Failed sealant

[Jared]

I'm the middle of changing my skimmer's location/upgrading to a Helix skimmer.

I patched the existing hole in the liner with an extra piece of liner and silicone sealant. (I thoroughly cleaned all surfaces and used a board to aid in flattening the seams.)

After four days of setting the silicone sealant was still goopy and wet and didn't hold.

What failed?

EPDM liner only 3 years old. Patched with EPDM piece and silicone "outdoor window/door" sealant.

Did I use the wrong sealant?

~Jared

 

[sissy]

that sealant would never hold you can use the glue made for epdm and it almost like patching a tire

 

[addy1]

I use the pl roofing goop for patching. The few times over the years I have had to patch.

I clean the liner with acetone, rub it a bit with sand paper, put on a lot of goop, put a patch over it, put more goop around the edges of the patch, put another larger patch over the first one, with a lot of goop under it, make sure all edges are covered with goop. Let it dry. So far they have held. Wear gloves.

Silicone sometimes does not like a type of material and does not hold.

 

[GBBUDD]

The best product to use is epdm primer and seam seal tape very stretchy and sticky rubber. Clean the rubber some use acetone I just use gasoline and any rag that won't fall apart and leave remnants behind. apply the primer liberally and let it fully dry, it only takes a few minutes. cut a piece of the seam seal and very carefully starting at one end press it to the primer and squeegee your way down the patch. if the seam seal touches anything it's done if it touches it's self it's done. once the piece is applied you then cut a piece of epdm lager then the patch and apply an other coat of the primmer a 1/2" larger then the patch let the primer dry full . then once dry again stating at one end apply the epdm over the patch . apply a caulking such as pl s30 to the seams and your done and there's little chance of it ever failing . it's tricky try on a piece of scrap first get use to it. it only takes a try or two

 

[Jared]

Thanks you great people! I purchased some PL S30. I'm hoping it works despite the warning on the tube saying not for permanently submerged applications. But I see so many recommendations on this forum for that stuff.

Unfortunately, I'm resorting to this instead of the adhesive strips because the old skimmer's hole was about 2" taller than my patching strips. Unless you guys recommend staggering one strip on top of the other in a shingle fashion... That's the only way patch strips will cover the hole.

~Jared

 

[GBBUDD]

Don't know what brand of strips you bought or what they are made of but it should be workable

 

[Jared]

Don't know what brand of strips you bought or what they are made of but it should be workable

Typical EPDM liner strips with adhesive back from the local pond store. I have about 4' of it but the strips are just too narrow for my old skimmer's hole.

 

[addy1]

Can you cut a piece of epdm and use the strips to attach it to the other liner to cover the hole?

How about a picture of the hole?

I have used the pl in a constant wet area. I put a hole through my 1000 gallon stock tank when moving it with my tractor. For some reason it was not tougher than my back hoe bucket I was digging it up with to move it from the front to the back yard. A neighbors dog fell into it and I decided to add it to our backyard pond loop. Now the area is asphalt and parking.

I used the pl smeared it on the tank, a piece of liner, more pl smeared on the tank, more pl covered every edge of the last piece of liner patch. It is totally under water, still holding around 6 years later.