Homeowners often use vinyl pool liners as an inexpensive alternative to the more expensive pool coverings. They are an essential part of a pool’s safety and are also crucial for the aesthetics of the pool. However, over time, they tend to bleach and turn white.
Some common reasons vinyl pool liners turn white include high acidity levels and mineral pool stains like calcium and sodium. Vinyl is susceptible to heat and UV rays which can cause discoloration. Vinyl can also react with the chlorine in swimming pools and cause liner discoloration.
Vinyl pool liners can save you a lot of money in the long run. They are durable, easy to maintain, and come in various colors and designs. This blog post will discuss the common reasons why vinyl pool liners turn white and how to fix them.
1. High Acidity Levels
Vinyl pool liners can turn white when exposed to acidic substances. Keeping your swimming pool water in good condition and maintaining its pH level is crucial. You can do this by adjusting the amount of chlorine used and maintaining the acidity and alkalinity balance.
When you add chlorine or any other chemical into your pool, it reacts with the water and produces hypochlorous acid. Carbon dioxide can also dissolve in pool water to form carbonic acid, which can stain your vinyl pool liners.
Rainwater can also alter your pool’s pH and make the water too acidic. Pollution can cause rainwater to become acidic, decreasing your pool’s pH. The water also affects the chemical balance in your pool, which will lower the pH.
How To Fix It
Acidity is a major cause of pool water problems. It can cause the pH level to drop and make the water too acidic. To lower acidity, you need to use a pH stabilizer. These products are available in different forms and can be used for indoor and outdoor pools.
The proper pool pH should be between 7.3 and 7.6 for the best performance. A pH lower than 7.0 is considered too acidic, while a pH above 7.8 is too alkaline. Always check your pool’s chemical balance and acidity level after every rain.
2. Mineral Pool Stains
Vinyl pool liners are an easy and affordable way to keep your swimming pool clean and free from stains. However, these vinyl liners can turn white over time due to the minerals in the water.
Your vinyl pool liners are susceptible to mineral salts and other compound stains, which can cause the vinyl to turn white and the liner to become brittle and crack. These liners can develop stains if exposed to mineral substances such as sodium and calcium salts.
Mineral stains are caused when the water in the pool is too hard, and calcium and sodium salts build up on the vinyl surface. These minerals cause white spots on the vinyl, which can be unsightly if left untreated.
How To Fix It
Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem—using vinegar! Vinegar will not only help remove mineral stains from your vinyl liner but also restore the original color of your liner. [How to Remove Leaf Stains from Vinyl Pool Liners]
As a preventative measure, clean your liner regularly with a good quality cleaner that will remove the mineral stains without causing any damage to your liner. Regular cleaning will keep the vinyl from turning white.
You can also use pH-neutral cleaners like dish soap to regularly clean their vinyl pool liners. If you notice that your vinyl liner is turning white due to mineral stains, it is best to have it professionally cleaned by a professional pool cleaning service.
3. Prolonged Exposure To Heat and UV Rays
Vinyl pool liners are an excellent investment because they are durable and easy to clean. However, they can turn white over time due to prolonged exposure to heat and UV rays. Vinyl is a synthetic material that is susceptible to damage from these elements. [Do Vinyl Pools Always Have Concrete Walls]
While vinyl pool liners are made with a resin containing stabilizers, pigments, and other additives that help protect them from heat and UV rays degradation, prolonged exposure to harsh UV elements causes them to turn white.
Overexposure to the sun causes the vinyl pool liner to bleach and lose its shine. You should protect your vinyl pool liners from prolonged exposure to heat and UV rays, so they don’t turn white or lose their shine.
Some vinyl pool liners might have a warranty covering this type of damage, but if you don’t have such a warranty, you need to take care of your vinyl liner, so it doesn’t get ruined before its time.
How To Fix It
Vinyl pool liners need adequate care for them to last longer. You should take care of it by washing it regularly and avoiding prolonged exposure to heat and UV rays. Clean vinyl pool liners with soap and water, or use a mild solution of bleach and water on them.
You should not use harsh chemicals on heat-damaged vinyl liners because they will remove their color and cause more damage. While you cannot treat UV damage, you can prevent it by placing a cover over your pool or cleaning your vinyl pool liner with a UV cleaner that protects it from the sun’s rays.
4. High Chlorine Levels
When high chlorine levels are present in the water, vinyl pool liners turn white and lose their color. The vinyl pool liner is a porous material that can absorb the high levels of chlorine in the water around it.
A good chlorine level should be between 1.0 and 3.0 ppm, which is ideal for killing bacteria in the pool water. A range above that may destroy the vinyl liner and cause it to bleach. A level below this range will not be effective in killing off bacteria.
High chlorine levels can cause acidity in the pool, damaging your vinyl pool liners. Chlorine reacts with water to form hypochlorous acid, which can cause corrosion over time.
How To Fix It
There are a few ways to deal with high chlorine levels in your pool:
- You can stop adding chlorine
- Use chemical agents to reduce chlorine levels.
- You can drain some pool water and refill it.
- Test chemical levels in your pool.
- Hire a professional to do it for you.
Sources
- In The Swim: Stains and Discoloration in a Vinyl Liner Pool
- Chicago Tribune: From a shifting liner to bleaching, trouble runs deep with this pool
- OpenAire: What Causes a High Swimming Pool pH Level?
- Liquidus: What Does Rain Do to Pool Water?
- LoopLoc: VINYL SWIMMING POOL LINER MAINTENANCE AND CARE
- Zagers Pool & Spa: 4 Ways to Reduce Chlorine Levels in Your Swimming Pool
- Latham Pool: Vinyl Liner Pool Benefits: Pros & Cons