Doughby Verticals Not Connected to Bottom Rail

by Dennis
(Rochester NY)

I have four verticals that are no longer connected to the bottom rail. How are they supposed to be attached?

Hi Dennis.

The verticals connect to the footplates. The footplates are the parts the bottom rails go into.

I would assume if you verticals are no longer connected it is because they are rusted out at the bottoms.

This is usually not a really big issue as long as the pool seems sound in every other way and the liner is still good.

At you next liner change I would closely examine the inside of the pool wall, especially near the bottom, and see how bad the rust is.

When the bottom rails rust away it is a sign of other issues, like the footplates, the bottom rails and the sidewall.

If the pool is full and functioning I would just pound some stakes in behind the uprights to hold them in place. As long as you are not sitting on, or jumping off the top rails, this will work just fine.

It is a sign of old age, and something you do need to be aware of.

Vertical Pool Posts Rusting Out at the Bottom

by Cathleen
(Chicago, IL)

We drained our Doughboy to put in a new liner and I noticed that several of the vertical support posts are rusted out at the bottom.

Since the pool is empty now I was wondering if there was anything we could do. The pool is about 15 years old, and is surrounded by rocks so we didn't notice it before.

Hi Cathleen

If your Doughboy is a Doughboy brand pool ordering replacement parts should not be a problem. Any Doughboy dealer will be able to order the parts for you.

Replacing the uprights would probably be the best option. But it would not be your only one.

The vertical supports do not offer a lot of structural stability, most of that comes from the wall itself. If the wall is sound you would probably be just fine with a quick fix on the bottom of the uprights.

I have seen rebar pounded into the ground behind the uprights to hold them in place. I have added L-brackets, from the uprights to the bottom plate, to keep them in place.

It's just not that big of a thing, you pool will not collapse if your uprights fall apart.

With landscaping around the outside, it is very possible they need nothing at all to keep the pool sound, but if in doubt, order new ones and replace them.

Installing Base Plates with Uprights Attached

In my last post I explained that I cannot locate replacement base plates for my 25 year old pool. Well, I'm tired of looking and have decided to just reuse the old rusty ones since dirt is going to be back filled all around the pool.

The old plates are rusted to the uprights, meaning the screws will not come out without being drilled out. Rather than take a chance on drilling them and possibly making them unusable, I have decided to attempt to install the plates attached to the uprights.

Can you think of any reasons that this would not work? Thanks

Hi.

It is far more difficult to install a pool this way, but not impossible. Here is how I would do it. Since the biggest problem with installing a pool in this manner is the uprights falling down and bending the already brittle foot plates. It just takes a couple of falls and the plates become unusable. I build the pool in such a way that the uprights never fall over.

I would mark the ground where the bottom rails need to go. With a round pool this means finding a center point and taking a radius off of that.

With the ground marked you can connect a few rails and have some helpers hold the uprights up. Now start the sidewall. As the sidewall goes into the track, install a top rail. You keep going around the pool in this way. Install a bottom rail, unroll some wall and install a top rail. If you keep your bottom rails on the line you have marked the pool should stay round and the wall should be close to meeting when you reach the end.

This is a pool upright with top and bottom plates attached. Normally I would do just about anything to get the bottom connectors off. But there are those times when it is just not possible.

How To Remove Rusty Bolts From AGP Post

by Jason
(Applegate CA)

I have owned my home for 12 years and my pool was here long before I moved in, over the years moles have burrowed tunnels around the inside edge of the pool and I have had to patch the pool multiple times.

Recently one of my patches was sucked through and I walked out to go swimming and my pool was empty and the liner was shrunk up. I ordered a new liner and angled foam for the inside corner and it should be here in a couple of days.

I'm trying to remove the top rails and the flat head screw on the top of each post is rusted and won't move. I have tried wd40 and liquid wrench and nothing works. Also I'm noticing that the bottom of half the panels are all rusted and not connected to the base anymore.

Should I just scrap the whole thing and start over ?? I just built a custom deck around half of the pool and I'm concerned about matching up a new pool to it. If I need a new pool can I just order the pool without a liner and the equipment since I have just recently replaced all of my equipment and just ordered a new liner?

Hi Jason

The way I get out rusted screws is with a small pair of vice grips. It works every time, the screw either comes out or snaps off.

It sounds like the pool might be in pretty bad condition, only you know that for sure. Do not try to use it again if it is unsafe.

You would not have a problem ordering a pool only. Matching it up to your deck might be another story, it's not that easy. The deck might need modified to fit the new pool.

Replacing Damaged Uprights

by Danielle
(Orrick, MO)

I need to replace 5 damaged uprights. Can I do this while the pool is full of water or should I partially drain it to relieve pressure from the top?

Hi Danielle

While it is possible to do this with a pool full of water I would not recommend it. You will find it much easier and less stressful it you drain the pool about halfway.