Above Ground Into Inground?

by Melodie
(Houma, Louisiana)

We recently purchased a home with an in ground pool. Only problem was that the previous owners were trying to get rid of it. It is a concrete pool, 5 foot deep all around, free form. I want to know if I can just stick a regular above ground pool straight in, and if so which kind would you recommend?

Hi Melodie

If the bottom of the pool is flat any above ground pool could be installed in it. You would need the pool size to be a few feet smaller than the existing hole. You will need room to work around the outside of the pool as you are installing it.

If the existing pool base is not flat you could always bring in enough fill dirt to level the area and then install the new pool. It all sounds very possible though.

You would also want to make sure the new pool comes out higher than the existing hole. You do not want the pool to be the lowest spot in the yard and catch all the rain water and other stuff.

Sinking an Above Ground Pool

by Tiffanie
(Horicon WI USA)

I live in southeastern Wisconsin and recently purchased a used 24ft above ground Asahi pool that is 12 years old. I was considering putting it partially in ground and was wondering about care for the pool in the winter.

I read the other info on your website regarding putting an above ground pool in ground so I know that the water level has to be higher than the dirt surrounding it. Does this mean it can only go in the ground to just under where the skimmer is? Or is it just a bad idea to put the pool in ground when I live in an area where freezing happens over and over again in the winter months? Thanks for your time and any help you can give me.

Sincerely, Tiffanie

Attached is a picture of the pool from the previous owner. I'm not sure how old the pictures are but we have not set the pool up yet so these are the only photos I have.

Hi Tiffanie.

I am not real sure how the weather in your area would effect the pool. I would talk to enough locals until you found someone who has done it and been happy doing so.

Just below the skimmer is about the ideal depth to sink an above ground pool. Problems arise when the pool is sunk farther than that.

Above Ground Pool Wall Coating

I have an above ground steel pool with Cristex coating on the walls. My yard is slightly sloped. One side will be in dirt about 10". I have a 15' by 21' pool. 21' will be in 10" into the dirt.

My question is can I just backfill with dirt right up to the pool? I was told the moisture in the dirt will eventually rust out the steel.

Is the Cristex coating going to protect this rusting effect and oxidation from the chlorinated water? The company who installed the pool said they spray a rubber coating for longer life of the pool. Do I need this rubber coating or does the Cristex coating take care of that? I didn't want to spend more money for that rubber coating.

Hi.

I'm not sure any type of wall coating will protect a wall against some types of soil. I've seen some soil eat through pool parts in less than two years, parts that should have lasted 15 years or better.

So not knowing how your soil is going to affect your new pool wall I think I would be on the safe side and at least lay some landscaping plastic between the wall and the dirt.

The plastic is inexpensive and will help to keep some of the moisture off the sidewall. Something many people don't realize is how much water might get splashed out of the pool and how damp that ground might stay all summer.

I have seen pools painted with roofing tar before dirt was back filled against them. I'm sure it extended the life of the sidewall but it is a messy job. This is not something you want to do if you think there is a chance the pool will ever be moved. There is nothing worse than taking down and trying to reinstall a pool that has been tarred.

I am not familiar with the spray this company uses but it sounds like it might be worth looking into. At least compare the cost to that of plastic.

All pools use special coating materials on their sidewalls and most of them hold up very well. It just comes down to how much extra money do you want to spend and how long do you want the pool to last.

Bowing Steel Walls on Pool Installed Inground

by Klee
(Idaho)

I hired a contractor to put a round above ground steel pool semi in the ground. Made sure to go overboard to do this safely with steel everything from heavy duty tracks to steel stabilizing bars. Upgraded the liner to a 25 year J-hook and had padding put in walls, floor and corners. He wanted do dig the whole a foot wider before putting in the slurry cement mix because my ground is very sandy and rocky with drainage that goes to the core of the earth. The hole was dug 36 inches, slurry was poured, road mix was used to raise up higher and concrete poured to where the top sticks out six inches. Noticed a couple of days after they poured the slurry and put the patio in that the walls are bulging towards the middle to the bottom of various degrees on almost every wall like the weight of the now dry slurry is pushing them forward. I believe it is an installation problem because the middle of the pool is about 3 inches lower than the sides. The rails are not as long as the rails in two areas. The steel posts seem to be standing straight with the bulging only in the steel walls. I am wondering if this is going to be something that I should worry will collapse or if this will only be a problem when it is time to replace the liner and I have to drain it?

Hi Klee
Without seeing pictures I can only guess. One problem might be the pool is in the ground too far. I recommend above ground pools installed in-ground be at least a foot out of the ground. The water level should always be higher than the back fill around the pool.

It is possible something is wrong with the retaining rods. These would go over top of the j-hook bead on the liner. If these were left off that would be a problem.

A j-hook liner that did not have sunlight or warm weather while filling could be pulling the wall in. This is not likely the problem as it would have happened while the pool was filling.