AGP Bottom Rail Question

by Stacy Reese
(Dixon, IL USA)

Hello, we purchased a 24' round with fan deck and walk around fenced in above ground pool about 7 years ago. This winter it had a liner failure which caused the pool wall to give way also.

We have purchased a new liner (beaded) and wall. While installing the wall we found the bottom rail has completely rotted away. We had to dig down to get the new wall to fit under the decking and hubby didn't replace bottom rail. He thinks that the digging down, coving and liner pressure is enough to hold everything in place.

Is he correct? I don't want to get everything together and ruin another liner because we didn't buy a new bottom rail. By the way, I have no idea who the pool is made by , but the company that sold it to us was P.H. Anderson Co. from Missouri. They have since gone out of business and are not here to give follow up service that was guaranteed with the pool purchase!

Very Miserable (Stacy Reese), Illinois

Hi Stacy.

New track would have made installing the wall a lot easier but it is not necessary for the strength of the pool. As long as there is enough left for the wall to sit in so that it keeps it's shape and so long as there is plenty of dirt packed against the outside of the pool to help hold it in place.

The problems that can occur from not changing the track are usually in the wall installation itself. Not having a clean, open, groove to place the wall into can cause problems. These problems may cause you to not use the bottom rail at all and possibly placing the wall to high, or to low. The track keeps the wall round and level.

If the wall actually went back into the track all the way around you should be fine. If the track was destroyed completely, and you just guessed about where the wall should go, you may have problems later on.