He did what???

[walt7474]

So I had just left the house this afternoon when my wife calls me screaming that my 14 yo son ran the lawn mower into the pool. I raced back home expecting to find 22,000 gallons of water running through my yard. I got to the pool and this is what I found.



I called the pool store and they said it's OK to swim in. Just want your opinions. My 12yo daughter is planning a party for a bunch of cheerleaders on Wednesday.

 

[woodyp]

Is that just a cover for the "actual" support?

 

[walt7474]

When I called lady at the pool store she said it's actually a structural part. She also said since it's only one support it should be OK to swim.

 

[Waldog]

uhhhhhhhh I dunno about that. If that's structural... that section could come out and the pool split wide open!!! Would not be good to spill a pool full of teenage cheerleaders into the yard!!! Scary!!!

I would recommend fabricating up some sort of wood buttress and seeing if that upright could be replaced. :/ If not, then prolly the other more experienced folks here will tell us you'll need to take the pool down and re-set.

And I would never take the advice of the pool store!!!

 

[woodyp]

How Sooooooooo very nice of the pool lady to assume your financial liability/responsibility in the event of an epic failure. That post started life as a structural component for a reason. If it was a commercial structure, OSHA would shut it down. That thing is severely crumpled only about 1/3 of it's length up from the bottom of the pool.

 

[PAGirl]

I would talk to and show a photo to the installer, to be safe. Sometimes the phone answerers like to pretend they know more than they really do!

 

[Waldog]

How Sooooooooo very nice of the pool lady to assume your financial liability/responsibility in the event of an epic failure. That post started life as a structural component for a reason. If it was a commercial structure, OSHA would shut it down. That thing is severely crumpled only about 1/3 of it's length up from the bottom of the pool.

Yeah and it's towards the bottom which seems like it would be the worst place...

 

[walt7474]

It's a family owned store. Her brother is the installer. She sent the pics to him. Thanks for your input. I may cancel the party.


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[DennisP]

What is all the drama about???

Yes it is a post, but do you actually know how flimsy the metal posts are???

They do next to nothing to increase the structural integrity, that is 100% the steel wall of the pool.

All the posts do is locate the top plate and bottom plate. If those are still in place you are golden.

If it will make you feel better, take the collars off the metal post, unscrew the 3 screws at the bottom and the 3 at the top, take the post off, straighten out the bent metal and re-install it. It really *IS* that simple.

Even in all resin pools, do you think the posts do much more than locate the upper plate over the lower plate? Do you know how flimsy the plastic tabs are that snap the posts on those to the bases? And, yes, I checked and if those tabs are broken it is still "safe" to have the posts in the bases as the top plates and upper rails have enough weight to keep them there.

Fact of the matter is the structural integrity comes from the steel wall. The posts locate the upper plate and lower plate and those plates hold the tracks in place and those tracks are what locate the wall. The water pressure pushing out makes sure the wall doesn't collapse downward and the posts just locate things nicely during assembly, but add very little except to make sure things don't move around once the pool is up and filled.

So the pool store was right, with only one post compromised it is still fine (unless your top rail is loose at that location as well). If you had more than one then it *could* all shift a little causing issues, but just being bent it still serves its function of locating the top plate and bottom plate.

Sorry, so much of the "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" on stuff like this, yet people will look at rust around a skimmer or return and figure they can just weld a patch in and all is fine. For the record a structurally compromised wall section is WAAAAYYYYY more dire than a bent post.

 

[xanadu]

Well said, there was way too much drama in relation to the actual problem. So sad to see how many people feel the "pool stores" are their enemy. No different than any other business that one frequents.

What is all the drama about???

Yes it is a post, but do you actually know how flimsy the metal posts are???

They do next to nothing to increase the structural integrity, that is 100% the steel wall of the pool.

All the posts do is locate the top plate and bottom plate. If those are still in place you are golden.

If it will make you feel better, take the collars off the metal post, unscrew the 3 screws at the bottom and the 3 at the top, take the post off, straighten out the bent metal and re-install it. It really *IS* that simple.

Even in all resin pools, do you think the posts do much more than locate the upper plate over the lower plate? Do you know how flimsy the plastic tabs are that snap the posts on those to the bases? And, yes, I checked and if those tabs are broken it is still "safe" to have the posts in the bases as the top plates and upper rails have enough weight to keep them there.

