buying a used pool

[j'momma]

jsut mulling things over in my mind...

thanks to this site, my husband is very impressed with my ability to keep our glorified wading pool clean and usable all summer and has mentioned several times that we can upgrade to a larger pool next year (also, he wants this one to try some aquaculture-fish farming).
I'm not sure what he has in mind... my I just keep looking over the fence at my neighbor's unused AGP and wondering if she's not going to use it any more... I could buy it and just move it into our yard.
It's one of the metal framed types, not too big, have no idea on the brand or anything else. I know that she had it open and used it the first summer we moved here (three years ago), then just didn't do anything the next year, and then this year drained it and it's sitting there empty.
I'm sure it would need a new liner at the least.

So if someone who knows NOTHING about pools (that's me!) were to look into a taking down and re-installing a used pool... what would I look for in terms of damage to the frame? What would be fixable and what would be damages that make it just not practical?

My husband (the engineer) is very handy and could easily handle taking it down and redoing the assembly , i'm just wondering about the actual structure.

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

is it an intex-type frame pool? Or a "real" AGpool, with metal sidewalls and top rail?

If it is the former, you should have no problem, as those pools are designed to be taken down in the winter.

If it is the latter, you can count on having to replace the liner, at least.

 

[j'momma]

Or a "real" AGpool, with metal sidewalls and top rail?


this.

i wonder if she'd just let us repair it and keep it in her yard... no worries about exra fencing etc..
I'm sure that would not go over well with the homeowners insurance though!

 

[Tcian]

I bought a used Doughboy, 12 X 24 five years ago. The original owners had replaced the pump and filter with a hayward sand filter and hayward 1 hp pump. The only thing that I did at the time was to buy a new liner. I even used the old hardware that came with the pool. This year, I tore it down, sanded everything, and repainted the entire pool. Then I dug a very big 2ft. deep hole and bought new sand and gorillia pad, and foam wall board, a new liner, a new skimmer and some new pvc pipe. While the paint was drying, I was on this forum learning about BBB. One month later the pool was ready for water. It has had water in for a little more than one month, and I could not be happier with the result. It was well worth the effort even with giving up my vacation to spend digging the hole. What made the project come together was and is the quality of the water. Without the knowledge that I gained from this site, it would have been just another laborous project. Everyone stands in the family room just to look out at the water. Now that is how a swimming pool is supposed to look. It is now part of the landscaping rather than an attractive nuisance.

Todd

 

[j'momma]

well I didn't go measure the pool, but I looked at it, and at my back yard, and at her pool, and at how much of my backyard is already taken up by the large wooden playground... and I'm just not sure it will work.

I think we have to go measure it though. and of course ask her if she's even interested in getting rid of it

it IS good to know that a used pool can be an ok investment though, so THANKS for the comments!

 

[Guest]

Todd, how did you sand your panels? What paint did you use?

I have an older pool that will need some work one of these days. Mine is partly in-ground, about 2+ feet is above ground, total depth is 8'+, so I'll have to be concerned about collapsing walls when I have the liner replaced. I plan to have the original builder install the liner, but am not sure how to tackle sanding and painting the walls.

Sue

 

[Tcian]

Sue, for most of the parts, ( top rail, and uprights ) I just used a scotch bright pad and a bucket of water with TSP in it. The parts that had some rust like the bottom of the walls and bottoms of the uprights, I used a wire brush attached to a drill to knock everything down. Those parts I basically took down to bare metal and then painted with a cold galvanizing paint ( spray ) from rustoleum. At the very least any bare metal parts need some sort of primer before the color coat. I used Valspar spray paint ( gloss for the top rail, satin for the uprights ) as well as two gallons of Valspar Duramax satin paint for the walls. I just used a roller for the walls. ( Had it laid out on the grass. )

As your pool is already in the ground, I doubt that you want to take everything apart like I did. You will have to take off the top rail to replace the liner, so you could lay them out in the garage on some kraft paper to spray them. The walls of course can only be painted where they stand, maybe spray the uprights first and then roll the walls. I am assuming that you are concerned about any possible rust on the inside surface of the walls, as you would not be able to get to the bottom of the outside. These I would use the wire brush on the drill, and then the rustoleum cold galvanizing paint. After that I suppose you could put a coat of paint on the inside, but not much point to it.

There will be some ground pressure on the walls, so you might want to support them somehow with some 2X4's. Also the dry summer time would be better for you than waiting until the fall when it might be wet.

 

[Guest]

Todd, thanks. I had the builder here last month and he said I should be able to get through this year and maybe next year without doing anything to it. It's my first season in this house, but the pool is 26 years old (even the liner!). It's in good shape, but there's 2 above-water patches that have probably been there for a few years. Below those patches I can see rough spots behind the liner, so I'm assuming rust. The outside of the pool is in good shape; only one little spot had rust. I sanded that lightly and wiped the chalking off the rest of the pool before painting the outside using a roller and gray Rustoleum; it was an ugly faded blue and looks much better now.

Sue