Leaking/empty AGP after winterizing, need advice

[Kclayton]

We have a 16x32 above ground pool that came with our house when we bought it a couple years ago so true age of pool is unknown. Last summer I noticed a 2 small leaks due to the ground being wet and water level dropping and ended up patching a few places in the bottom of the liner by using a vinyl repair kit. I winterized the pool and it has been holding water fine. I noticed the level started to go down very slowly a couple weeks ago. We just got home from a week long vacation and now our pool is almost completely empty. Where do I go from here? How do I make sure it makes it to the summer to get a new liner if it’s leaking now? There is an area of rust that I have been watching as well. Is it worth putting in a new liner with a rust spot like this? Is the rust spot repairable? Need guidance on what to do from here. Thanks in advance.

 

[Texas Splash]

I would think the rust is your biggest nemesis. Being so low it may be impossible to actually repair. Some rust spots higher up can be cut out and repaired with new sheet metal, but that area is questionable. With the pool almost empty now is the time to confirm if it's worth attempting or starting over.

 

[Newdude]

Let's call in the above ground queens who have dealt with similar in the past. @kimkats @zea3 @Casey. @Mdragger88 has helped with many others also.

 

[kimkats]

Guess I am up for giving the bad news..............................mine did not have any rust all the way through so I wire brushed it and painted it with rust paint. It lasted 3 months before the whole thing gave way What you are seeing on the outside is 100 times worst on the inside is my guess. Take the cover off and remove the liner just to see what you are dealing with over all. While you are doing that look at your wallet and see if it can handle a new pool. At least you have all of the equipment so that WILL save you some money!

 

[Mdragger88]

If the rust is only in that spot you could bolt in a stainless steel replacement panel in that area. Otherwise, if there’s more rust (for instance all around the base of the wall around the pool) it is toast & you’ll need to replace the whole pool as generally a replacement wall costs as much as a whole new pool. You may want to contact doughboy for a quote on a replacement wall to know for sure.
As @kimkats recommended you will need to remove the liner to see the true severity of the rust.
You should remove that cover before its weight does damage to the walls/top rails.
If you peel the liner back & determine the walls are rust free except for that spot & elect to get a service panel for the bad spot you should brace the walls up to prevent the wind from taking them down while the pool is empty. You can leave the liner on the ground/floor to protect it from washing away until you get everything repaired/replaced. Even if you need to replace the whole pool/pool you’re not starting from scratch- the site work is basically done & you’ve got equipment.
When you get the liner peeled back post some more pics if you’re unsure where u stand.

 

[zea3]

I see one small spot where the metal is completely rusted through. You will need to pull the dirt and mulch away from the bottom of the pool all the way around so you can check for more rust. Where you currently see the big rust patch there are several bumpy looking places on the wall. Those are other patches of rust forming under the paint. As Kim and Mdragger said, you need to check the wall under the liner along with the bottom outside edge of the pool to determine if the pool can be saved. There is a link in my signature documenting what happened to my pool with a similar rust issue.

 

[Casey]

I'd cut the liner in the area of rust to see what the inside looks like. Keep the top rails on for now. If you take them off, you'll definitely lose the pool to high winds. I'd also get that cover off. The spot is a bad spot because it's holding more pressure from water than if it were higher up. It's going to want to split once it's full.

 

[phonedave]

Take the cover off. You have no water, and you need a new liner. The cover is also now pulling the walls inward and might collapse them.

Brace the walls. I don't know what your winds are normally like, but without water in the pool, wind can easily knock over the walls, and bend them.

You will have to assess the rust damage. Your best bet is to remove the entire liner now, that way you can see the entire interior.

It looks like your return fitting is leaking. I suspect that the entire section of that wall is a strip of heavy rust from the return to the bottom on the inside.

I would not try patching just that section, with that rust right on the bottom as it is. If it is as bad as I suspect, and you want to go the patch route, you can patch in an entire section of new pool wall over the entire section. There used to be a company that sold wall sections, pre-drilled, and with the necessary reinforcing bars, but I believe they are out of business. In honestly it is a pretty dicey fix anyway.

As somebody who likes to repair things, it is difficult for me to say, but I think you are looking at a new pool.


I found an old video of the company that used to sell the wall kits so you can see what I am referring to