Advice on replacing liner for semi-above ground pool

[NotSmartEnough]

Hi, I hope everyone is keeping well in these strange days. I'm after some advice on replacing the old liner on my above ground pool:

The pool was put in by the previous owners, and is an 18' by 12' above ground oval. I've been patching the liner for several years and it's finally reached the end of its life, so I'm going to use some of my government-mandated home-time to replace it before summer.

I've got a concern because our home is on an incline and one (narrow) end of the pool is dug into the slope. There is some soil against the metal pool wall - I'm not sure whether the original builders backfilled after installing the pool, or whether the ground has slumped against the pool in the intervening 15-18 years.

My worry is how much pressure there is against the pool wall. When I remove the metal retaining strip from the top of the pool wall am I likely to suddenly find the pool wall folding under the weight? There's no visible bowing of the wall at the moment, so I assume that the soil is fairly solid and most of its weight is directed vertically, but I'm still concerned.

Anyone got experience replacing liners on steel-walled ABG pools where there's some soil up against the wall? Thanks in advance.

 

[Casey]

You've got real concerns. If you're going to do this, you're best bet is when it dries out. With there being water in the pool, the wall is stabilized for right now. It's hard to say what can happen once you drain the pool. Your best and safest bet would be to start digging out around the buried end before you drain it so if you do pull the plug, it wont fall in.

 

[Mdragger88]

Hi, I hope everyone is keeping well in these strange days. I'm after some advice on replacing the old liner on my above ground pool:

The pool was put in by the previous owners, and is an 18' by 12' above ground oval. I've been patching the liner for several years and it's finally reached the end of its life, so I'm going to use some of my government-mandated home-time to replace it before summer.

I've got a concern because our home is on an incline and one (narrow) end of the pool is dug into the slope. There is some soil against the metal pool wall - I'm not sure whether the original builders backfilled after installing the pool, or whether the ground has slumped against the pool in the intervening 15-18 years.

My worry is how much pressure there is against the pool wall. When I remove the metal retaining strip from the top of the pool wall am I likely to suddenly find the pool wall folding under the weight? There's no visible bowing of the wall at the moment, so I assume that the soil is fairly solid and most of its weight is directed vertically, but I'm still concerned.

Anyone got experience replacing liners on steel-walled ABG pools where there's some soil up against the wall? Thanks in advance.

Did that liner last 15-18 yrs? I hope mine lasts that long! If i were u i’d be saving up the $ to replace the pool anyway being that it’s almost 20 yrs old & then drain & hope 4 the best. Surely the dirt is compacted on that side by now. Since u r replacing the liner yourself are u prepared for what it entails? Its not as easy/quick as they make it look in the videos As they are usually pros. so be prepared for it to take more time. The longer your walls are not supported by h20 the higher your risk of collapse. Drain & refill aren’t quick either. Also as u drain listen & watch for the wall & if it shifts etc just stop ? If it were me I would get a quote for liner replacement & pool replacement before i began so I would know where i stand if things go awry. Have a backup plan?? Good luck & take pics we all need some good distractions these days!

 

[NotSmartEnough]

Thanks very much for the responses, they're really useful.
Mdragger88, as far as I know the liner hasn't ever been replaced, so yes, maybe more than 18 years! I've been patching it for the last few years - initially it was just small tears but last year a couple of long splits developed. With hindsight I should have replaced a while back.
There isn't much water in it at the moment, because I haven't repatched or started refilling. Walls seem ok, for now.
I'm bracing myself for this being a tough job, but with the way things are over here at the moment I don't even know if I'd be able to get pros out to do the work anytime in the next few months.

 

[Mdragger88]

Thanks very much for the responses, they're really useful.
Mdragger88, as far as I know the liner hasn't ever been replaced, so yes, maybe more than 18 years! I've been patching it for the last few years - initially it was just small tears but last year a couple of long splits developed. With hindsight I should have replaced a while back.
There isn't much water in it at the moment, because I haven't repatched or started refilling. Walls seem ok, for now.
I'm bracing myself for this being a tough job, but with the way things are over here at the moment I don't even know if I'd be able to get pros out to do the work anytime in the next few months.

If u decide to diy Do your best to find replacement parts for your pool which may not be easy - top rails etc. as they may get damaged in the process. & get several helpers! Beer helps ? Around here they’re really advertising pools right now so you may have more luck with a pro than u think. I have also seen alot of liner replacement ads on Facebook by a couple individuals. You may have luck there. I am still in awe of your liner! Great luck to u! & don’t forget to let us know how it goes ??

 

[NotSmartEnough]

If u decide to diy Do your best to find replacement parts for your pool which may not be easy - top rails etc. as they may get damaged in the process. & get several helpers! Beer helps ? Around here they’re really advertising pools right now so you may have more luck with a pro than u think. I have also seen alot of liner replacement ads on Facebook by a couple individuals. You may have luck there. I am still in awe of your liner! Great luck to u! & don’t forget to let us know how it goes ??

Well, the new liner is in and the pool is refilled and heating and filtering!
I had anticipated replacing the liner being a big job, but it was worse than I'd expected. Even just emptying the small amount of water left in the bottom of the pool after siphoning most of it out took ages.
Getting the old liner out wasn't too bad; but getting the new one properly fitted was really hard. Not sure how many circuits of the pool I must have done getting the liner evenly pulled back against the pool walls.

Anyway here are a couple of photos:

The old liner with (most) water drained. The liner below the waterline had lost all it's elasticity and cracked rather than cut when I removed it:


The new liner with skimmer and return fitted. There are a few leaves off the tree at the bottom of the pool because I haven't vacuumed it yet, but it looks a lot better than it did!


After all the hard work of fitting the liner and getting all the plumbing reattached I switched on the pump to find that it was jammed. It just made an electrical humming noise without spinning. Thankfully I was able to remove the motor from the wet end and free the impeller before putting everything back together, and now we're up and running again!

Thanks for the advice and support! Hope you're all safe and well and enjoying your pools!

 

[Mdragger88]

Well, the new liner is in and the pool is refilled and heating and filtering!
I had anticipated replacing the liner being a big job, but it was worse than I'd expected. Even just emptying the small amount of water left in the bottom of the pool after siphoning most of it out took ages.
Getting the old liner out wasn't too bad; but getting the new one properly fitted was really hard. Not sure how many circuits of the pool I must have done getting the liner evenly pulled back against the pool walls.

Anyway here are a couple of photos:

The old liner with (most) water drained. The liner below the waterline had lost all it's elasticity and cracked rather than cut when I removed it:
View attachment 132063

The new liner with skimmer and return fitted. There are a few leaves off the tree at the bottom of the pool because I haven't vacuumed it yet, but it looks a lot better than it did!
View attachment 132065

After all the hard work of fitting the liner and getting all the plumbing reattached I switched on the pump to find that it was jammed. It just made an electrical humming noise without spinning. Thankfully I was able to remove the motor from the wet end and free the impeller before putting everything back together, and now we're up and running again!

Thanks for the advice and support! Hope you're all safe and well and enjoying your pools!

Awesome!!???? well done! Hope you enjoy it! It sure is purty !

 

[mariane]

Been there. Done that. Feel your pain. Joined in in your satisfaction of a job well done.

 

[zea3]

Very nice!

 

[TSiGirl]

This looks great. Great job.