Color Fading
Color Fading Below the Water Line
There can be many contributing factors that lead to the
fading of your liner. All of those factors can be grouped
under the heading of chemical attack, however the leading cause is
simply over chlorinating. Just as excessive use of bleach will fade
your clothes, over chlorinating of your pool water will greatly
accelerate the fading of your liner.
From the vinyl's standpoint, any chlorine level above 3
PPM will accelerate the fading process. The use of a
chlorine based sanitizing system is going to bleach your liner.
There is no way around this fact. The higher the active chlorine
level, the quicker the fading will occur.
Be especially careful when shocking, closing or opening
your pool. It is critical that you circulate the water for
a minimum of 72 hours after any of these procedures. The average
shock treatment is going to bring the chlorine level of your water
to at least 25 PPM and as high as 50 PPM.
The specific gravity of the chlorine is higher (weighs
more) than that of the water. It is therefore critical
that you circulate your water long enough to insure that the
chlorine will not settle out of the water and concentrate in the
deepest part of the pool.
It is also important that you do not cover your pool for
at least 24 hours after one of these treatments. The
covering of the pool will greatly restrict the chlorine's ability
to dissipate, thereby greatly increasing the likelihood of
damage.
Our experience has shown that of all the sanitizing
systems, Trichloroisocyanuric acid has the greatest potential to
bleach a vinyl liner. Alkaline sanitizers (Hydochlorite)
are much more vinyl friendly and just as effective. No matter what
system you use, always use the minimum amount of chemical that will
get the job done.
Remember: less is best when adding chemicals to your
vinyl lined pool.
