what am i doing wrong???please help! about to go insane!!!

[bullweevelus]

hello all,
so my third ABG pool this year has sprung yet another leak in the seam......
the first one was my one from last yr. 15 by 4ft, water level is 42". i took super care of it and it looked great when i put it up this year. after about 2 days its seam ripped out towards the bottom....i went out and bought a brand new one, same size, filled it up, and about 3 days later it blew out the seam on the opposite side.....so i went back and exchanged that pool for the same model, filled it and i see today its leaking in a seam towards the bottom again but on a different side now....

i leveled my area and had a few problems last year with original new steel frame pool, however, i releveled this year, put down some new white foam(cheap stuff,was on a budget..) and then put down the same green carpet stuff i used last year.....i do also use some 1 by 6's that i sanded down the corners on, to put under the steel poles, so when it fills,it doesn't crush the cheap white foam i had to use.....i make sure as i'm filling to move them back so they dont touch the pool....its not leaking by those, it seems to just happen in the middle of the steel frame posts.

they seem to hold water for about 2 days then blow apart.....the pool guy that has been filling the pool($200,then $175, then $150) even said he really thought my set-up was nice. He and his bro cant believe what is happening to me..... the pool has been out of level, once it gets filled, but only by about 1/4" if that.....its not been unlevel in the same spot either....cuz after each fill then leak, i try to relevel it.....

all three seam rips are happening in different spots.....

why would this be happening if i'm not doing anything different than i did last year.....

fyi, my sig says "3 yr pool guy", my first year was an east set inflatable ring style....had no problems, just wanted something easier to clean at end of year when i emptied water out for winter.....so thats why i got the steel frame style last year.

i'm also loosing my behind in pool fills.....i live in boonies, so i have to have water brought in.....that was another 1st year oppsie,never use well water to fill a pool.....anyone ever have this issue and been able to get any money back from pool supply company????? its Intex.....

just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on to what may be happening to me????? i dont want to get another one of these pools and pay to have it filled and 3 days later it blow out again....should i take it back and upgrade to bigger? i dont have alot of cash for this and my area is limited to where i can put a pool.....heck by now i could of used the money spent for a down payment on a real underground pool, but i just dont have that much room.....so very frustrated rright now....

 

[JasonLion]

Re: what am i doing wrong???please help! about to go insane!

Seam rips mean defective products. If you were getting punctures it could be your fault, but seam rips are almost invariably mean manufacturing problems.

 

[MajorDIYer]

Re: what am i doing wrong???please help! about to go insane!

I'd normally agree with Jason that a seam rip is a defective product, but there's that saying "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

..i do also use some 1 by 6's that i sanded down the corners on, to put under the steel poles, so when it fills,it doesn't crush the cheap white foam i had to use.....

Ditch the foam. I've never had a problem with using only sand under my AG pools If you're afraid the foam will crush under the poles then it will probably crush under the weight of water and people inside, meaning the bottom of the liner will have to stretch to make up the difference.

 

[bullweevelus]

Re: what am i doing wrong???please help! about to go insane!

I'd normally agree with Jason that a seam rip is a defective product, but there's that saying "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

..i do also use some 1 by 6's that i sanded down the corners on, to put under the steel poles, so when it fills,it doesn't crush the cheap white foam i had to use.....

Ditch the foam. I've never had a problem with using only sand under my AG pools If you're afraid the foam will crush under the poles then it will probably crush under the weight of water and people inside, meaning the bottom of the liner will have to stretch to make up the difference.

i did not notice the foam to be smashed after i pulled everything up after 1st fail, but i totally get what your saying....

i just dont understand why it worked so good last year....heck last year i had to jack up the poles and put unsanded 2by4's under them cuz the poles sunk in a couple spots, it was messed up last year....i made sure it was so level this year, before i put that foam down....gosh darn it....

i appreciate the help, it must be what is happening....

do i return this one(walmart said they would exchange again), or do i get the better one thats another 250 bucks, and hope the framing and footing is better. after i take out the foam....

i must be insane to even attempt this again..........
not even sure if i will.

many thanks to all who have helped me thru-out the years, i recommend this place to everyone!!! u all have been very nice and super helpful!!!! thanks so much!!!

 

[bullweevelus]

Re: what am i doing wrong???please help! about to go insane!

Ok, so i got a bigger AGP, 20 by 4ft. i ditched the smashed foam,( it was crushed in the middle pretty bad), i'm in the process of releveling everything cuz when i was tryin to empty the other one, one of the walls fell down and the 1/3 of the water that was left went rushing out at about a gazillion mph. that was pretty interesting.....basically i was taking the pool down while it was emptying, i figured if i pulled out every other pole it would be ok.....i guess u also do not want to pull the cross members and just leave the pole kinda chilling solo....anyway,

i was wondering if i could still use the 1 by 6's under the poles???? i got water comin at noon monday(memorial day)
i am very nervous about sinkage in a few spots!!! please help!

also when i installed the foam previously, should i have cut it to just fit under the pool liner??? i just took 8, 4by8 sheets of 3/4" foam and slid it together and taped the seams. it worked out so that the whole pool, legs too, where on the foam....

i sure wish i had neighbors like the ones who use this forum. im so jealous of how everyone projects turn out!! funny, i bought PVC to try to convert my hoses to something somewhat nicer.....i may never even get a pool at this point!!!!

 

[Ohm_Boy]

Re: what am i doing wrong???please help! about to go insane!

Couple of things - these guys are right about the seam failure. When a product breaks somewhere it is most often due to damage, but if it comes apart where it was put together by the factory, it's a manufacturing problem.

Also, the leveling/sand/foam/etc. should have been just fine. Within an inch or so, these pools are pretty forgiving, just try to get it as level as you reasonably can. It is definitely good to have a solid block under the feet, too, so keep the blocks. I've set them up in grass with over two inches of 'unlevel' before, and had them do well, other than there was less water in the pool due to one side being low. Not that I advocate that, but I have had it happen. My preference is to remove the grass, level the soil pretty closely, set paver stones for the feet, and level in some sand over the site up to the top of the pavers.

 

[zea3]

Re: what am i doing wrong???please help! about to go insane!

When you install the pool make sure the bottom lays flat all the way around. The seam that joins the sides to the bottom should be on the ground and not suspended in the air. If the support blocks are too high it will raise the seam off the ground and the weight of the water can cause the seam to fail.

 

[bullweevelus]

Re: what am i doing wrong???please help! about to go insane!

Well she is filled, the back side was about an 1" off, the poles sank just a bit....if that had not happened we would of been level as level can be with no laser or nothin. It would of been ok,but the wash out from the first and third blowouts probably caused some dirt to loosen and not settle.....,its a much bigger pool that's for sure. Thanks to all that helped! Keep your fingers crossed I can get by Thursday with no leaks....I seam(get it) to notice them about that time. Wish I could show pics, I got them on my phone.....of course notin easy.....