Leaks Forming In Wall - Need Help In Preventing Further Corrosion

[marklevinson1]

Hi,

I have a 21 ft Esther Williams pool I had inherited about 5 years ago. When I had set up the pool back then I had noticed that there were dozens and dozens of tiny holes in the bottom of the wall. When I had helped the previous owner dismantle the pool I had seen that the rocks around the pool had a lot of dirt/sand mixed in with them so I figured the moisture over time corroded the wall. I spent a good amount of time epoxying as many holes as possible before setting up the wall and I also ran a length of sheet metal around a foot high along the bottom inside (not sure how helpful that was but figured it couldn't hurt. I also glued a layer of foam all along the inside of the wall before I put in the liner. This all seemed to have worked great as I have not had any issues near the bottom of the pool wall.

In my early learning days with the pool the water had gotten so bad I had to drain it completely and refilled it immediately. Unfortunately the liner probably shrank a bit because within the last couple of years I noticed some tearing under the return and the skimmer. I had patched under the skimmer. All was well for some time until recently I noticed the pool was losing water. That happening along with discovering other holes I have found on the bottom and sides of the liner have made me decide I would change my liner next spring before I open the pool.

The problem I am having now is about 3 tiny holes formed under the skimmer, one under the return and one other a couple of feet to the right midway on the wall and were streaming water outside the pool. I have plugged them up but obviously the water is still getting between the liner and the wall causing corrosion and potentially many more holes in my wall!

I am not sure of the best way to approach this. Should I drain the pool down and pull the liner away in that area so the wall can dry out and then replace the liner next spring and get a fresh start then? I was considering securing the walls with tethered rope to the ground so the walls don't cave in without water in it (sound crazy?). My greatest concern is getting the moisture out between the liner and the wall as soon as possible to avoid further corrosion. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

thanks,

Mark