Fact of the matter is the structural integrity comes from the steel wall. The posts locate the upper plate and lower plate and those plates hold the tracks in place and those tracks are what locate the wall. The water pressure pushing out makes sure the wall doesn't collapse downward and the posts just locate things nicely during assembly, but add very little except to make sure things don't move around once the pool is up and filled.

So the pool store was right, with only one post compromised it is still fine (unless your top rail is loose at that location as well). If you had more than one then it *could* all shift a little causing issues, but just being bent it still serves its function of locating the top plate and bottom plate.

Sorry, so much of the "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" on stuff like this, yet people will look at rust around a skimmer or return and figure they can just weld a patch in and all is fine. For the record a structurally compromised wall section is WAAAAYYYYY more dire than a bent post.

 

[gtnos]

yup, just take it off and replace it or fix it. On my Doughboy pool the instructions say I can take up to 3 top rails, rail caps, and coping strips off in one area at a time before structural integrity of the pool is compromised. By taking those off, the support attached becomes loose, so its not supporting anymore. So if I can take out up to 3, surely the OP can take out one.

 

[ship of fools]

Well said, there was way too much drama in relation to the actual problem. So sad to see how many people feel the "pool stores" are their enemy. No different than any other business that one frequents.

I found that the pool stores i went to were different than most of the businesses that i frequent. It was very frustrating because they were staffed by kids who were just telling me to do what the computer told them and they had no clue as to what was actually going on. I would go to the store and basically stalk the manager because he was very knowledgable and helpful.

I do agree that they were not intentionally trying to screw me but i prefer to frequent a business that hires knowledgable employees.

 

[Bama Rambler]

While Dennis is a little brash in how he said it, he is basically correct. That one post isn't really a big deal. I would, however, remove, straighten as well as possible, and reinstall it.

 

[walt7474]

Pool store is getting me a new post. Will take about 6 days.


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[woodyp]

Good man.

 

[Waldog]

Well... apologies... my original comment was based on what little technical knowledge I have of true AGPs... I always though those posts helped the pool wall stay together from a structural standpoint. It's good to know that's not the case entirely. Since most seem to agree with what he is saying, then I wouldn't worry about the party unless the kids get to rowdy. LOL So they are mostly to hide the seams from the outside and keep the tracks aligned which does help but not crucial if you only have an issue with one.

And no more riding mower for the boy until he gets his grass cutting license, or dad will be the lawn mower and his rear end will be the grass!!! LOL

 

[Casey]

Pool store is getting me a new post. Will take about 6 days.


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Glad to hear as that is what I would have suggested to you.

Also, Please add your city and state in your profile as it is not complete.

 

[DennisP]

Yes, good to hear they are taking care of you. That is good customer service.

Also, I didn't mean to be brash, but it was more of a "what is with all the 'sky is falling' hysteria?"...

Yes, I understand a lot of people don't know engineering, but at the same time I would hope that those that don't, quite frankly, don't add misinformation. It is that kind of stuff that makes some of this stuff "taboo" to deal with for many. And, trust me, I understand that you don't also want to dumb it down so far that "redneck Joe" thinks he can slap a weld patch onto a totally gone pool wall and end up hurting or killing his kids because he has no brains either.

Things like pools need to be treated with respect. And yes, unfortunately, we are all at the mercy of "professionals" that sometimes (most of the time, it seems) are so clueless that to call them a "professional" is exposing how ignorant we all truly are.

Point being, if someone at the store you bought the pool from wants to continue to have your business and doesn't want to be sued into NOT having a business anymore they will most certainly make sure you have the proper information to make a proper decision.

 

[phonedave]

Sorry, so much of the "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" on stuff like this, yet people will look at rust around a skimmer or return and figure they can just weld a patch in and all is fine. For the record a structurally compromised wall section is WAAAAYYYYY more dire than a bent post.

Case in point. My brother had a "bit of rust, not much" just under his return on his ABG last weekend. He now has a new pool and 10,000 gallons of water in his yard.

Luckly nobody was hurt, but there were kids in the pool. The whole side blew out right along where the rust was.


-dave

 

[Waldog]

To the point about wall structure... If you look closely at the original picture... The wall did sustain some damage :/