Removing handrails with missing anchor bolt

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johnfgoodman

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Jul 2, 2012
26
I have owned my pool for about 5 years now, and this is the first year I have been trying to remove the handrails in order to winterize with a winter cover. I was able to remove the deep end ladder without to much difficulty. But I am having trouble with the shallow end handrails. The bolts appear to be missing from the anchors. I can see the anchor in one of the post holes, I am assuming the anchor in the other post hole has been pushed down (or possibly missing?). I tried buying bolts to replace the missing ones, but have not found any that fit... I tried 1/4" (too small), 5/16" (too big), and 8mm (too big). Are the bolts a different custom size?

I have also tried all the ideas from other threads here: PB Blaster (and letting it sit for days, sprayed multiple times), banging with rubber mallet, torch for heating, car jack, etc. The ladder has not budged. I thought maybe I could tap the anchor down even without the bolt... I tried putting a drill bit against the top of the anchor and hammering it... did not budge.

I finally got in touch with a local pool company and when I explained the situation, they explained it may be difficult if not impossible to remove the handrails without the bolts, and that worst case scenario would be to cut it out and replace... does this sound right, or do I have an option to salvage my current handrail?

Thanks for any help offered!
 
The anchors lock by being pulled up. Pushing them down releases them. Wedges are probably stuck. Not sure why you can’t match the bolt. Maybe somebody drilled them. The normal answer would be to get some 3 or 4 inch bolts and find one that fits, thread it in and then tap on the bolt head to drive the anchor down. Flooding the anchor with white vinegar or cola a few times might be better than penetrating oil.

Can you twist the rail at all?
 
Thanks for the reply. I am trying the vinegar now... I had also tried some CLR. Maybe threads are so corroded that the bolt won't thread? I can not twist, as there are two posts (see pic)...

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In looking at that picture, do you actually really *need* to remove that handrail to put a cover on?? It seems to me that a cover can be fitted around that base or just in front of it easily.

I'm in the Augusta area and we don't close our pool.

Maddie :flower:
 
YippeeSkippy said:
In looking at that picture, do you actually really *need* to remove that handrail to put a cover on?? It seems to me that a cover can be fitted around that base or just in front of it easily.

I'm in the Augusta area and we don't close our pool.

Maddie :flower:
Click to expand...

I was wondering about that... most of the covers I have looked at say they need at least 2 feet on each side. But if someone tells me they have experience installing a safety cover in a situation like this without removing the handrails, I will give it a try. I have not bought a cover yet, because I wanted to make sure that I could remove the handrails before making the investment.

I usually do not winterize either; however, I have a lot of trees around, including one very big oak tree that hangs over the pool, and I have gotten tired of all of the leaves, acorns, etc. that end up in the pool making it all green by the end of winter... Makes opening very time consuming...
 
I don't know anything about safety covers, or how they are tensioned, as I don't use one. But what came to mind is finding one that fits your pool and then taking it down to a sail maker shop (the one I use has this massive floor space with sunken sewing stations to work on very large sails) and have them modify the cover to fit around the rail posts. They'll cut it and hem it for you, and/or sew in whatever pieces are necessary to make it strong. Shouldn't be too much, as for them it's just a few minutes of work.
 
The wedge has most probably jammed tight against the handrail (and probably deformed it some). The bolts should be the same size as your ladder - did you try those? Alternatively, get a screwdriver, insert it into the hole, and try to hammer the wedge down. Then twist/rock the handrail to pull it out. I suspect the previous owner overtightened the wedge and deformed the handrail. When they couldn't get it out, they probably loosened the nuts to the point where they came out and still couldn't get the handrail out.
 
Dirk said:
I don't know anything about safety covers, or how they are tensioned, as I don't use one. But what came to mind is finding one that fits your pool and then taking it down to a sail maker shop (the one I use has this massive floor space with sunken sewing stations to work on very large sails) and have them modify the cover to fit around the rail posts. They'll cut it and hem it for you, and/or sew in whatever pieces are necessary to make it strong. Shouldn't be too much, as for them it's just a few minutes of work.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. Not sure if there are any sail making shops in my area, but may be worth looking around to see...

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sktn77a said:
The wedge has most probably jammed tight against the handrail (and probably deformed it some). The bolts should be the same size as your ladder - did you try those? Alternatively, get a screwdriver, insert it into the hole, and try to hammer the wedge down. Then twist/rock the handrail to pull it out. I suspect the previous owner overtightened the wedge and deformed the handrail. When they couldn't get it out, they probably loosened the nuts to the point where they came out and still couldn't get the handrail out.
Click to expand...

I did try bolts from ladders, with no luck. But maybe if the threads in the anchor have been exposed all this time (from not having a bolt in place) they have gotten so corroded as to not properly fit the bolts? Maybe after soaking in the vinegar I will have better luck. I will also try to continue to rock and twist.
 
The wedges should be made of brass, so they shouldn't corrode. And the anchor and bolts should be made of stainless steel, so ditto. If the wedges are tight, there's very little hope of removing the handrail without loosening them somehow. Try liquid wrench down there also. Not sure vinegar or lemon juice (both acetic acid) is a strong enough acid for this - you might try some muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) but be careful, a) you don't burn yourself and b) that you don't dissolve the mortar around/under the anchor. Flood it with water after a minute or so.
 

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Dirt and grit are also your enemy. Try flushing with water pressure. If you own a pressure washer, that may help. If you’re having a safety cover made, they can easily tailor it to fit around any obstacles like that. That’s easier than removing and reinstalling railings each season.
 
I always make more trouble for myself, but I would bust the concrete out all the way to adjoining expansion joints and then repour the entire section. That'll get rid of that unsightly crack and get your ladder out and make the whole entrance to your pool look nice.
 
chiefwej said:
Dirt and grit are also your enemy. Try flushing with water pressure. If you own a pressure washer, that may help. If you’re having a safety cover made, they can easily tailor it to fit around any obstacles like that. That’s easier than removing and reinstalling railings each season.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion of getting one modified for our situation... I am looking in to that now. That seems like it would be the most simple route to go, depending on how pricey it is to modify...

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duraleigh said:
I always make more trouble for myself, but I would bust the concrete out all the way to adjoining expansion joints and then repour the entire section. That'll get rid of that unsightly crack and get your ladder out and make the whole entrance to your pool look nice.
Click to expand...

I also tend to make more trouble for myself, and would likely at another point in my life do as you suggest. But alas, time and money at the moment are sparse, so this might be project for later down the road...
 
The problem with aluminum cups is that aluminum corrodes, especially if corrosion starts breaking down the surface.

Because the cups are connected to the bonding grid, the aluminum becomes a sacrificial anode to all other metal on the grid. This bypasses any surface protection because the electrons get removed electrically.

Aluminum cup anchors should never be used on a pool.

If you use a lever under the cross bar to lift and tap up at the same time with a rubber hammer, that might work.

Muriatic acid can eat away the aluminum oxide corrosion that is holding the rail, but it's very dangerous as the acid might splash or squirt under stress. I wouldn't recommend muriatic acid.

Penetrating solvent like wd40 or pb blaster might help if it's given time to work.
 
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