Intex Pool is Unlevel

by Whitney Catterton
(Petersburg, Virginia)

We just purchased a 15' x 4' round Intex pool. We tilled the ground and thought it was level. Unfortunately, when we filled the pool last night we realized it was off level!

Is there any way to fix this without draining the water and starting over? Maybe digging out where it is too high?

Hi Whitney

The best way to level the pool would be to drain it and start over. Trying to level the pool with it full of water might work, but it could also damage the pool. If it is just a small amount off level you might try digging out a little, or you could just live with it for the summer and fix it in the fall.

Slope Of A Pool Base

by Janina
(New Zealand)

Hello, We recently purchased an 18ft easy set Intex pool. After watching the instruction dvd they advise you to put the pool on a complete even surface, however, where we have planned to set up the pool the ground is on a slight slope. We were wondering how accurately level the ground must be, possibly in degrees, so we know if we should continue with setting up the pool.

Thanks, Janina

Hi Janina

Most pool manuals will tell you the setup needs to be within one inch. This is a good rule of thumb, as most pools that are an inch of being perfectly level will stand just fine.

I much prefer the pools to be a little more level than that. The only way to do it properly is to use a leveling device. The easiest one to use is a laser transit, most rental shops would carry them and show you how to use it.

If one of those is not available there is always the carpenters level and 2x4 method. Either is fine, but being as close to perfectly level as possible is very important.

If your yard is sloped your best choice is to dig out the high side and make it level. When it's finished it should look something like this.

Intex Pool Problem

by Grace Foster
(VALENCIA, SPAIN)

Hi help help help!!! I'm sure many people will have asked you this question.... we live in Spain, where we have very hot sun in summer.... the inflatable ring on our large Intex pool ( our second I may add ) has degraded in just 2 years and has become brittle and cracked in some places..... Intex just does not want to know... never answer emails, when I phone ( from Spain to US ... expensive! ) I just get passed on to other people who know nothing, are only phone operators........ so YOU ARE OUR LAST RESORT.... WE JUST CANT AFFORD ANOTHER IN TODAYS MONETETARY CLIMATE...do you have ANY suggestions at all that we can try... eg... would expandable foam be good...? but suggestions on how to get it all the way around inside the ring would be helpful.... insertions of large foam spaghetti like pool things ??... PLEASE, any ideas at all would be sooo helpful... and of course a cheap option ... SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE must have found an acceptable answer to this Intex pool problem????.... The rest of the pool is fine, and appears to be made of much stronger material.... so why Intex does not use this for the ring as well I don't know.... I guess they just want you to keep buying their pools.... well, for sure I’d never buy another, even though it's the cheapest option... but, anyway, we are now stuck with it.... oh, do I just come to this website again to see your answer, or do I get an e.mail ?.... Just about any helpful suggestions would be great ..Many many thanks, Grace

Hi Grace

I don't have any idea how you would fix the pool if the tear is too big to patch. Maybe one of my readers can be more helpful. Surely someone has done something to extend the life of these pools.

In the future, I would stay away from the inflatable ring pools. The regular metal frame soft sided pools would be a better choice. I'm not sure about your location but used ones are advertised in the paper all the time, some at very affordable prices. That might be an option.

pool noodles

by: Anonymous

I have used the pool noodles and they do work, takes about 30 depends on the size of your ring. Just make a hole big enough and slide them in.

Intex Pool Ladder

by Brenda
(Canada)

I just purchased an above ground pool by Intex. The ladder says approx 300 lb capacity. I weigh about 340. Will it break if I use it? If so where can I get a bigger ladder? Please help.

Hi Brenda

The ladder will probably not break if you get on it. I'm sure you could go over their recommendations by a couple of hundred pounds. You know how legal disclaimers are.

The real question is do you feel comfortable on the ladder? If it is wobbly and uncomfortable for you, yes, there are many sturdier ladders that would fit your pool.

These pages all show better options than what came in your Intex pool package.

Above Ground Pool Ladders

Above Ground Pool Steps

Deck Ladder

Bowing on One Side of Pool

by Pete
(SC)

After filling our Intex 12 x 24 x 52 pool, one long side is bowing in more than the other. The pool is level as evidenced by no lean of the water to any side. We leveled the concrete blocks but assumed the ground they sat on was at the same elevation all around. Could blocks set too high on the bowing side be the cause of the bowing? The blocks are 12 x 12 x 2 (nominal) pavers. Would removing a few blocks (the ground is very firm) let the side straighten out? As the pool is full (with a lot of pressure on the legs) the only way to remove a block would be to break it up and let the leg sit on the ground. So my question is: is that a solution. BTW, all floating corners do move except on one corner that seems to be bound on one end of the corner piece (the bowed side). See uploaded images.

Hi It appears to be a leveling issue and lowering the blocks one one side might be the solution. I would not, however, attempt this with a pool full of water. When I install this type of pool I laser level every block so they all sit at the same level. In my opinion removing the blocks is not the correct solution, leveling them is.