My intex pool has 'died', what should I do next?

[nate81]

So....my intex pool died this year....it would have been our fourth summer using it. I barely leaned on the edge of the pool (from the outside) and heard and felt a snap...the leg snapped off flush with the base...after inspecting the other legs, most are rusted through. THe pool is no longer safe, I'm draining the water as I type. So....my question is...what should I do next?

In the end, this 16x48 intex pool cost me around $1500....the pool itself was only $350...but upgrading to the sand filter, SWG, adding foam board insulation, pavers, leveling ground, cover, test kits, etc.....it added up to around $1500.

Had I known then, what I know now, i might have gotten the largest Intex available...(pool can never be too big) OR just had one (AGP) proffesionally installed.

I have two options.....A. Buy a new 16x48 and slap it back up....the pavers are there, the ground is ready, i just set it up and fill with water and i'm back in business....this would cost me around $300 or so.

or... B. Get a pro to come in and give me a 'real' AGP....

What does it cost, roughly, to have a pro come in and set us up with a basic above ground pool? FWIW i'm the Raleigh, North Carolina area.


thanks!

 

[Ledvedder]

I'm fairly new to this, but I have been pricing things recently. It would've been around $3500-$4000 for an AGP professionally installed. I could've done it myself for around $3000. I ended up going with an Intex ultra frame 24x52 with sand filter for $700.

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

 

[nate81]

I'm fairly new to this, but I have been pricing things recently. It would've been around $3500-$4000 for an AGP professionally installed. I could've done it myself for around $3000. I ended up going with an Intex ultra frame 24x52 with sand filter for $700.

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

Wow, $3500 is well out of our price range right now. I was thinking a low tier install, maybe a 20'x52" would be around $2000. I guess that makes the decision easy for me

 

[Ledvedder]

Wow, $3500 is well out of our price range right now. I was thinking a low tier install, maybe a 20'x52" would be around $2000. I guess that makes the decision easy for me

Yeah, 20x52 with the filter package was around $2000 online.

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

 

[jeffchap]

Hard to beat the fun per dollar of an Intex. I pretty well plan on having to get a new one every 3-4 years.

 

[DarrelB]

Lowest cost is just going back to an Intex, but at least you really only need to buy the pool. The other stuff is already there for you to reuse.

 

[PAGirl]

We slowly upgraded from a 15' easy set, to an 18' ultra frame, and finally the 26' ultra frame. (Hubby said get the biggest, I'm not doing this again, ha ha.) to us, it's every bit as nice as the neighbor's 27' regular pool. Better, actually, because they aren't TFP users! Their kids love swimming in our pretty water, lol.

 

[kyles974]

4 years....
That's much better than I've gotten.

We get 2-3 years before metal rust out.

Wished Intex would do a better job with the paint. If one looked inside the metal, there is no paint.
But even if did get paint, IMHO I think the movement of the pieces would cause metal to rub threw the paint and still have same issue.

I almost thought about sealing up where all the metal is joined together. To help prevent moisture from getting in.
But guess that's what one gets for a low cost pool.

 

[RollTideRoll]

4 years....
That's much better than I've gotten.

We get 2-3 years before metal rust out.

Wished Intex would do a better job with the paint. If one looked inside the metal, there is no paint.
But even if did get paint, IMHO I think the movement of the pieces would cause metal to rub threw the paint and still have same issue.

I almost thought about sealing up where all the metal is joined together. To help prevent moisture from getting in.
But guess that's what one gets for a low cost pool.

We just had to purchase a new intex from rust. The salt system is great but the salt water and metal poles don't get along very well. I'm either going to go chlorine or seal up the joints with gorilla tape. I saw a picture somewhere just recently where someone had sealed the joints with some type of tape. But, even if you seal the top I guess the water would still possibly rust the bottom of the pole that sits in the plastic housing.

 

[Piper Mike]

Nate81
I'd suggest getting a new Intex pool and staying away from the saltwater system. I've seen terrible rusted up Intex pools and they all had the same thing in common, a saltwater system. And then I've seen Intex pools that have lasted for years (mine included) with not a spot of rust and they all had the same thing in common, no saltwater system. Just my two cents worth.

 

[nate81]

4 years....
That's much better than I've gotten.

We get 2-3 years before metal rust out.

We only got 3 seasons out of it. This would have been our fourth ....but I feel it isnt safe for my family. So I drained it yesterday, in fact.



It turns out Intex has discontinued the 16x48 Ultra Frame....the only ones I can find are ebay (insanely high prices) and there are a few on clist.


