moved pool from father in-laws yard to ours. Pool up looks good. Apron filling the walls or bowing in and looks like heck. Set post and feet on concerte blocks. Stopped filling at about 20" inches. What is going wrong?
steel wall 24 ft above ground pool, install
- Thread starter joebkool60
- Start date
If your area is confirmed level and leveled properly, I would think something is not lining up correctly or has been suction pulled out of place.
AGP's really do require proper leveling, that's key to the whole operation. If you know for certain you leveled it as you should have (more than just eyeballing it) I would look to see how things look in the track. When water is introduced it kind of sucks the pool into position (at least that's what we were told ~ laying the track and footplates correctly, leveled is vital because when the water is introduced there will be "suction effect" ~ experts here will confirm or deny that, as I am in no ways a professional installer). I am not sure if 20"'s of water is enough on a 24' pool to do that, but if it is ~ it's possible when the water was introduced it pulled something out of line. Check your track, check your footplates and see if everything visually looks as it should.
When you set to posts and feet on the concrete blocks did you seat all of those perfectly level?
AGP's really do require proper leveling, that's key to the whole operation. If you know for certain you leveled it as you should have (more than just eyeballing it) I would look to see how things look in the track. When water is introduced it kind of sucks the pool into position (at least that's what we were told ~ laying the track and footplates correctly, leveled is vital because when the water is introduced there will be "suction effect" ~ experts here will confirm or deny that, as I am in no ways a professional installer). I am not sure if 20"'s of water is enough on a 24' pool to do that, but if it is ~ it's possible when the water was introduced it pulled something out of line. Check your track, check your footplates and see if everything visually looks as it should.
When you set to posts and feet on the concrete blocks did you seat all of those perfectly level?
The wall is in bottom rail all the way around. Some blocks maybe a little bit less than others. I noticed when installing the post to bottom plate I had to raise the plate slitly to get the screws to go in. If my blocks are not properly level what is my recourse to fix the wall buckle.
I don't know, short of removing the water, leveling properly and then refilling. This is the one step you cannot take shortcuts on.
You have a 24' pool ~ that is a considerable amount of water and weight.
"Some blocks may be a little bit less than others" is going to be a problem: at 20" you have noticed, filling it will more likely result if the walls caving.
There are numerous posts on this site where folks have gone into great detail about how they leveled. Use the search feature and get some proven ideas from there. For safety reasons do not take shortcuts. If you, family members / friends are in the pool and it is not installed correctly and the walls give serious injury to people will result. If no one is on the pool and the walls give that water is rolling to to lowest point, it will take the path of least resistance and it could damage your home / yard. I didn't install our AGP ~ we had a contractor do it, I knew we could assemble it, the leveling though did intimidate me & for safety reasons I opted to get someone in there who guaranteed their work. Many people here have prepped their areas themselves, so I know it can be done & it can be done properly. I also know it really is key to the whole operation and has to be done precisely for safety.
You have a 24' pool ~ that is a considerable amount of water and weight.
"Some blocks may be a little bit less than others" is going to be a problem: at 20" you have noticed, filling it will more likely result if the walls caving.
There are numerous posts on this site where folks have gone into great detail about how they leveled. Use the search feature and get some proven ideas from there. For safety reasons do not take shortcuts. If you, family members / friends are in the pool and it is not installed correctly and the walls give serious injury to people will result. If no one is on the pool and the walls give that water is rolling to to lowest point, it will take the path of least resistance and it could damage your home / yard. I didn't install our AGP ~ we had a contractor do it, I knew we could assemble it, the leveling though did intimidate me & for safety reasons I opted to get someone in there who guaranteed their work. Many people here have prepped their areas themselves, so I know it can be done & it can be done properly. I also know it really is key to the whole operation and has to be done precisely for safety.
