Backfill pushing skimmer into pool!

[GreenhouseGal]

We purchased a 24' Radiant and attempted to have it installed in ground. It has ended up partially in ground. (don't get me started on the saga) and now that the concrete guys are doing their bit we've discovered this.
concrete guy says he will remove backfill around the skimmer and try to straighten it.
am i crazy that it appears he will have to remove backfill essentially all the way down all the way around the pipes etc in order to accomplish this..thereby risking the collapse of the rest of the backfill...some of which already has poured concrete patio on it.

argh! help!

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, GreenhouseGal

The only way you are going to know what shape it is in, is to start excavating down around the skimmer to see. Hopefully once you get past the skimmer it will straighten. Since the Radiant Metric is a free standing design, I would think you should be able to excavate quite a bit without issues.

Where is the access to your skimmer? Maybe it is off screen? You will need access to clean the basket.

 

[GreenhouseGal]

yes, I think that's what we'll end up having to do. The only problem I see is that we have a partial concrete slab poured around the pool and i'm worried that excavating will compromise the piece closest to the skimmer. The access is out of range in the pic. This whole process has been such a nightmare I could write a dissertation.
They poured the entire slab and it dried too fast in the sun to stamp it so they had to tear out enormous chunks of it. Which is actually the only reason that the backfill is even accessible in this spot right now. The pool sat freestanding for a couple of weeks prior to backfill and concrete. are these skimmers designed to float without any support other than the pipes under them if the pool is done above ground? Or are you supposed to put a support piece under them for long term? The concrete folks said it happened because it was left to hang there for a few weeks without support. I think their backfill job pushed it in.

 

[Bama Rambler]

No support is required for the skimmer when the pool is installed above ground. The pipe isn't eve supposed to support it. A lot of pools are set up with hoses and/or flex pipe so there is no support for those skimmers and they never have a problem like that.

It looks like the backfil is actually pushing down on the top of the skimmer and that's what's causing the problem. You're probably going to have to have them excavate around the skimmer and build a box to keep the weight of the fill and deck off the skimmer body.