High guys back after draining the pool and trying to level the ground some more. I was 2 1/2 inches off and now it looks like I am 1 3/4 off. Everything I read said it should be safe. My main concern is safety. I am about half way full and still haven't noticed the waterline being off but I really mainly care about safety for the summer. What are your thoughts. It is a summerwaves 16 ft round pool.
Took down to level again still about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 off level
- Thread starter Maddog84
- Start date
Also any more tips to get it perfectly level? Before filling I literally used a line level to check across the pool at all opposite ends and it appeared it was Dang close to perfect but I was still off. I used a combination of a line level and 2 by 4 8 ft long to level the ground. I just don't understand how I ended up where I ended up
I’ve been using a “water level” to help me prep mine. You can find info about them on this forum. I attached a vinyl hose to two jack stands and set them on the pavers. I also added some food coloring to the water. The water in the hose could be considered the water in the pool and how high or low it sits in the tube on each stand could be considered where it’s at on the sides of the pool. I put a piece of tape on the hose where level is. So as I moved it from one paver to another I could see how close to level they all are.
Attachments
There is a little more to using a water level. After attaching the hose to two objects, place them next to each other and at the same height. Look at the water in the tube, each side should be at the same height in the tube. You can mark the tube somehow and now you know at what height “level” is inside the tube. If you raise or lower one of the ends of your tube, the water level stays constant but the mark you made on the tube will be either above or below the “level” mark.
I chose one paver that I wanted to level every other paver to. So I put one end of the water level on it and moved the other end to a different paver. Looking at the the water in the level I knew if I needed to make adjustments to that new paver. Then I moved on to a new location And made adjustments until they all were level to the first paver. Just imagine the water in the tube is your pool water level and the tube is the sides of your pool. This will show you if the water in your pool is at the same height all along the sides of your pool. Because the height of the water doesn’t change but your sides could be out of level.
I chose one paver that I wanted to level every other paver to. So I put one end of the water level on it and moved the other end to a different paver. Looking at the the water in the level I knew if I needed to make adjustments to that new paver. Then I moved on to a new location And made adjustments until they all were level to the first paver. Just imagine the water in the tube is your pool water level and the tube is the sides of your pool. This will show you if the water in your pool is at the same height all along the sides of your pool. Because the height of the water doesn’t change but your sides could be out of level.
The insanity to me about this is how difficult it is to get level as well as you have to be at 2 inches or less. I mean they sell these at freaking Walmart. I just am not sure how many people who buy these pools are doing their homework. Just seems like there would be a ton of broken pools out there
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,983
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Thanks for your contribution. I used your discussion to add How_to_level_above_ground_pool - How_to_Use_a_Water_Level to the TFP Wiki.
Let me know if If you have any more to add.
Let me know if If you have any more to add.
I used a water level and got my leg supports all within plus/minus 1/4". I was lazy and bought my water level on Amazon, but you can make them easily enough. Plans are all over the internet.
What I think I am going to do is leave it for the summer since I believe it is safe and then toward the end of the summer I will take it down and try the water level
Thanks your input is appreciated.
Thanks your input is appreciated.
That's what I did my first year. I was not happy that I had high and low spots. I leveled with the water level the following season and it was much better but still not perfect. This year after not setting the pool up for a couple of seasons, I had to redo the ground due to some minor erosion, and I level checked my footers again. One had settled about an inch and another was high because of root encroachment. I really took my time and got the roots out, and corrected the low spot to the point that I'm satisfied now it's about as good as it can be.
I feel your pain.
I work my butt off to prep our site.
Using 14 foot 2x4 checking high spots and sliding 4 foot level.
I had bubble in the middle every where with no fill dirt.
Put sand on level it.
Installed pool off 1 inch.
Between each leg is level.
From longer distance it is not.
Our pool is up and way better shape than last year.
The only regret i have not using string level or tri pod laser level.
Most people say within inch your good.
Just keep eye on it. Listen and look for any changes over summer.
Datum marks were stuff is to see if anything changes.
Like you said they are at walmart people just throw them up with no hesitation.
I had family expert tried to tell me i was wasting my time and money to just throw out on the grass most level spot your good.
But like you i want safe for my family.
Good luck.
I work my butt off to prep our site.
Using 14 foot 2x4 checking high spots and sliding 4 foot level.
I had bubble in the middle every where with no fill dirt.
Put sand on level it.
Installed pool off 1 inch.
Between each leg is level.
From longer distance it is not.
Our pool is up and way better shape than last year.
The only regret i have not using string level or tri pod laser level.
Most people say within inch your good.
Just keep eye on it. Listen and look for any changes over summer.
Datum marks were stuff is to see if anything changes.
Like you said they are at walmart people just throw them up with no hesitation.
I had family expert tried to tell me i was wasting my time and money to just throw out on the grass most level spot your good.
But like you i want safe for my family.
Good luck.
Yes definitely going to be inspecting it regularly.