Thank you, you are correct and I now realize how critical the leveling process is. First time setting a pool up. When we took the pool down the pros did not use blocks, but they must have had the site level. Will take your advice and proceed with drain and tear down. Will get a transit and level and position block correctly.
Sounds like the best solution, that way your pool will be good for years.
There's lots of videos online to show how to level an AGP, the link in my signature below shows pics on how I did mine. A transit is 1 option, 4' level taped to a 2x6 is another.
There's lots of videos online to show how to level an AGP, the link in my signature below shows pics on how I did mine. A transit is 1 option, 4' level taped to a 2x6 is another.
There should be numerous posts on this forum that go into detail and will give you valuable information as it relates to what people learned in the process. I think you would serve yourself best looking up a few of those posts so you aren't going in on the blind.
Your soil will play part in this process.
I also know you never want to "built up" an area to level. The preferred method is tapping into "virgin soil" and leveling from there digging out opposed to starting at your high side and bringing the low areas up to match. If you build up, you run a serious risk of the ground compacting and once again coming out of level once you have filled and the earth settles.
I would imagine drain and tear-down will cause the fam to come unglued as everyone is anxious to get in there and swim, but let them know for the greater good this step is vital and will most likely "save the pool" and definitely save you from having to do it once you had the thing filled.
Good Luck!
Your soil will play part in this process.
I also know you never want to "built up" an area to level. The preferred method is tapping into "virgin soil" and leveling from there digging out opposed to starting at your high side and bringing the low areas up to match. If you build up, you run a serious risk of the ground compacting and once again coming out of level once you have filled and the earth settles.
I would imagine drain and tear-down will cause the fam to come unglued as everyone is anxious to get in there and swim, but let them know for the greater good this step is vital and will most likely "save the pool" and definitely save you from having to do it once you had the thing filled.
Good Luck!
Just wanted to check and see how things are going for you. When you have a chance please let us know.
Checking back on progress with my pool move. We tore the pool down, leveled and relocated blocks as need. This time we leveled with transit. Reinstalled liner and still having same problem with wall buckle. Have come to the conclusion that the liner has shrunk. Can this happen and if so can they be relaxed to fit again? If not can I go from a J-Hook type liner to a overlap liner using the metal stabilizing top track that this pool has.
Your recycling the liner from the pool?
How old is the liner and how long was it out of the pool?
My understanding is that liners can only be re-used within the span of a year or 2.
How old is the liner and how long was it out of the pool?
My understanding is that liners can only be re-used within the span of a year or 2.
I tried too. I for got to read the part of how to store a pool liner while waiting to install it. 1 don't store it rolled up laied out in the yard in the sun. Duh!!!. They need a book on how to move a AGP for idiots. The liner was installed back 6 years or more. Then it set unattended for 1.5 years in my father in laws yard. It was a nasty mess. Leaves, dirt, dead birds, brick bats, block and mostly full of water. No leaks I thought that was the good part. It cleaned up great. But as the pool filled the walls started to buckle and creek. Stopped fill and figured it was a leveling issue. Tour down the pool leveled all blocks and set back up and installed liner again. Same problem with just 5" of water in the pool. Now I have been told that liners will shrink when left out in the sun or left out of water for a period of time. Now I am left trying to find a 24' 48" round J-Hook liner. Pool was sold and installed by Blue "Something" out of Atlanta. I think Blue Rip Off, they charged my father in law $10,000 for a $3000 dollar pool. Any why I diegrace, can I convert this baby from J-Hook liner to an overlap liner?
If the liner was used for 6 years and then stored for 1.5 years it's likely not useable now.
Buy a new liner.
If you took out a j-bead, I would buy another j-bead (I did). Converting from j-bead to overlap would require buying coping strips in addition to the liner. A j-bead is self beading and it doesn't require any additional hardware.
If you took out a j-bead, I would buy another j-bead (I did). Converting from j-bead to overlap would require buying coping strips in addition to the liner. A j-bead is self beading and it doesn't require any additional hardware.
