Per the title, I have an Intex above-ground "Ultra-Frame" pool with supports around the edges that look like this:
The bottom of the "U" sits on the ground, and the two top sections plug into a pipe that runs around the circumference of this "bag of water" pool.
After 4 years, I have some rust, very minor and trivial surface rust except for two places:
a) On the sides of the bottom "U" legs. Not on the bottoms of the U legs (each sits on a pair of 2x8s that are recessed into the ground to provide a level and sturdy base for the legs)
b) On the bottom edges of the 90-degree bend pipes at each corner of the top perimeter pipes
The rust at these points is bad enough to prompt me to grind and brush it all off, and use some POR-15 or equivalent to re-coat the steel.
But why is the rust appearing only at these places? Why is the rust in other places trivial surface rust? And why not at contact points, like the bottom surface of the U-shaped legs? Why only on the sides of the bottoms of the U?
My guess is that there is some stress that is twisting/bending these sections of metal, and cracking off the otherwise effective coating applied by the factory.
The pool is disassembled and stored over winter, and it has been zero trouble so far, but the rust is concerning.
Any suggestions welcome.
The bottom of the "U" sits on the ground, and the two top sections plug into a pipe that runs around the circumference of this "bag of water" pool.
After 4 years, I have some rust, very minor and trivial surface rust except for two places:
a) On the sides of the bottom "U" legs. Not on the bottoms of the U legs (each sits on a pair of 2x8s that are recessed into the ground to provide a level and sturdy base for the legs)
b) On the bottom edges of the 90-degree bend pipes at each corner of the top perimeter pipes
The rust at these points is bad enough to prompt me to grind and brush it all off, and use some POR-15 or equivalent to re-coat the steel.
But why is the rust appearing only at these places? Why is the rust in other places trivial surface rust? And why not at contact points, like the bottom surface of the U-shaped legs? Why only on the sides of the bottoms of the U?
My guess is that there is some stress that is twisting/bending these sections of metal, and cracking off the otherwise effective coating applied by the factory.
The pool is disassembled and stored over winter, and it has been zero trouble so far, but the rust is concerning.
Any suggestions welcome.
My theory is more simple. As pool owners, often times we are at the mercy of products that have different manufacture process variations. It may be the coating, the base prep, or even the quality of the metal itself. In many cases we will never know exactly why a piece of metal rusted, or in your case, why in only specific areas.