Oh no...RUSTing out after only one year!!!!

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kidsfunpool

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Jun 11, 2018
4
HEAVENER, OK
Just set up our first pool last June..see signature, and had a great time the rest of the Summer/Fall (we live in Southern OK.) I used the trouble-free pool app and found it pretty easy to maintain the water at recommended levels. Went out today to fill the pool and start setting it up (it will soon be swimming time here,) and was horrified to find that most of the top rails have rusted through and there are large holes underneath near the uprights, and on some of them we can feel the rust giving way when we press on the underside of the rail pockets, to the extent that we know the entire underside of those rails is nothing but rust which crumbles upon touch. Shocked to see this level of rust after only one season of use, and our kids are extremely disappointed as they paid for the pool with (mostly) their own money. Now what? At what point is it unsafe to use? The liner is in fine shape. Are Bestway pools known for this problem, and should we have chosen another brand? Is the saltwater system at fault? Hopefully not...we loved the saltwater instead of the standard chlorine pools we were accustomed to. What could we have done to prevent the rust? Where do we go from here for this summer? Thanks for any and all suggestions.
Laurie
 
Hello and Welcome (back) to TFP!!

Very sorry you're having issues with your pool. I agree that a year is too short to see the legs rusted out. I wouldn't expect to see it that bad.
You can likely buy new legs where needed, but that may be more than the cost of a new pool. Another option would be to check your local Craigslist, Letgo, etc and see if someone is getting rid of a similar pool. Scavenge the legs and replace what you need to.

Did you disassemble for the winter? How was your pH last year?
 
No, we didn't disassemble for the winter...I suppose I should have, but we have a long swimming season here so I didn't. I maintained the pH right around 7.0-7.2 all summer. It isn't the legs that are rusted so badly, it's the top rails, some of which are half rust (literally).
 
sorry to hear that you are having problems. i wished i hadnt thrown my old coleman pool away. i would have just given you the legs and top rails. i believe they were the same. i had it sitting out by the curb for over a week, and noone wanted it, so i put it in dumpster. Like Teald024 said, check out offerup, letgo, and craigslist. like i said, i think most of these top rails and legs are all the same. most of the time you can get a whole pool for pretty cheap. you are not very far from me, i will check around my area and see what i can find for ya.
 
Laurie,

Can you please give us your typical full analysis? pH of 7 with typical values for the rest seem too low to me. This would yield a CSI way out of range on the low side. Not saying this caused the corrosion but I wouldn't think it was good. I'll call in an expert to help @JoyfulNoise.

Chris
 
setsailsoon said:
Laurie,

Can you please give us your typical full analysis? pH of 7 with typical values for the rest seem too low to me. This would yield a CSI way out of range on the low side. Not saying this caused the corrosion but I wouldn't think it was good. I'll call in an expert to help @JoyfulNoise.

Chris
Click to expand...

It’s hard to say with corrosion but these temporary pools (Intex, BestWay, etc) are not known for being constructed with high quality materials. The structural components are usually a low grade steel that’s powder coated. If left out in the elements all winter long, any scratch in the coating will be subject to corrosion. The corrosion may have started during the swim season in less visible areas and then it accelerated over the winter. Chlorinated pool water can cause corrosion because all methods of chlorination eventually add salt to the water and salty water can allow for galvanic corrosion to happen especially if there’s dissimilar metals in contact with one another. Proper electrical bonding is key but many of these “temporary” type pools don’t offer a way to bond their components. So stray galvanic currents are always possible.

I know it sounds like an unusual amount of work but if a temporary pool like this is going to be taken down for the winter, then it needs to be fully disassembled, cleaned, dried and stored away from the elements. I know many folks around my area that have Intex pools and they dread going through the setup/take-down process every season but do it nonetheless because they don’t want to leave them half filled all winter. It’s definitely a lot more work than having an in-ground pool.
 
I was going by memory on the pH, but looked up my records and it was actually staying around 7.6-7.8. It would creep up to 8 and I'd add a little muriatic acid (amount according to the Pool Math app) to bring it back down. FC was kept around 4-5. TA was 65, CH zero, CYA 80 (up to 90 but we let some water out and added fresh), salt 3000-3200. I tested once or twice a week, most weeks, and mostly had to add bleach because it seems my chlorinator wasn't keeping up with an excessive amount of little bodies swimming (hours per day).
 

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It's harder on a liner to be taken down, stored, and set up again than being up through the winter.

I suspect too rail rust is from movement causing paint wear, or loose joints letting water in (they have to be loose or good luck setting up a mass produced product.)
 
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We had the exact same problem, except we had 3 top rails rusted through by October after setting it up in May. The rest rusted through by spring. A good gust of wind blew the whole thing down once it was mostly drained. The legs weren’t exactly rust-free, but the top rails had nothing but water and stubbornness holding them up, i guess.
 

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I saw that your planning to get a Coleman pool. I've had a 22x52 Colman pool for 1 year, all of the legs are rusted!!!!! So, it appears it's not just intex. I've had intex 3 times before this one and they all rusted!! I can send pics if you'd like.
 
My Intex started rusting within a few months. Cheap steel with cheap powder coating. Powder coating only on the outside. Mine started rusting from the inside. I disassembled mid summer, removed all rust then painted in and out with rust paint. I leave up all winter complete with ice and snow with no issues. Way too much work to take down and setup every year plus risk of liner damage.

Intex now sells an XTR line with galvanized steel and full powder coating. Should last significantly longer.

I've located a local fabricator who will replace all the metal with high quality galvanized. Pretty easy for my round pool with standard round pipes and joints. So that's another option assuming your liner is good.
 
I am so ****** off at myself for not spending the extra and getting the XTR model. I haven't set up my 18' x 52" round Ultra Frame pool yet (still ground prepping!) but yall have me so nervous! I didn't spend $700 (plus extras) for a one year pool.
 
kb109 said:
I am so ****** off at myself for not spending the extra and getting the XTR model. I haven't set up my 18' x 52" round Ultra Frame pool yet (still ground prepping!) but yall have me so nervous! I didn't spend $700 (plus extras) for a one year pool.
Click to expand...
Since it's new & not set-up yet, you can apply a coat on the inside of the poles with rust preventative.... agreed we shouldn't have to on a new pool, but better safe than sorry!
 
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