Buster Crabbe Liner Replacement - Columbus Ohio

[andrewjstrominger]

I have a Buster Crabbe pool that was installed in the late 80s. I have a tear in the liner, so I figured it was time to replace it. No one wants to replace the liner, because it's an overlap, not a bead. I have one company that said they would install a track on it so that it would be a bead install and it would be $15k. Most companies I have talked to have walked away and said they won't do it.

What makes the overlap install/buster crabbe liner replacement so hard to do?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Do you want to do it yourself? Coping for Overlap Pool Liners

 

[hagemenp]

I have a Buster Crabbe pool that was installed in the late 80s. I have a tear in the liner, so I figured it was time to replace it. No one wants to replace the liner, because it's an overlap, not a bead. I have one company that said they would install a track on it so that it would be a bead install and it would be $15k. Most companies I have talked to have walked away and said they won't do it.

What makes the overlap install/buster crabbe liner replacement so hard to do?

We are in the exact same situation as you. We also live in Columbus and we moved into our house a few years ago that has a Buster Crabbe pool. We started calling around last year for liner replacement quotes and almost every company we called said they will not work on Crabbe pools. We did get one company that said they would install a track system and the liner and the price was 11k! We are out of ideas on how to have the liner replaced for a reasonable price. Our next step may be learning how complicated it is to just do it ourselves. Have you had any other luck with finding a company that would install a liner with the original coping?

 

[Jeffshank]

We are in the exact same situation as you. We also live in Columbus and we moved into our house a few years ago that has a Buster Crabbe pool. We started calling around last year for liner replacement quotes and almost every company we called said they will not work on Crabbe pools. We did get one company that said they would install a track system and the liner and the price was 11k! We are out of ideas on how to have the liner replaced for a reasonable price. Our next step may be learning how complicated it is to just do it ourselves. Have you had any other luck with finding a company that would install a liner with the original coping?

Hi there
we also have an older BC pool and looking to get the liner replaced
did you have any luck.

 

[Jeffshank]

Hi there
we also have an older BC pool and looking to get the liner replaced
did you have any luck.

Also in Columbus

 

[andrewjstrominger]

We are in the exact same situation as you. We also live in Columbus and we moved into our house a few years ago that has a Buster Crabbe pool. We started calling around last year for liner replacement quotes and almost every company we called said they will not work on Crabbe pools. We did get one company that said they would install a track system and the liner and the price was 11k! We are out of ideas on how to have the liner replaced for a reasonable price. Our next step may be learning how complicated it is to just do it ourselves. Have you had any other luck with finding a company that would install a liner with the original coping?

@hagemenp Sorry that I missed this back in July!
@Jeffshank


Yeah, I called a bunch of companies and got quotes over the phone then had Clear Water Pools come out to get a quote. They took one look and said they don't work on Buster Crabbe pools. That's when I knew I had a problem.

The quote for $15k I got was from Reliable Pools for installing a track system: Pool Construction and Repair | Central Ohio | Reliable Pool Service

I did talk to Quality Pools: Quality Swimming Pools | Quality Swimming Pools and they said that they have installed a track system and done it before, but were booked for all of 2023. To call back towards the end of the season for a quote, they never gave me a price.

I also talked to 614 Pools: Pool Service Columbus Ohio and before they knew it was a Buster Crabbe pool their quote was $5900. Once they knew it was a Buster Crabbe they said that it was $6800 IIRC. I can't recall if that was an overlap install or a track system install.

Unfortunately the guy that put all of these Buster Crabbe pools in retired a couple of years ago, I believe it was Richard Mallory.

I'm hoping that my patch at least holds through the season

 

[Jeffshank]

Thanks for your replies…helpful. I do not have any leaks but would like to upgrade 12year old liner before hand. I have info into 614 pools for a quote. I will keep this post updated with future info on this.. fyi our pool is 16 x 32 Grecian.
Richard Mallory is correct…really good pool guy,

 

[andrewjstrominger]

One of my buddies had 614 pools replace his liner on a conventional in-ground pool and was happy. I obviously can't speak to their work on a buster crabbe liner install.

I knew it was going to be time to replace my liner soon even without the tear as I believe the liner is ~15 years old. I thought would be $5-6k, I didn't know that these were "different" in-ground pools. The Clearwater Pools guys said that it's basically an above ground pool that was put in-ground.

It's been a great pool for us for the 4 years we've lived here (once I discovered the TFP way ). Ours is 18x36 rectangle. My in-laws had the pool built in 1988, my wife and I bought the house from them in 2019.

 

[ronninonni]

I have a Buster Crabbe pool that was installed in the late 80s. I have a tear in the liner, so I figured it was time to replace it. No one wants to replace the liner, because it's an overlap, not a bead. I have one company that said they would install a track on it so that it would be a bead install and it would be $15k. Most companies I have talked to have walked away and said they won't do it.

What makes the overlap install/buster crabbe liner replacement so hard to do?

hi Andrew....I know exactly what youre talking about. i own a BC in Canal circa 1970s. I have contacted a few liner places in the area and even was able to get one business owner to come out, pull up some coping and said "ah wood"..He said the wood seemed in good shape even though it is 5 decades old. Guess they made things well back then but after measuring he disappeared never to be seen again. I guess its like any old relic it is hard to find parts and almost impossible to`find someone to work on them. We are still looking and luckily we still have a decent liner that doesnt leak but I dont want to wait till it does to find a company to install a new liner. We have a few options we are looking into. One is if we can find a company to make the liner we could install it ourselves. Youtube has videos and a friend of ours said it was easy doing his own rectangular pool. If we find that a challenge we may see if they can convert it from an overlap or most costly Im sure- we can order an L shaped fiberglass pool, dig out the existing hole and have it dropped in. Whatever needs done Im not giving up on my pool that is for sure. The pool is why I decided to buy this home in the first place.

 

[andrewjstrominger]

Update here: I am going to have 614 pools replace my liner in the spring, I'm 3rd or 4th in line once the weather gets warm enough. The price is $6,650 (plus tax ) I paid them the 50% deposit and they have come out and measured. They are waiting on us to decide on our liner pattern.

They have water bags and save 10k gallons of your water and use that as the initial fill. It's $375 for every extra 5k gallons. I'll likely pay the extra $750 (22,500 gallon pool) as I don't want to fill that much up from my hose (and the hose is hooked up to my water softener now).

I will post back updates once they have replaced the liner in the spring.