How to seal an Intex pool at home

Swimming in your own home pool is a favorite pastime for the whole family on hot summer days. The most popular in this regard are inflatable or frame pools from the Intex brand. Active children, the use of various toys with piercing ends, and pets can cause damage to an expensive purchase. A puncture or rupture may occur. Repairs will be required to eliminate the leak so that the device can once again please its owners.

How to determine the location of a leak

Owners of Intex pools sound the alarm when they see that the volume of water in the tank is decreasing. It is necessary to analyze the cause of the phenomenon and exclude the possibility of water splashing outside the container and natural evaporation in hot weather.

To check why the water volume is decreasing, use the following methods:

comparison of the volume of water in the pool and another container. To do this, place a mark on the frame or inflatable wall when it is completely filled. Ask your family not to splash water when bathing. A bucket of water is placed next to the container, in which the level is also marked. If during the day the volume of water in a large and small container has decreased proportionally, this is natural evaporation of moisture and there is no need to worry;
limiting the use of the pool during the day and covering it with sealed material. The water level is marked on the inner wall. For this method, you can use an awning or shield that will tightly close the container from above. Natural evaporation of water will not occur and in the absence of leaks the water should be in full volume.

If the Intex pool is located on a flat area and not on grass, water on its surface may indicate a leak. You need to check with your loved ones to see if anyone used the pool and splashed water. Eliminate the possibility of liquid leakage through hoses or other devices connected to the pool tank.

Advice!
You can apply a foamy soap solution to the site of the suspected leak. Bubbles formed on the surface of the pool wall where the foam was applied indicate a leak.

You can identify a leak at the bottom of the pool by the accumulation of sand or other small particles around it.

Diagnostics

So, you have noticed that the water level in the pool is rapidly decreasing. Before starting repair work, you need to make sure that the tank is actually damaged. The thing is that under the influence of direct sunlight, water tends to evaporate.

There are several methods that can be used to determine whether there is a puncture in an inflatable pool:

cover the tank with soapy water - if there is a puncture, air will escape at its location;
place the inflated pool in a container of water and carefully watch where bubbles appear;
try to hear with your ears where the pool passes air.

To ensure that the structure of the frame tank is damaged, you need to perform some steps.

Visually inspect the structure - walls and bottom.
If the inspection did not yield any results and the puncture could not be visually detected, you will need, for example, a bucket of water. A container of water should be placed next to the pool, which is also filled with liquid. And after 24 hours, at least see if the water level has changed in both the bucket and the pool. If the water in the tank remains at the same level, but its quantity in the tank has decreased, there is only one conclusion - the pool structure is damaged.

If it has been determined that the frame pool is leaking, you need to find the leak point. The following may occur in a frame structure:

filter gasket;
the place where the pipe connects to the slag separator;
bowl;
bottom.

In the first two cases, a special coloring pigment will help to find the leak, which

will detect a hole by responding to increased water flow.

To find a puncture on the walls of the structure, it needs to be examined in detail. There will most likely be water on the outside. If the bottom of the tank is damaged, dirt will accumulate at the puncture site.

And also, after finding a puncture, you need to diagnose the nature and size of the damage, this will help determine the materials for repair.

Sealing methods

There are two ways to patch a leak. The choice of method depends on the location of the leak, its size and nature. To seal the Intex pool use:

sticker with aluminum tape, bitumen tape, electrical tape or waterproof tape;
gluing a patch to one side of the wall or bottom;
sticking patches on both sides of the leak.

Sealing with a patch is a more reliable method, since it involves tightly gluing the surfaces around the perimeter of the leak with a margin. You must follow the instructions to ensure the patch is installed securely.

Materials for sealing the pool

You can seal the Intex pool yourself by using the repair kit, which the manufacturer carefully provides in the box with your purchase. You can also purchase a repair kit separately. If there are no such possibilities, we use other materials to eliminate leaks.

You can prepare your own repair kit from the following ingredients:

adhesive composition. To seal the Intex pool, you can use superglue, rubber glue or special glue for polyvinyl chloride materials;
PVC patch. This can be durable PVC film or similar material (old swimming pool, advertising banners, etc.). The dimensions must be larger than the leakage area;
degreasing composition. Gasoline without adding oil, acetone or an alcohol solution are suitable;
fine-grained sandpaper;
brush or cotton swab.

Use all listed materials and devices. Without the use of degreaser or sandpaper, the seal will not be reliable.

Is it possible to seal a swimming pool without draining the water?

If the leak is small, you can use available materials in the form of adhesive tape. Strong tape, duct tape, or asphalt tape will work. This method is suitable if a leak is found on the wall of the pool. It is better to fix the leak dry. Reduce the volume of water until the leak is localized and seal:

dry the polymer surface of the wall;
degrease the surface with alcohol, a special gasoline composition without adding oil, or an acetone solution;
glue several strips of tape or tape crosswise, carefully securing the edges.

Useful! To eliminate small leaks, purchase special tape with water-repellent properties. It is sold in hardware stores or tool and parts departments. Waterproof tape is specially designed to work with wet surfaces.

Please note that this is a temporary measure. Water pressure and heavy use of the pool can cause the adhesive piece to come loose.

How to repair an Intex bowl with your own hands?

