Vertical Post Leaning Slightly Outward

We installed buttress free oval pool 12 x 24. Before we added water to the pool, the vertical post were perfectly straight. When we filled the pool, the vertical post look like they moved outward slightly. Do we need to do anything about this?

Hi.

Leaning slightly outward is not a terrible thing, just something to watch. You don't want it to get more than slightly out of plumb.

There is some settling occurring. This happens when the ground is not as firmly packed as it needed to be.

If you used the proper blocks under the braces, and if you installed the pressure plates the way they were intended to be, you should be fine.

It is something I would keep an eye on, but not be to concerned about.

Unlevel Vertical Posts

We had a 15' pool and ungraded to a 21'round above ground used pool. We cleared out the ground for the bigger pool and added soil to make the space even and level. We put in the blocks and also assembled the rail.

When we put up the wall and got to the end, the top fit together but the bottom was 2"off. So the guys kept moving things around until it fit, so we put in the bolts. Maybe this could have changed the shape of the pool but we did not think to check.

After spreading the sand,(could have been more even) we proceeded to put in the liner and start filling the pool. When we checked the vertical posts some were level and some were as much as 6" off,, some leaning out and some leaning in. We stopped filling the pool and did put on the top rails for stability. Not all of them lined up but even the last one was only less than 1" off.

My question is, with the post being so un-level and leaning in different places do we run the risk of the pool collapsing or falling over once all the water is in?

How do you fix the problem without taking the whole pool down or is it best to start from scratch so the wall goes in even and the pool shape remains round?

We noticed when the pool was starting to be filled that the bottom is also uneven as we must not have leveled the sand enough?

Thank for your advise.

Hi.

From what you have said it would probably be better to start over. The bottom rails need to be perfectly round. Use a center point and set them all the same distance from the center.

The footplates need to be perfectly level. You need to use a transit or some form of leveling that will get them all perfect.

Any up or down between uprights will cause the posts to lean in or out. This will also cause the wall to come out of the bottom rails, and that could cause problems.

Anytime the wall does not fit correctly it needs to be taken out so that the rail gaps can be adjusted evenly. Making up a half inch at one foot plate can easily take your pool out of round. If the wall is pulled out for five or six rails, and those rails adjusted just a little, the pool will stay round. If the wall were a couple of inches short, I would take it all down and adjust all the foot plates. But you can't make up the difference in one or two places.

Oval Pool Upright

by Jeremy
(Dover, OH)

I have an Esther Williams 15X30 Oval Pool. One of the uprights on the straight side is not plumb with the wall. When the water is in it the top is a few inches offline with the other uprights.

Is this a leveling problem? I think I just need to lower this upright to get level with the others. Is there anything else I am missing?

Hi Jeremy

I'm not sure if this is a new install or if the pool has been up for a while. If it has been up for years and just now developing a problem I would check the brace structure, dig out around it and make sure there are no broken parts.

By not inline with the rest of the side I assume you mean pushed out. This happens when a block settles. Normally it can be fixed by draining the water to a point where the brace can be pushed in and then raise the block.

Side braces have a lot of inside structure that will also have to move. Be sure you are not disturbing and sand over the pressure plates or anything in the cove. If this happens you will probably have to finish draining so you can pull the liner back and take care of it.

These are suggestions based on the pool being installed correctly. Oval pools are tricky and if not done right you will have problems.

Water Damage To Pool

by Mama
(Pittsburgh PA)

We had a 6" water main break, the water hit the back side of the deck, split and ran around the pool. Now at least 6 of the up rights have moved, some are up to 3/4"crooked (not parallel to the painted line design on the pool.) When installed they used 1" cement pads under the uprights. We did have about 5" of dirt sloped away from the bottom edge, covered with plastic and chesapeak rock. That's still all in tact! Probably because there are omni stone holding it. It's an 18' round.

What's your advice?

Hi Mama.

It sounds like it might be an easy fix. The uprights had to have moved at either the top or the bottom. If they had moved at the top they would have all moved. Several people grabbing a top rail and pushing would slide the tops of the uprights over enough to be straight again.

The bottoms can move independently of each other and this is probably what happened to your pool. You will need to dig the dirt and rock out from around the bottom of the uprights that are bent. The footplates can then be tapped over using a hammer or a hammer and screw driver combination.

If the footplate does not slide over easily the track may be stuck on the footplate tab. This can be fixed by removing the screws on the upright and getting in behind it. The tab can be pried away from the track allowing the footplate to move.

It does not sound like you would need to take the pool down and rebuild it but even that is a lot cheaper than buying a new pool or some of the repairs that have to be made on in ground pools.

Oval Pool Wall is Leaning Out

We had a 15x30 oval pool installed last summer.

One side of the pool the wall leans outward several inches.

It's the kind without buttresses. Is this normal or should I be worried?

The installer is no where to be found so I'm not even sure where to go for help.

Hi

Several inches sounds like a lot so it is something you want to keep a close eye on and not let it get any worse. Normally as the sides start leaning the inside pressure plates start to raise. Watch the inside of the pool along the side for any kind of settling around the pressure plates and brace channels.