My steps are still floating up!

[Lazyman]

http://www.poolcenter.com/NE113_easypool.jpg

^^^ I have these exact steps. I've seen the link here by (Anna, I think?) that explains how to fill and cap 3" pvc pipes and weigh down the steps. I've made 4 of these 3" pipes and filled them with sand and tied them with nylon ties.

The steps are still floating up. Do I just need more sand filled pipes? How much weight does this actually need? I've used one bag of 50 pound sand. Not sure how much more I can fit under there comfortably. Right now I laid another 50 pound bag of sand on top of the top step and it's holding... I think.

So far...
2 pieces of 3" pipe x 28" long
2 pieces x 16" long

 

[dpool]

Check the PLACEMENT of the pipes. Higher up on the steps seems to work better.

I have similar 'staircase' steps but for an above ground pool. Had the same problem with them 'floating'

I didn't use the pipes but used about 5 - 1 gallon jugs (with BBB you will have lots of these around!). I used my 10% pool bleach bottles and rinsed-out minute made JUICE gallon jugs because the CAPS are the TWIST LOCK/OPEN. I didn't want a lid to pop off.

I filled the jugs to the top with pea grave, some sand (left over), shook then to get the sand and gravel to settle, added water to the TOP (shook again to get the out the bubbles out), and then capped them. I added a little bleach to the juice bottles and the bleach jugs to keep gooey stuff from growning.

I attached to the underside of the steps. I used large and long plastic ZIP ties. I got the kind that you can loosen or remove with the little 'button' in the square box just in case I had to redo the placement of the jugs. I originally had them attached to the bottom rug with the jugs resting on the floor but it didn't work. When I attached them to the TOP and SECOND step from the top they worked perfect.

Yes, you have to get in the water and BEHIND the ladder so don't do this ALONE. I've never taken them out or off or dealt with them again. I have to watch for algae growth in that area but I just stick my garden watering wand on JET and spray away under the ladder before I shock and that gets stuff flying out.

I always think I should add one or two more jugs but the ladder stays in place and doesn't lift up when even our heaviest swimmer uses the ladder to get in and out of the pool. I never made the PVC pipes because I hadn't worked with PVC and glue when I started this. I think the pipes might it easier to put more under my steps but what I've got's working so ... .

Question - the bag of sand sitting on top - how did you keep the sand from getting into the pool? What kind of bag is it in?

Good luck.

dpool

 

[Bama Rambler]

Did you fill the pipes with water after you filled them with sand? Sand has a lot of air space and air has a lot of bouyancy. it takes a good bit of the weight of the sand just to overcome the air if you don't fill them with water after filling them with sand. Water has zero bouyancy so the sand & water filled pipes weigh more under water than sand & air filled pipes.

 

[Lazyman]

Thank you both for the replies! Ahhh, yes, I did not fill the tubes with water. Maybe I should cut them and redo with water or just add more pipes with the water added along with the sand.

I'd hate to redo what I have already finished. I placed so many ties on these things so they wouldn't come loose from the ladder. They are on there GOOD. lol

I want to try 2 more pipes or so, or maybe 3? lol This is crazy. It cost $60 just to get the first set of pipes on there. Home Depot, here I come.... again.

I'll think about redoing or just adding. Depnds on how I feel that day. If I knew it would work with what I have, I would redo it, but if I have to add more anyway, then I'll just add more now.

Thanks again.

 

[Bama Rambler]

My steps have two step inserts that had to be filled with sand and each one held about a cup shy of 50lbs. So I have a total of 100lbs of sand and i filled them with water too.

 

[rastoma]

lol This is crazy. It cost $60 just to get the first set of pipes on there. Home Depot, here I come.... again.

Ouch.

What about barbell weight plates? Walmart has 10# plates for $8.67, so two would be 20#, along with what you have may be enough. If it's not return them and get 1 or two 25#. Temporary placement in water would not hurt them so you could return since there would be no modification.

I

 

[Lazyman]

BRambler, 100 pounds is a lot. Your steps must be big.

Rastoma, I too thought about the weights. I have literally tons of them. lol I just wanted to make it permanent right away. Of course after this temporary sand bag.... lol

I still haven't touched them since I've been busy, but when I do, I may just get some more pipes with sand AND water. I'm halfway there....


thanks

 

[Jeannie in CT]

I don't know if the design of your steps is the same as ours, ours are very wide and look like a plastic staircase. My husband uses 2 belgian blocks to weigh ours down. Good luck. Hope this helps.

Jeannie 8)

 

[Lazyman]

These are the steps... http://www.poolcenter.com/NE113_easypool.jpg


I bought another 3" pipe and caps today, but the rain is just non-stop up here. I just drained more water from the pool.

I also realized something today that should be noted. When filling a bleach bottle from the pool today, I notivced it floated very easily at the begining and throughtout the filling process. It was only towards the end of it being filled with water did it finally try to sink a little from my hands.

Not that I'm discovering anything new, but to me it was a new discovery. My conclusion is I may not have given the steps enough time to get water into them and "sink" with them filled with water along with the sand filled pipes I attatched. Now that the steps have been under water for a while, it might be different.

I was too quick to call it a failure and throw on the extra 50 pound bag of sand on the top step. Perhaps if I take off the (extra) bag of sand, the pipes might hold it down better than I had previously thought. Maybe not perfectly, but certainly not to the extent it was rising the other day.

 

[DrC]

Hello LM,

Your steps look to be similar in design to ours. I have had success using concrete filled Clorox Jugs suspended below the top step. 3 filled bottles will weigh approximately 75 pounds. You can see pictures of the design I used in the thread,

http://www.troublefreepool.com/what-to-use-to-hold-steps-down-inside-pool-t12647-20.html

This would be an easy way to add some additional weight to yours without modifying anything you have all ready done. I also drilled some additional 1/2" holes in the sides to allow more water flow in/out of the step's support tubes that also allows them to fill up with water easier to reduce their bouancy.

Good Luck,
Dennis

 

[Lazyman]

Hi, thanks Drc. I've already purchased the 10' length of 3" pipe, so I might as well use it. The bleach bottles would have made for an easy hole through the handle to tie to the steps.

I still haven't gotten around to set them up properly. 50 pound bag is still sitting on the top step. I'll get there eventually.

Thanks for the replies.


Instructions should be changed to point out that the 20 pound sand on each side of the steps is not enough. Simply not enough to keep it down.