Pool Wall Out Of Track

by Loretta
(New Jersey)

One side (about 4') wall of my 24' Aqua pool (52" high) is slightly inside the track, about 1/2 to 1 inch. The water appears uneven (under 1" higher) when you look at the patterned liner in that section.

We had a bad winter with a lot of ice on the cover before I had time to pump off the cover water. I didn't even notice the problem until recently. The pool is entirely filled and we have been using it this summer and seems fine, but I am worried. The wall is not buckled in any way, but has a very slight dent in the middle about halfway up.

When I stand inside the pool, I feel a slight ridge near that wall so I am guessing when the wall went in, maybe it pushed some sand up towards the inside of the pool?

Is this dangerous? Can and should it be fixed now? Any advice you offer would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Hi Loretta

In order to fix this problem the pool would need to be drained. You will need to watch it closely to know how safe it is. The most common problem you might have will be the cove coming out from under the wall. If the cove stays intact, and nothing escapes from the opening created by the wall being out of the track, you are probably OK.

Repairs should, of course, be made at some point in time. The water should be lowered to about 4". You should then be able to push the wall out at the same time the track is being raised by wedging a screwdriver under it and lifting. The track probably needs raised to keep the wall in place. It is also possible that one or two of the posts need to be lowered, they may have raised and not settled after the freeze.

When the repairs are done, inspect the cove with your feet through the liner, if it feels in place, it should be fine to fill the pool. If the cove was disturbed, you should pull off a few top rails to get in behind the liner, and make the repairs.

Comments for Pool Wall Out Of Track

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Apr 23, 2011
 Water nearly all drained out!
by: Loretta

I posted the above question after last year's winter and had already topped off the pool with water before I realized you had answered it (thank you!) so I didn't try to fix it then. Anyway, the pool held fine all summer, but this winter, after a TON of snow and ice on the cover, the cover fell down into the pool and then I discovered very little water left in the pool!

Could the problem I described, about the pool wall being off the track, be the reason I lost the water? You mentioned about how if nothing escaped from the opening created by the wall being out of track, I'd be okay, so I guess something- the water- has now escaped from there.

Am I correct in assuming that? I will of course look for holes in the liner as well, but there is nothing visible that would account for nearly all the water leaking out. It has been this way for over a month now so I realize the liner may be history but it doesn't look bad at all and is still close to the walls, so I have my fingers crossed.

But aside from the liner, I need to put the wall back on the track. When you say the track has to be raised, what do I put under it to keep it raised? Just soil? And if the cove was disturbed, I don't understand how I fix that by pulling off a few of the top rails. How do I get down there and how do I move it? I have a few strong hands willing to help but we do need specific advice if you would be so kind. Thank you very much!

Hi Loretta

If the liner is to be saved you will need to keep some water in it. It cannot sit completely empty for any length of time.

When you remove a few rails the liner can be pulled pack into the pool. One person holds the liner away from the wall while another person gets in there with a shovel to redo the sand. This is assuming you still have a little water in the bottom. If not then keeping the liner out of the way is much easier.

As far as the leaks, it's impossible to say if they are related to the previous damage. But that would be the first area I would inspect. I know that when a pool freezes, and the water under the ice lowers, the ice can easily tear the liner. If that's the case the holes would be in the sides of the pool, not the base.

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