Our yard has a very slight slope. We have dug out the high points to get level, and have concrete patio stones under all of the posts. We have the pool pretty level at this point, with only about 1 to 1.5 difference between high and low water levels. Most of the posts are straight, but there are 2 (out of 15 poles) that are showing a slight lean in the direction of the low water level. The pool has been full for just 24 hours, and the poles were all straight as it was filling. My question is: is there some way of supporting the leaning poles, maybe a buttress of some sort to fight the pull of gravity? Or will this be OK since the level difference is only 1.5"? Any quick responses greatly appreciated. Thanks!
metal frame poles leaning slightly 15x48 intex
- Thread starter beckyv
- Start date
I don't have much experience with those pools specifically, but I do know that 1 inch is the maximum difference for a pool to be considered level. If the poles move any more than they already have then collapse is a very real possibility. Remember, they are holding up 15 tons of water...
There is a set tolerance for out of level for a reason. It sounds like you are beyond that which would mean your pool would be unsafe and could collapse. I wouldn't want anyone to be swimming in it or standing too near it if that were to happen.
A slight lean is a concern, there really is no way to ignore it.
That's a huge body of water & if those sides let go it can do a tremendous amount of forceful damage.
As you are aware there is an "issue" ~ you really would be better off to deal with the situation now, opposed to having to deal with it when something happens. Not trying to be an alarmist ~ but everything has to be "just right" so that you are able to enjoy it safely and worry-free.
That's a huge body of water & if those sides let go it can do a tremendous amount of forceful damage.
As you are aware there is an "issue" ~ you really would be better off to deal with the situation now, opposed to having to deal with it when something happens. Not trying to be an alarmist ~ but everything has to be "just right" so that you are able to enjoy it safely and worry-free.
DKT113 said:
Thanks for your reply. I understand that this needs to be addressed. Do you know of anyone who has put in supports of some kind without draining the pool? I've seen several posts where people have used a hydraulic jack to lift/straighten out the posts. I find this terrifying to even attempt. Do you have any suggestions for support brackets or buttresses of some sort?
I feel you aren't appreciating the severity of the situation. If your pool collapses you are liable for any damage to property or life that the 15 ton wall of water causes. Since it was caused by improper installation on your part your homeowners' insurance will not cover any of it. Support brackets are not considered "proper installation." Drain it now, level it correctly, and then you can refill it. I know that is not what you want to hear but there is no simple jury-rig fix to be had here.
I do appreciate the severity of the situation. Otherwise I would have been content with the 1" level difference and would never have asked for advice from fellow poolers! I understand the liability implications, and would not want anyone hurt as a result of not doing this correctly. Thank you very much for your advice.
getting it as level as possible is the right thing to do.
i don't know how out of level these intex pools can be before they fail, but there is a guy down the street that didn't level his yard and it's 5-6 inches off. and his pool is only 14 feet!
i told him if it were me i would take it down and level the yard, but he decided to leave it up. it's still standing, but i'm glad i don't live in the house behind him. :-D
i don't know how out of level these intex pools can be before they fail, but there is a guy down the street that didn't level his yard and it's 5-6 inches off. and his pool is only 14 feet!
i told him if it were me i would take it down and level the yard, but he decided to leave it up. it's still standing, but i'm glad i don't live in the house behind him. :-DOnly an inch or an inch and a half out of level across a 15' pool doesn't sound like something to be too alarmed about to me. Most on this site say anything under two inches is "usually" ok. If these support legs are only slightly leaning and don't continue to get worse, I would monitor them and use the pool as is.
Can you post pictures so we have a better idea as to what this really looks like??
Can you post pictures so we have a better idea as to what this really looks like??
I know I have read a few posts posts about jacks and the like, but I don't really follow them only because I feel like it's dangerous.
I know it's a buggar to level the area, but I also know it's the most important part of the build and I really hate to see that kind of improper modification promoted. When you go to jack those legs you are going to put a pressure on them that they were not designed to handle. They were designed to handle the waters in the pool when the pool is built to spec. I know you realize it's serious ~ so I was just explaining what could happen if you try and take a short cut ~ you're likely to make things much worse.
I also know when you go to level the area you do not want to build up / you want to take the high sides down to match the lowest level of virgin area. Virgin area is undisturbed and least likely to settle. Ideally you want that pool to be sitting in level on all virgin, undisturbed land. If you build areas up to level, when you fill the pool ~ the weight of the water will negate the areas you have built up as they are not strong enough to hold the load and once filled you will be back out of level with posts bending to try and support the load.
Water weighs a little over 8 pounds per gallon ~ when you get a pool going it's a lot more weight than I think people realize.
You really do need to drain, level the area, reset the pool and fill. Yes it "stinks" and most likely the very last thing you want to do, but you will thank us once you have done so and you can look at the pool and know it's safe. I can say emphatically it beats the alternative which is bound to happen.
If you and your family are unable to level the spot. Call around ~ landscapers, pool installers ~ get a competitive bid and it shouldn't be all that pricey as it doesn't sound like it's too far out now ~ it is far enough out though to cause the problems with the legs, that's why folks are encouraging you to re-level the area. There are posts on here showing the process I have seen them, there should also be some instructional videos on youtube that would give you some help with this. It's super important for everyone's safety you get this part of the build spot on. You might have people look and say it looks close enough to me, no worries, etc. But when things aren't build to spec ~ there is no integrity to the structure. Integrity to the structure is key to everything, in a nutshell that's why there is a spec.
