Vertical Post Removal With Full Pool

by Mark
(MA)

I'm in the middle of installing a 27' 52" round above ground pool and I got a little ahead of myself. After filling the pool to 2" below skimmer I realized I never installed ground lug and wire to one of the bolts on the pool wall, which is hidden behind a vertical post.

Draining pool would be time consuming and $$$ would be wasted considering just received delivery of water yesterday. Is it possible to remove vertical without causing any damages. I can unscrew at top and bottom of vertical post where it attaches to joints and slide off for a few minutes without ever removing upper and lower rails or top seat. I pushed on pool wall near vertical and moved it easily but didn't want to make the mistake of my life.

Thanks, Mark

Hi Mark. Installing your ground wire to one of the sidewall bolts is a good option. You should not have to remove the vertical post to get this done. The pool should stand just fine without it but putting it back in might get complicated.

All you need is a small amount of access near the bottom of the pool. Just remove the bottom screws on the post and pull it out away from the pool a few inches. This should give you plenty of room to get in and attach your wire. When you are done you just have three screws to put back into place.

If you get up into the top area you run the risk of rods and coping coming loose and possibly having to remove top rails to get things set back the way they should be. Removing a top rail with a full pool should not cause pool failure but getting the holes to line back up again can be a real pain.

Above Ground Pool Posts Too Short

by perry
(maryland)

I installed a 15x30 oval pool. The top plates on most of the posts are at an angle and screws don't line up. It's like the posts are too short. Anything I can do besides start over??

Hi Perry. We have encountered this problem on many different models of above ground pools. It's usually not the posts being too short but that the rods and coping don't settle down far enough for the caps to fit correctly.

We simply push a knee into the wall to put a slight bow in it, this lowers it enough for the top plate to be screwed on. When the wall is released most of the bow will come out, any that is left will come out when the pool is filled.

Filling An Above Ground Pool

by Chris
(NY)

I am installing a 21' Trevi Resin pool. I am a little confused as to when it is appropriate to install the uprights. Should the pool be filled before installing the uprights, or should these uprights be installed before the pool is filling?

Also, as a pool fills with water is it normal for there to be some buckling in the pool wall? Will this work itself out as the pool fills?

Hi Chris. There are many different ways to install a liner, depending on your type of liner and depending on which method you choose. But in all cases the pool should be completely built before the water is more than a few inches deep.

I think that all pool should be completely assembled without water. I recommend this for several reasons. Building the pool frame as the wall is being installed prevents the pool from blowing over. It also lets you see how the pool is going to look when water is in it.

You build the pool and then you look it over. Check the bottom rails and make sure there are not spaces under them. The entire frame should be sitting on solid ground.

This is a good time to recheck the pool level. Eyeball across the pool to see if you have any high or low posts. These become an eye sore once the pool is filled.

The sidewall buckling sounds like a problem to me, it should not be doing that. You may want to fix this problem, if it is one, before adding any more water.

Take a look at a few of my pages regarding pool installation and liner installation. You may find some tips that will help you out. The pool installation page shows one of the few pools where I do not build the entire frame before installing the liner. Instead we are just using the metal retaining rods to stabilize the wall. We always have something keeping the wall from falling down.

Above Ground Swimming Pool Installation

This page clearly shows how we install the majority of our pool liners, not just deep end pools.

Expandable Liner Installation

Diamond Star Pool Installation

Pool Installed Wrong

by Linda Chance
(Porter Texas)

I had an 18' round Lomart pool installed last week. After we filled the pool, the next day as it expanded, the framing at the bottom of 6-8 columns began to pull away from the columns.

Now they are not attached or clipped to the columns. About three of the walls are pulling away from the columns. It appears to be level but I just don't think the pool was put together properly. I only have a 30 day warranty on the installation and I'm worried that this will jeopardize my warranty with Lomart.

I don't even think it can be fixed without draining my pool now. Should I be persistent and have these installers fix this problem?

Hi Linda. You definitely have problems that need to be fixed. A properly installed pool will look exactly the same empty as it does full. There should not be any expanding, or shifting of parts, taking place while the pool is filling.

Without seeing photos it is hard to know exactly what is going on, but it is not good. It could be parts not attached right or possibly leveling issues. It could even be the pool is not round, or maybe a combination of all.

I hope the installers can come out and install this correctly for you.

I will say it again, a properly installed above ground pool will look the same empty as it does full of water. If it does not, you have problems.

Oval Pool End Vertical Leaning In

The vertical is leaning in a lot.

I am wondering if it can be fixed as it stands or does the whole pool need to be drained and redone?

Looking at the level and eye, the post that is leaning in is higher.

Is it possible to scrape the ground the 1/4 from under the track to have the vertical sit into the proper place and have the wall go back to level?

Do I have the liner to tight at this junction? I can still feel air behind the section of the liner where it is occurring making me believe it has sufficient liner.

I have never installed a pool and clearly will not be adding this to my resume.

I am in South Jersey if this requires a pro - can someone come to fix it.

Please

Hi I would measure down from the top rail to the top of the water all around the pool. If the pool is close to being level you are probably fine as it stands.