Closing up my above ground 24’ pool and found a rust spot with some moisture under the deck. Is there a way to repair without emptying out the pool and removing the liner? Any type of epoxy? We haven’t noticed a leak inside the pool.
Rusted wall
- Thread starter sandract
- Start date
-
- Tags
- above ground rust
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,268
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
That pool is likely on its death bed and subject to catastrophic failure. Rust is like cancer. Once you find one area like that it is likely there is much more once you remove the liner.
It should be taken down before the wall fails flooding your property and possibly injuring people.
@zea3 @Casey @bmoreswim
It should be taken down before the wall fails flooding your property and possibly injuring people.
@zea3 @Casey @bmoreswim
Last edited:
Was hoping for something more optimistic. Is it possible to repair without completely draining tha pool? Would prefer not to have an empty pool over the winter.
I believe they are saying it’s not repairable and would be best to drain it safely now, dispose of it, and then replace it with a new one later.
Only way to repair rust like that is to cut out the damaged part and weld in non-rusted metal. Sometimes epoxy can be used for small repairs after the rust is ground away, but that’s not a small repair.
That pool cannot be repaired without taking it down. It looks like the wall is very close to being completely rusted through in that spot. Once you have rust like that a good storm can cause that pool wall to fail. Water is constantly seeking level. When it is contained in a circular tube like a pool, it pushes out equally against all of the wall surface. The wall's ability to resist that constant force provides the structural integrity of the pool. When one section of the wall becomes weaker, the forces pushing against it encounter less resistance and the wall eventually fails and will rip like a piece of paper. This is very similar to what happened to my pool during Hurricane Harvey 5 years ago. You can click the link in my signature to see photos of what happened to my pool and a couple of others. I can also state that the rust on the inside of the pool wall will be more extensive. Repairing this pool is not a small job. If you are the original owner of this pool you may be able to file a warrenty claim with the manufacturer and get a new wall at a pro-rated cost, plus shipping.
Your best bet to save that pool is to take it completely down, get rid of all rust, repaint, and reinstall. Whether or not the liner can be saved depends on how old it is and if you are able to store it in a moist environment to prevent shrinking.
Your best bet to save that pool is to take it completely down, get rid of all rust, repaint, and reinstall. Whether or not the liner can be saved depends on how old it is and if you are able to store it in a moist environment to prevent shrinking.
Sounds like we may be at the end of pool ownership. 
not in the budget to replace. Going to attempt lowering the water level as this is high up on the wall, and try to take a look at the inside behind the liner.
not in the budget to replace. Going to attempt lowering the water level as this is high up on the wall, and try to take a look at the inside behind the liner.