ARGH Floating Steps...

[Wendynat]

Well, the pool is working well as far as water balanced, etc, but this weekend we've had some fun trying to get the entry ladder and in-pool steps assembled. Well, the assembly is actually easy - up to the point where we put a wheelbarrow-full of sand in the in-pool steps and lift them into the pool, let the air bubbles out as it fills with water, and then watch as it drifts about merrily.

The instructions say to put 40 lbs of sand in the openings, and the openings are filled to the brim with the leftover sand from the pool install. The first attempt we only put about 10 lbs of sand in, but the second attempt we filled it completely up. Right now, a water-filled cooler on the top step is keeping it from drifting, but obviously that won't work longterm! We haven't attached the ladder and rails yet - will that help, or hurt, our cause? Is there something we could use to weigh the steps down on the bottom of the pool?

About ready to say forget it, and announce only those with strength and fortitude enough to lift themselves bodily from the water will be allowed into the pool :lol:

 

[AnnaK]

Take a look at the step weights we invented a couple years ago. They've worked very well for us. The link is at the bottom of my post in the signature block.

AnnaK

 

[dpool]

What kind of ladder is it? A FRAME, WEDDING CAKE STEPS??? What kind of pool?

I had similar problems with a NEPTUNE A-FRAME STEP LADDER in my AGP and you're comment about adding sand made me think it's as similar design.

I found my answer here and/or at the original POOL FORUM (you can't join but you can read a bunch of stuff)

Anyways, How I solved my FLOATING ladder problem:

First I filled GALLON JUGS (you'll have lots of these left over if your a BBB pool.) with sand and rock(because I ran out of sand). I use the 10% hardward store chlorine and those come with those child safety caps, I don't know if regular bleach does or not. I think I actually have a couple of GALLON JUICE jugs because I got desperate. HA!

After the rock/sand, I filled each jug to the top with water and kinda shook out all the bubbles (let them settle a bit) and added more water if needed and then capped them. I just used the original caps (so far so good) to lock them down.

Then, using plastic ZIP TIES (the longest I could afford (about 18 to 24 inches and about 1/4 inch wide) I got the ones that have the UNLOCK feature that lets you REVERSE the tension which is good if you have to redo a jug and you don't what to have WIRE SNIPS in the pool. GET IN THE POOL and thread a ZIP TIE and JUG through the handle and step to the UNDERSIDE of the steps. Originally I had them all along the bottom but you really have to have them hanging from the TOP or SECOND steps too because of some math concept of gravity that I can't remember right now. This was a TEAM effort and because someone had to go in the water and behind the safety feature (sides that are to prevent entrapment) of these steps ... just in case ... I had everyone available and on deck to help out.

I ended up with about 5 jugs and think I could use ONE or TWO MORE. This keeps the ladder from floating AND has the extra advantage of not lifting as a heavier person enters the pool or tries to exit. It's made our ladder much safer and it feels quite secure.

However, the DISADVANTAGE is that with all that extra weight, we were unable to pull the ladder out of the pool at the end of last season. Well the ALGAE had a great time in all those nooks and crannies. I also just realized that the little holes in the ladder's hand rails (for drainage???) are too small to really do anything except trap water and they have stale algae water in them. bleah This year IF we get a clear indication of when the end of season will be ... I would undo the jugs and take the ladder out. That or I need to buy or borrow a wet suit and bribe someone into doing this for me in the COLD WATER!

Good luck - Hope this helps. Let us know how you solve your problem - someone else will be having this same problem SOON!

dp

 

[Wendynat]

Sorry about that lack of description!! I should stop posting after about 8 PM . They're the easy-in-and-out steps that attach to an external ladder (half an A-frame on the outside, steps on the inside of the pool), not the wedding cake steps, and the description you gave of the ant-entrapment side bars sounds exactly like ours. The box just says Universal Steps . The pool is a 54" 18' round.

THANK YOU for that awesome idea - that's exactly what we'll need to do, I think! I am using BBB for now (gonna install a SWG, but will still BBB as a backup) - but since we just installed the pool three weeks ago I don't have too many empty bleach bottles yet. I'll look for some juice jugs, etc, and will go to the hardware store for those zipties that can be undone - nice tip on the reversable zipties. I don't want anything sharp in that pool!

Thanks again - as soon as it warms up again this week we'll get that done 8) and let you know how it goes!