Keep us posted please.
I know it's a buggar to level the area, but I also know it's the most important part of the build and I really hate to see that kind of improper modification promoted. When you go to jack those legs you are going to put a pressure on them that they were not designed to handle. They were designed to handle the waters in the pool when the pool is built to spec. I know you realize it's serious ~ so I was just explaining what could happen if you try and take a short cut ~ you're likely to make things much worse.
I also know when you go to level the area you do not want to build up / you want to take the high sides down to match the lowest level of virgin area. Virgin area is undisturbed and least likely to settle. Ideally you want that pool to be sitting in level on all virgin, undisturbed land. If you build areas up to level, when you fill the pool ~ the weight of the water will negate the areas you have built up as they are not strong enough to hold the load and once filled you will be back out of level with posts bending to try and support the load.
Water weighs a little over 8 pounds per gallon ~ when you get a pool going it's a lot more weight than I think people realize.
You really do need to drain, level the area, reset the pool and fill. Yes it "stinks" and most likely the very last thing you want to do, but you will thank us once you have done so and you can look at the pool and know it's safe. I can say emphatically it beats the alternative which is bound to happen.
If you and your family are unable to level the spot. Call around ~ landscapers, pool installers ~ get a competitive bid and it shouldn't be all that pricey as it doesn't sound like it's too far out now ~ it is far enough out though to cause the problems with the legs, that's why folks are encouraging you to re-level the area. There are posts on here showing the process I have seen them, there should also be some instructional videos on youtube that would give you some help with this. It's super important for everyone's safety you get this part of the build spot on. You might have people look and say it looks close enough to me, no worries, etc. But when things aren't build to spec ~ there is no integrity to the structure. Integrity to the structure is key to everything, in a nutshell that's why there is a spec.
Keep us posted please.
Ok, I'll admit I may have misspoke when I mentioned "under two inches". (closer to one inch or less is ideal) Consider it a senior moment. :lol: But still, it this thing turns out to only be an inch out, I still don't see it as a big problem.Donldson said:
That's ok, I get senior moments at 29 so I gotta be understanding.Blackwolf said:
I will agree, if it is an inch or less it may be ok if they keep a very close eye on the poles that are leaning. Any more deviation from vertical is a sure sign things are about to go very wrong. If it is any more than a single inch though I stand by all of my statements. Keep in mind the 1 inch rule is regardless of pool size, it's the same for 10 foot pools as it is for 50 foot pools. My friends' 10 foot intex was 2 inches off level and it collapsed. I had to hold myself back when he told me he though "it looked level." Luckily one that small only holds a thousand gallons and there was nothing downhill but a drain.
Your pool is fine. It is a bag of water held up by poles instead of a blow up ring like some other Intexs. The poles are made to sway around they do not need to be perfectly straight .
The engineering behind the two designs (easy set vs. metal frame) are drastically different, so you cannot compare the two.
If it is on a level surface and totally undisturbed, an easy set ring can be deflated and it'll be ok (been there). Try taking all of the poles out of a metal frame and see what happens. (please film it!)
My ultra-frame ended up being 2 squares off by the end of the season and it was ok, even with adults rough-housing. There is a lot of play in the legs during assembly. I remember going around the pool and making sure the bottom of the legs were scooted out all the way while it was filling. I suspect that a couple of the legs could have been a little too "in" at the bottom and the water shift exaggerated it. Just a guess.
If it is on a level surface and totally undisturbed, an easy set ring can be deflated and it'll be ok (been there). Try taking all of the poles out of a metal frame and see what happens. (please film it!)
My ultra-frame ended up being 2 squares off by the end of the season and it was ok, even with adults rough-housing. There is a lot of play in the legs during assembly. I remember going around the pool and making sure the bottom of the legs were scooted out all the way while it was filling. I suspect that a couple of the legs could have been a little too "in" at the bottom and the water shift exaggerated it. Just a guess.
Donldson said:
I've seen lots of posts here that say 2" is the max, if you want to see them start searching, it's a pretty standard opinion here.
1" is the manufacturers recommeded limit with lots of people saying anything past 2" as getting risky.
I do not believe that there is a problem with the pool. The pool is within 1.5" of being level. She says two poles are leaning slightly.
She could have someone lift up on the pole and kick the bottom over. I have never even checked my poles to see if they are perfectly straight. The poles do not need to be perfectly straight. The engineering of the pool is very similar to the easy set pool.
She could have someone lift up on the pole and kick the bottom over. I have never even checked my poles to see if they are perfectly straight. The poles do not need to be perfectly straight. The engineering of the pool is very similar to the easy set pool.
I have an Intex Ultra Frame and ours was close to being perfectly level but while filling some of the legs moved and were sitting on the edge of the paver stones we put under the legs. We successfully jacked up the legs so we could move the stones and some were less than 1" off but went ahead and fixed that also while we had it jacked up. I know some don't agree with this, only saying we did it and it was successful. The first time we filled up the pool it was over 2" off so we drained it and releveled the ground. That time it was too unlevel that we wouldn't consider jacking up the legs.