I'd hate to 'upgrade' to a 18....that digging omg....so much of it, and i did it all by hand the first time, but seriously had i known...i would have gotten the largest intex they made back then.


I guess we're gonna try and get one of the craigslist pools.


Intex charges $11.xx PER LEG...not including the 'T' and then i need the horizontal parts....sooo....forget that option.

 

[DontFillitin]

take the frame of the new pool to a powdercoater or someone who does spray in bedliners to see how much it would be. IF you can put the frame together first that would be perfect. OR, maybe just get LOADS of liquid tape and go crazy with it on the frame. It would look like the famous plastic dipped lawn furniture of the 90's, but black

 

[RollTideRoll]

We only got 3 seasons out of it. This would have been our fourth ....but I feel it isnt safe for my family. So I drained it yesterday, in fact.



It turns out Intex has discontinued the 16x48 Ultra Frame....the only ones I can find are ebay (insanely high prices) and there are a few on clist.


I'd hate to 'upgrade' to a 18....that digging omg....so much of it, and i did it all by hand the first time, but seriously had i known...i would have gotten the largest intex they made back then.


I guess we're gonna try and get one of the craigslist pools.


Intex charges $11.xx PER LEG...not including the 'T' and then i need the horizontal parts....sooo....forget that option.

Academy Sports sells the 16x48. Just bought a new one this weekend. The only difference is this one has the dual intakes which im going to make in to returns instead. Was on sell for $349 instead of the regular $399

 

[Piper Mike]

Nate81
Walmart sells a Colman 16x48 pool for $324. I have never had any experience with a Colman, but have read on here that people say they are about the same as Intex. I don't know for sure about this. I also saw that Walmart does sell the 16x48 Intex ultra from, but it's nearly $600. We had a landscaper come out and level us a 30 ft square for out 26 footer this spring. Cost $250. Well worth every penny if you ask me. Anyways, just some thoughts
Mike

 

[nate81]

Nate81
Walmart sells a Colman 16x48 pool for $324. I have never had any experience with a Colman, but have read on here that people say they are about the same as Intex. I don't know for sure about this. I also saw that Walmart does sell the 16x48 Intex ultra from, but it's nearly $600. We had a landscaper come out and level us a 30 ft square for out 26 footer this spring. Cost $250. Well worth every penny if you ask me. Anyways, just some thoughts
Mike

I saw that coleman one too! It looks identical to the intex.....I'm wondering if the legs would align with the pavers from my intex, can anyone confirm they are the same exact pool just stamped with a different brand name?

 

[PridgNYC]

If you bond the pool, it will help prevent the rusting, especially if you use a zinc anode. I know intex pools/pumps are not necessarily required nor designed to be bonded, but our inspector required us to bond ours. We had a small amount of rust starting at the base of the leg closest to the pump, but after bonding, it hasn't gotten worse and there is no rust anywhere else. We are going on our 4th season with SWG...

 

[philc]

A sacrificial anode! Great idea!!

 

[nate81]

If you bond the pool, it will help prevent the rusting, especially if you use a zinc anode. I know intex pools/pumps are not necessarily required nor designed to be bonded, but our inspector required us to bond ours. We had a small amount of rust starting at the base of the leg closest to the pump, but after bonding, it hasn't gotten worse and there is no rust anywhere else. We are going on our 4th season with SWG...

I don't know what bonding means. Could you give me some terms to Google. I think I might partially understand. I used to install outdoor water stoves. And in them we would put a rod. The idea was the rod would rust before the boiler. If this is what you're talking about how would I do this with my pool?

 

[Piper Mike]

Hi Nate81
bonding is not necessary if you just get rid of your SWG system. These cheaper pool frames can't handle the salt. There's no reason the new pool wouldn't last for awhile longer then your current one if you just stayed away from the salt. Just my opinion of course.

 

[PridgNYC]

Just do a search for above ground pool bonding. Essentially it involves running a continuous loop of 8-guage bare copper wire around your pool with attachments using copper lugs to at least 4 of the legs, any metal ladders, and to a water bond (usually in the skimmer), if the pump doesn't have a bonding lug, you can bury the excess cable near the pump, you don't need to bury the cable as deep or as far from the pool as code specifies for it to be effective. I just went around the pool at the same perimeter as the legs and made a short u bend up on every 3rd leg to attach the lugs. (lugs were attached using stainless steel nutserts (threaded rivet inserts) and stainless bolts) water bond kit from amazon...