking, see this repairing a liner page for advice and tips on repairing the damage.

If you cover your pool for prolonged periods, e.g. over the winter months, then this Prepping a pool for the summer page runs through the checks and preparation required after the cover is removed at the beginning of a new swimming season.

For definitions of some of the terms used in conjunction with swimming pool liners please see this page - definitions.