Situations often arise when a hole is discovered, but there is no special repair kit at hand. It takes a long time to look for it in stores or order delivery via the Internet; in such cases, they use other materials, with the help of which the problem is solved no less effectively.

Can

Several methods are used:

regular tape or adhesive tape that can be used to stop the leak for a while;
elastic adhesive composition “Liquid patch”, which is intended for repairing PVC products;
waterproof adhesives designed for contact with surfaces made of PVC and other polymers.

These methods have different operating times, but allow you to do without a standard repair kit.

It is forbidden

You cannot use adhesives that are not intended for use with PVC products.
In addition, non-waterproof materials should not be used , even if they are intended for polymer products.

The patches on the inflatable part will quickly begin to peel off, and the leak will appear again, perhaps in an enlarged form.

How to prepare a pool for sealing

If the leak is at or near the bottom, you will need to drain the water. The pool will also have to be drained if the leak is large or in the form of a hole.

Preparing the pool for repair work:

use a pumping unit to drain the container or pour out the water in buckets;
when there is little liquid left, the remainder can be drained by turning over;
turn the pool upside down so that all the water drains out;
unfold the pool again so that the inner walls dry under the sun's rays;
move the container under a canopy if rain is expected;
inspect the leak area and mark its edges with a marker.

Drying is carried out for 1-2 hours. Make sure that the surface where the repair work is being carried out is completely dry.

Safety precautions at work

To avoid damage, you must familiarize yourself with the safety measures and operating rules for inflatable and frame pools.

Try to install pools under covers or in the shade, as direct ultraviolet radiation can cause the foundation to rupture.

The structure should only be placed on a flat surface. There should be no irregularities in the form of tree roots, stones or other hard or sharp objects.
Do not fill the pool with anything other than clean water. It is prohibited to fill the product with plastic children's balls, toys and other loose objects.
It is also prohibited to dive into water from a height, since under pressure the walls of the tank may not withstand it and burst.
At the end of use, the pool is washed clean, dried, deflated (disassembled), and stored in a folded state in a warm place until the next season. Be sure to place it in a warm place, as the “pool” material begins to deteriorate at sub-zero temperatures.

Prohibit pets from bathing in the container, otherwise the base will be punctured or punctured.

Gluing a patch to a pool

The pre-drained pool must be placed in a bright place so that the leak can be clearly seen. Repair work should not be carried out in cloudy or rainy weather.

The patch is glued in the following order:

preparing the patch. It is necessary to cut the patch from the prepared PVC material. It should protrude beyond the edges of the hole or leak by no less than 3 cm;
treat the edges of the leak and patches with a degreaser;
Wipe the surfaces that will be glued to each other with fine-grit sandpaper. This will ensure optimal adhesion of the sides and the adhesive;
re-treat the surfaces with a degreaser;
dry the repair area;
Apply glue around the perimeter of the patch and along the edges of the leak;
Depending on the glue used, allow time to cure. If you are using superglue, start gluing immediately;
attach the patch to the gluing area, carefully straightening the edges;
ensure a tight fit of the surfaces and fix the patch;
Press firmly on the edges to be sealed and leave the repair area for the time specified by the adhesive manufacturer.

Sealing must be done from the inside of the frame pool. If this is an Intex inflatable pool, then the same measures are carried out on either side. For frame PVC containers, it is safer to seal them on both sides. If you followed all the recommendations correctly, the patch will be securely installed.

Prevention

To avoid leaks, you should handle your pool carefully. Children's toys with sharp edges should not be used and pets with sharp claws should not be allowed into inflatable pools.

Ensure that the pool storage conditions prescribed by the manufacturer are maintained during the winter. Before storage, the container must be thoroughly dried, carefully folded without creases and packed in durable material that mice cannot chew through.

The glued patch needs regular inspection. If gradual peeling of the edges occurs, you need to choose a day and re-glue it. If this is not done in time, the patch may come off.

When should I contact the workshop?

Knowing how to seal an inflatable pool at home and repair a frame bowl, you don’t just have to deal with complex holes:

a torn piece of material;
broken pool bottom;
numerous punctures;
biting the sides and bottom, etc.

Such defects are repaired in special workshops. They don’t take risks with Intex and Bestway brand products, since they have a long warranty. Masters at service centers diagnose and repair products using special professional compounds.

Adviсe

A specially prepared repair kit from Intex is the most suitable kit for sealing leaks. The manufacturer has selected the most effective adhesive that will adhere well to surfaces and has passed laboratory tests.

For sealing an Intex pool, kits for sealing bicycle inner tubes are also suitable. These kits also come with a high performance adhesive that is suitable for bonding PVC materials.

Do not use elastic rubber as a patch. It stretches and will lose strength over time.

Does the manufacturer provide a repair kit for repairs?

The walls and bottom of inflatable pools are constantly tested for strength and often cannot cope with external loads.

There are several varieties:

Self-adhesive set of 6 patches, which is suitable for any inflatable products of the Intex company (price - 100 rubles).
Repair kit consisting of a patch measuring 5 × 10 cm and a tube of Vynyl Cement glue (5.7 mg). Its cost is 110 rubles.
A special repair kit (blue), made up of glue and 5 colored patches (one side is blue, the other is blue and white checkered). The price of the set is 490 rubles.

In the first two sets the patch is transparent, the third set allows you to accurately select the color and make the patch invisible.