The other part about being a little off level is it barely says anything about it in the instructions. I would figure it being unsafe there would be danger labels all over the place
The other part about being a little off level is it barely says anything about it in the instructions. I would figure it being unsafe there would be danger labels all over the place
So I am 2 inches off and I am looking at it completely full now. I can literally see on the low side or high water side that one leg is lower than all the others directly where the water is the highest. My plan is to drain it to the point I can lift the leg and put a piece of pressure treated 2x4 under it. Then there still should be water in it measure and refill. Question is how plausible do you think it is that it is this one leg causing the issue? I mean it is blatantly lower than the rest. I am just curious of anyone's opinion
Well it has been draining. I don't feel to confident one leg lower could be pulling one side lower by 2 inches but hoping that is the case. There are a couple slightly off legs on the other side as well. Going to build up the one leg and straighten out the others and see where I am at. Plan b is getting a buddy over here who is way better with his hands then I am to help me try leveling one more time. Hoping this is not to uncommon but right now I feel like a total putts trying and retrying. I mean I put the pool up and used a line level across the top and it all was very level. I honestly don't remember if I did it to the one leg in question though because it is in an awkward spot.
Alright pretty much just talking to myself at this point but hoping someone will chime in with some advice.
Pool is drained to about 4 inches of water.
I was able to raise the one leg that very visibly lower than the surrounding legs and where the water was the highest. I also went around and fixed some legs that were not very straight. All legs now look straight and good.
I measured the current water level and it looks like I am a solid inch off.
With only 4 inches of water is that still a good indicator of what to expect when full of water? It seems to me that the walls push out etc. Which then I would think change the water level.
When I have an extra pair of hands I am going to use a line level to check across the pool all the way around.
Any advice would be appreciated. Even if blunt.
Pool is drained to about 4 inches of water.
I was able to raise the one leg that very visibly lower than the surrounding legs and where the water was the highest. I also went around and fixed some legs that were not very straight. All legs now look straight and good.
I measured the current water level and it looks like I am a solid inch off.
With only 4 inches of water is that still a good indicator of what to expect when full of water? It seems to me that the walls push out etc. Which then I would think change the water level.
When I have an extra pair of hands I am going to use a line level to check across the pool all the way around.
Any advice would be appreciated. Even if blunt.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,983
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I think there are many watching your reports to see if you luck into getting the pool setup. If you do it is due to luck, not engineering. Not much advice to give other then if you get frustrated enough then take the pool apart, start over with the right tools and process, and you should get a better result.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I appreciate the response.
I mean I do clearly have no idea what I am doing unfortunately. I did think that it would be physically demanding to level but didn't understand how difficult to get ground level was. I have tried a line level and 2x4 with level on top. Just don't get how I look so good and double check everything but end up so far off.
I might just have to get a professional to look and give me a price.
Still nuts to me that it is a 300 dollar pool from Walmart and here I am spent double on that on various tools etc and 50 percent on water. I just didn't know what I was getting into.
I mean I do clearly have no idea what I am doing unfortunately. I did think that it would be physically demanding to level but didn't understand how difficult to get ground level was. I have tried a line level and 2x4 with level on top. Just don't get how I look so good and double check everything but end up so far off.
I might just have to get a professional to look and give me a price.
Still nuts to me that it is a 300 dollar pool from Walmart and here I am spent double on that on various tools etc and 50 percent on water. I just didn't know what I was getting into.
I don't think you are wrong for looking to be safe. An overabundance of safety can only drive you nuts haha
Last year, I was a little off on one side. I agonized over getting it level before I started but decided to leave it as it wasn't "that far off." No issues.
This year, I spent 2 days digging out parts of the ground to fix that slight imbalance and also because the new pool was 2 feet larger than our other pool. Sure enough, as I'm filling, I notice the ground is not level. I was P-O'd...lol I'm going to see how it settles once filled but also thought about jacking up 2 of the posts on the lower side but was not sure if that would put too much stress on the poles and railings. If it looks that far off at the end I'll re-do things but my back is still screaming from trying to level it so I said f it lol
Last year, I was a little off on one side. I agonized over getting it level before I started but decided to leave it as it wasn't "that far off." No issues.
This year, I spent 2 days digging out parts of the ground to fix that slight imbalance and also because the new pool was 2 feet larger than our other pool. Sure enough, as I'm filling, I notice the ground is not level. I was P-O'd...lol I'm going to see how it settles once filled but also thought about jacking up 2 of the posts on the lower side but was not sure if that would put too much stress on the poles and railings. If it looks that far off at the end I'll re-do things but my back is still screaming from trying to level it so I said f it lol
Yeah it is tough. I just don't get how the average Joe does it.
I spent a ton of time on it but still did not get it right.
The other crazy thought is the Romans friggin built level roads back in BC who knows how the heck they pulled that off lol
I spent a ton of time on it but still did not get it right.
The other crazy thought is the Romans friggin built level roads back in BC who knows how the heck they pulled that off lol
So still 2 inches off with it half full. Hopefully it either stays at just that or somehow I get extremely lucky and it settles the right way.
I am going to leave it for the summer and then get some qoutes from a pro.
I am going to leave it for the summer and then get some qoutes from a pro.