Replacement AGP installed! (Couple of questions)

[Pauls234]

Watching this crew tear down the old and put up the new in 2hr 10 min made me very happy that I decided to write the check and supervise rather than DIY.

2 Questions:
I forgot to ask them to install my aqualuminator return eyeball so the stock is there. Should I swap that out now or better to wait until water level is at least a couple of feet to better set the liner?

There is a trench dugout around the perimeter of the pool and it is supposed to rain quite a bit next few days, seems like a risk of washout? Is it best to wait to fill it in until water level is higher and what materiaI is best to fill it in with?

Thx

 

[kellyfair]

Awww, the big yellow pool is no more!

I would wait on the eyeball until pool has more water. How big is trench? And what did you use for cove?

 

[Pauls234]

Hi Kelly

I know! I was actually planning on painting again but then came across this pool that we really liked.

Previously it was sand cove, but had them use foam cove for this.

A few close up shots of the bottom rail and "trench". It is much deeper in some spots because the deck side is buried about a foot deep

 

[kellyfair]

Hmmmm. I dunno. Here in Florida, with my very sandy soil, a heavy rain would make me nervous. But rain may just cause your trench sides to collapse. We need some construction folk in here!

 

[Newdude]

2 hours 10 mins ? That's a time lapse video in real time. CONGRATS. Let's call you the big guns.

@kimkats @Casey @Mdragger88

 

[kimkats]

Watching this crew tear down the old and put up the new in 2hr 10 min made me very happy that I decided to write the check and supervise rather than DIY.

LOVE the working with the wallet instead of your back! Well done!

wait until water level is at least a couple of feet to better set the liner?

Is the hole already cut for it? How about the skimmer?

If the hole is cut do NOT remove it until the water is right there. You do not want to take any chance of the liner pulling down.

trench dugout

That would worry me for sure. What do you hope to put down there for long term? I am thinking it would look nice with some red bricks laid right by the bottom rail. That will serve two purposes. It will block the water from washing out your under dirt and it will keep the dirt from pressing up on the wall and holding moisture there.

 

[Pauls234]

Hi Kim, yes I blinked and hole was already cut for both! It was crazy how quick they were.

As to what I'm going to put there permanently, I'm not sure and really open to ideas. I was under the impression that dirt up against the wall is what caused the old pool to rust, but then again, the side that was partially buried was the least rusty of all so maybe I'm wrong? What is the recommended material, or what should be avoided to be in contact with the (steel) walls? Posts and bottom rail are resin.

Is my fear of dirt misplaced? I could easily go push the dirt back into the trench now that the water level has risen above that height.....

 

[kimkats]

My rust came from the inside out. It was on the inside pool wall behind the liner. Could not see the rust on the outside except where it was so bad it started to "bubble" the metal in that area. We think it is from the condensation our pool walls got. It was on the outside of the walls quite often and we know know it was also on the inside. When we took the old liner down to replace it we found it. I did a BUNCH of sanding and painting to try to hold it off but by then it was too late we came to found out.

SO the dirt against the wall MAY not be a problem. You have to have something there to keep the rain out to keep if from washing out the dirt under the pool. I know we had some dirt on the back side of the pool under the deck. It was not worst than the side that did not have any dirt against.

 

[Pauls234]

Thanks Kim. I am going to fill in the trench with dirt now that pool is half full. I'm thinking they just didn't want to put it up against wall of an empty pool for obvious reasons, but wish I would've asked.

I'm also rethinking switching out the return.... think I'm at less risk if I were to wait and do it next year once liner has really set? Right now it's 80 one day and 65 the next and I don't use the light that often.

 

[SecoSteve]

I put some thick plastic between the dirt and the steel wall and got 13 years out of the pool. When we took it down, the bottom ring was totally rusted, but the wall was still in ok shape. Lucky you have resin ring and rails.

 

[Decoy205]

The new pool does look great. I hope you can fix the trench issue.

I’m very nervous about my upcoming install stuff like this makes it worse ha.

 

[toolerb50]

Thanks Kim. I am going to fill in the trench with dirt now that pool is half full. I'm thinking they just didn't want to put it up against wall of an empty pool for obvious reasons, but wish I would've asked.

Definitely want to backfill the trench to prevent a washout, the installer should have mentioned. You mentioned you have about a foot to fill in behind your deck? If so you might want to consider a french drain pipe to keep the water away from the pool and have it exit to the lower side of your yard.

 

[Pauls234]

Thanks for the confirmation. I ended up backfilling with some of the displaced dirt but it was kind of a soup of small lava rock, sand and dirt so bought a bunch of bags of dirt and filled in with that. Bags were especially helpful under the deck practically Army crawling on my belly where I could just cut them open and push in the dirt.

Last year I had whole drainage system installed in my yard and that has helped things quite a bit. It runs along one side as well as the full back perimeter of my yard just behind the deck and pool and so thinking that should do it but will keep an eye next time we have rain.

I also did as @kimkats suggested and waited for water level to get almost to the return before swapping in the aqualuminator and had no issues with liner moving.

I bought a huge container of trichlor pucks just after I inherited the old pool when I bought this house. That was exactly 10 years ago and I'm just starting to run low! I put 3 in a floater and tied it to a concrete filled bleach bottle left in the middle of pool so I could get some chlorine and cya going while it finished filling. Now I've got circulation system all hooked up and running and sock full of cya in front of return dissolving.

Now to resolve heater issues and get my swg incorporated, but at least I've got a full pool now.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Pauls234]

And where are my manners? Here is a pic.

I swear it is full!

 

[kimkats]

could just cut them open and push in the dirt.

That really worked out for the best there! Great way of moving dirt in an area like that!

swapping in the aqualuminator and had no issues with liner moving.

SWEET! So glad it worked just like I thought it would!

I put 3 in a floater and tied it to a concrete filled bleach bottle left in the middle of pool so I could get some chlorine and cya going while it finished filling

Look at you full of great ideas!!!

I bet it felt good to jump in that pretty pool the first time!

 

[Mdragger88]

Just catching up - it looks amazing !
I love the brown top rails/ uprights - they were my 1st choice w/ the saltwater lx from the pool factory- but ended up with what a local place had as they would install.
Hopefully by the time I need to replace there will be a brown fully resin option that fits my space! I am not a fan of the grey.

 

[Decoy205]

bumping this thread. How’s the new pool going? Did the backfill workout?

 

[Pauls234]

Going good so far. Yes 32 bags of dirt later the backfill is complete. I made sure to slope it away from the pool and I'm sure the will settle with rain so will keep an eye on it.

I went with an overlap liner because they didn't have what I liked in j hook style so will need to trim the overlap you see. Think I may wait until next spring so it goes through a full range of temps before I cut things close, though don't really know if it matters.

Hope to get my swg plumbed in this weekend, which I'm nervous about, first time project!

Here's a pic late afternoon today, post backfill and a little more cleaned up yard.

 

[toolerb50]

Looks great, bet it was fun crawling under the deck to fill. I had to do same thing and remember it's something I hope I never have to do again. ha

 

[Decoy205]

It looks great! I’m glad it worked out. Seems like a nice upgrade to the yard. Did using the float technique work well when filling?