Semi Inground / Buried Pools

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CharlieBear0308

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Apr 27, 2013
11
I have noticed that there is a lot of good information on here about buried pools and semi above ground pools, but many of the posts I am reading are 2 -3 years old. I'm doing some current research on these pools and I wonder if anyone else would also like to share their findings so that we can collect our research into one topic.

I am not endorsing, or slandering any of these pools. Just sharing my research so far.

Are there other pools I have missed?

Do you have one of these buried in ground?

Thanks for any additions!


1. Fabcote / Fox Pools -- They have a pool called "the ultimate" and they look very strong. 14 gauge steel walls. However I can find no warranty or pricing information on the internet. The nearest dealer to me has a high volume showroom and sales staff who treat the transaction like a McDonald's. (You want a #1 or a # 2? Want fries? Ok. Next!) It frustrates me that a dealer won't make a trip to my house for a consult when I am looking to drop thousands of dollars. (This is not a comment on the Fabcote or Fox pool -- just a comment on the sales tactics of only local dealer..)

2. Radiant Pools - These pools look nice. I believe these are aluminum. They have lots of insulation in the walls to keep the water warm (that is their claim -- not mine). They have a transferable warranty, so if you ever sell your house, the lifetime warranty passes to the next homeowner. However, the warranty does not cover any damage from draining the pool(liner changes...?) The pools are offered in unique shapes. It looks like a 27' round can be purchased for a little under $7K. A 16x32 oval is a little over 9K.

3. Doughboy -- These pools are very attractive and get good reviews by others here on the TFP forums. The doughboy site does not offer much information in the way of pricing or warranty, or the specifics of wall strength. I like the way these look, but wish I could learn more about them.

4. EZ Panel -- This pool appears to be made of aluminum and can be buried. It has a 60 year warranty. However, if you read the fine print the warranty is worth only 20% on years 11 thru 60. The pools are offered in unique shapes. 26 foot round pool kit is between $7K and $8K.

5. Sharkline Pools -- The Oasis, Intrepid, and Bermuda can be buried. Looks like they are made of aluminum. However, the warranty is voided if you drain the pool. (Liner changes ?)
These are very affordable. 27 foot round, and 18x33 oval kits can be purchased for between $5500 -- $8500.
 
JasonLion said:
Doughboy is well reviewed and as far as I know they are the only seller that doesn't invalidate the warranty if you bury the pool.
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Jason, thanks for the response. All of the pools that I have listed are approved for burial by their manufacturer. In fact, they are promoted as pools that can be above ground or buried. I can provide links if necessary.

After you have them buried some of the warranties are nullified by draining the pool which to me is crazy. A pool might have a 50 year warranty but you're not going to get 50 years out of the liner. And then your warranty voids when you change it. :-D
 
lavender said:
We buried an Esther Williams pool in 1999. Never have had any trouble with it at all. It has 18 inches above ground with a small deck surrounding it. We did it exclusively to avoid raising our property taxes since they are sky high here in jersey!

there are some pictures of it on my blog - http://www.thehouseonlavenderhill.blogspot.com. I'd post here but I have no clue how!

gena
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Very nice. We also have an Esther Williams pool which is buried 29". It is oval and 12.5'x21.5'x52". It was installed in 2006. That line was taken over by a new manufacturer and the semi-inground pools are now called the Monument. It used to be the Millennium. They used to be made by the Delair Group but are now made by Premier Aluminum Pools. They have a "lifetime warranty", but it isn't clear what that means and it's never been clear to me if you could completely drain the pool and hence how to change the liner. The whole definition and codes surrounding these on-ground pools seem to have changed recently so that some of the advantages of them have vanished.

Philip
 
Ours is an oval 18 X 36 and I think it's 52 inches deep. We had a propane heater that cost a small fortune to run and just wasn't big enough for it to be effective. I think we're going to bite the bullet and have a heavy duty natural gas one installed. We have very little sun and the water is always too cold for this old lady!

gena
 

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A natural gas heater would be very nice. We use solar panels on a flat roof. This basically gives us a May - Sept swimming season. With the temperature from June through August around 82+ and the other two months over 70+. Pretty effective actually, but it does require the pump running and I'd like to figure out how to minimize the pump noise. Adding a natural gas heater would add two months to our swimming but by October the leaves are falling and in April we occasionally have snow so ... it hasn't happened yet though I'd love one. I've gotten used to swimming the moment it hits 68 (water temperature) so I suspect a gas heater would just spoil me.

Philip
 
Most of the non-warranty issues with about liners are due to the simple fact that when the liner is in the sun, it drys out and it can shrink. They can't warrant it for that "abuse". The water protects the liner, even dirty water does so.

As for the "don't empty it" comments. When the pool is filled with water and then backfilled with slurry, rock or dirt, the water is pushing out on the walls the same amount as the fill is pushing in. When the water is not there to support the wall, the outside pressure can push the walls in and upset the structure of the pool. This is true of every buried AG pool. The manufacturer cannot assume that risk.

The pools by DB and Sharkline (Wilbar) are AG pools strong enough to be buried, the others mentioned are metal walls designed to hold back the dirt or use a skit of concrete to provide the strength.
 
Hi Charliebear,

I'm wondering what pool brand did you end up going with? Did you bury an above ground pool? Anyone else have any regrets or successes. We are also struggling with the cost of an ingriund so would prefer to bury an above ground pool. I'd love to hear how long everyone has had one, how soon they had to replace the liner, any issues with warranties or draining the pool, and the company/type of pool. There aren't many reviews on the buried above ground pool companies so would appreciate any feedback!

Thank you!
Monica
 
I'm Considering the Radiant Pool, and wanted to know if anyone went with one, and how it worked out?



Curls812 said:
Hi Charliebear,

I'm wondering what pool brand did you end up going with? Did you bury an above ground pool? Anyone else have any regrets or successes. We are also struggling with the cost of an ingriund so would prefer to bury an above ground pool. I'd love to hear how long everyone has had one, how soon they had to replace the liner, any issues with warranties or draining the pool, and the company/type of pool. There aren't many reviews on the buried above ground pool companies so would appreciate any feedback!

Thank you!
Monica
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