Above Ground Pool Install

[txdon]

bluetc30, which automatic clorinator do you prefer?

Renob, have you bought your pool? Have you installed it? I got the pool with the slide (metal bar) wall joint, it was a PIB to install. Today, another delay, it is thundering outside AGAIN. The day time temp is up to 94 degrees so the incentive to finish is increasing. The wall is up and I will install the side supports, top rail, liner, and pump next. I built a temporary "mini deck" so I can swim while I build the composite deck with the tiger claw connectors.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Hmmmmm, Don, is that another incentive to get us down there?

Be honest now.

 

[txdon]

Glenda, has to do something while we are putting in that new entrance. Remember SHE is the one retiring.


HMMMM TBN water volleyball maybe?

 

[txdon]

uh oh big storm heading this way 70 mph winds, might be good bye pool.....


edit update: The worst missed us by about 5 miles. It is still up!
it looks like rain again all night.

 

[Renob]

TXDON,

Ordered pool on fri. Should be in this week. Went with a 52" 24' round with resin top rail and styles, snap in liner, sand filter and walk in step type ladder.

Preliminary excavation of site is done. Luckily fairly level to start. Hopefully begin pool install this week. Deck install will commence as pool is finished.

Question. Did/will you use sand under liner? Do you put sand down before or after placing bottom rail?

Thanks,

 

[KubotaSteve]

I put some sand in before putting the rail down. I then put the rail up and the side up and went around sloping sand to the middle. I added a couple of scoops of sand of the side as needed.

 

[txdon]

Renob, The pool is installed in a sand hill. The bottom rail rest on the hill sand. However the kit came with a bunch of bags of Harborlite (expandable pear-lite) to put under the liner. See picture. My pool is also a 52" resin pool. I put the side supports on level 12"X12"X2" cement blocks, making sure no more than 2" of the block was on the inside of the pool. Rained out again right after this picture.

 

[archerynut]

I would put all of the sand in a couple of piles inside the pool before putting the bottom track together and then after wall is set up move it around. I have put all of the sand in after the wall was up, that wasn't any fun!!!

 

[txdon]

Step 24 is filling the pool with water, finally.
It took 2 days and this evening the pool is full.

(The wrinkles came out.)

This is a tough job with just 2 people, but it can be done.

The pool came with an underwater light kit called the Hayward Elite underwater quartz halogen flood light for above ground pools. It is an excellent addition and easy to install. The kit included a tool to make a perfect cut in the side of the metal wall.

Next project deck.

 

[jinman]

Hot diggity Don! That pool looks pretty darn nice.

...course I wonder how long it will be before we see pictures of a few snakes swimmin' in it.

 

[Bird]

Jim, I think a video of a swimming race between Don and a snake would be quite interesting.

 

[Renob]

Don,

The Pool Looks great!

I'm a little behind you......4 Little League games in seven days, real job, side job, Little league Parade, blablabla, etc. It never ends!

Pool parts sit in garage waiting for installation. Next week looks much better.This is where I am so far.

 

[txdon]

Jim, Bird, no animals or reptiles in the pool so far. However, there has been a copperhead and a coachwhip withing ten feet of the pool. With the 52" pool steel wall we hope not to have a problem. The only way in is by the mini deck and the ladder. We leave a foam floatie attached to the ladder so the animals can escape.

We are re-thinking the deck and are considering making it multi-level with only a small part level with the top of the pool, so the pool wall can double as a fence. This morning the water temp is a nice 82 degrees and only grasshoppers and assorted bugs in the strainer basket.

Renob, with the pool on site and the ground broken and the summer heat on top of you, you will have the pool up quickly. What brand pool did you get? If it's Doughboy then our instructions will be the same.

This pools instructions called for the liner to be draped on the sides and then secured with clamps as shown. We had good luck with the ones shown in the picture (99 cents each at Home Depot). As the pool fills tension is released from the clamps. This keeps the wrinkles out because the liner is being stretched while the pool is filling. The tough part is after the pool is 24" deep and then removing the top rail about three sections at a time and re-attaching the liner to the wall. The 22 sections of top rail took us from 7 pm to 1 am to un-install and re-install while one held the liner and the other screwed rails.

Do you have electric in place for the pump? I ran dedicated #10 wire with a 20 amp breaker and GFI plug. HD had a green electrical outdoor pool box outlet with the plug and a switch already to go so I used it and it works fine.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's a tip for easy remote controll and automation of your pool....

I installed a 20 amp X10 outlet in a waterproof outdoor box on a GFCI circuit breaker for our pool pump. I gave it an address of P1 (P is for Pool ). Any outdoor lighting around the pool area gets P2, P3 etc...

I use an X10 mini controller in the kitchen to turn the pool off and on manually. I can unplug it and take it to the garage when I need to do pool maintenance. But that got bothersome, so I installed an X10 reciever in my garage and use a keyfob to turn the pool off when I need to do maintenance.

I also have it on our X10 system timed, so it turns on at 7:00a.m. and off at 7p.m. when I am not home. Works out great.

As others have said, the key to a clean, easy to maintain pool is running the filter often. Another things is the less you use a pool it seems the more you have to clean it. Using it stirs things up and keeps dirt from settling as well as scum from sticking to the sides at the water line.

We also have a bubble wrap type solar cover. That thing will pop the water temps up into the 90's after a week of 80 degree temps if you don't keep an eye on it.

One more tip. If the water in your pool gets too hot, run the filter at night instead of during the day. It will cool it off much faster.

 

[HangtownMatt]

I am thinking about tackling an above ground pool installation and would appreciate any tips, warnings, recommended books, resources, links, etc.

Buy a good quality "USED" pool at the end of the season and place it on level ground. Lots are available. This way you can find out if you are a pool person or not without too much risk. I picked up a 26x13 six year old SPLASH pool for less than 1/8th its original cost. Supposedly it has a 20 year liner. I'm on my 2nd year without a problem. Easy install. So easy I completely take it down for the winter. This year I put it up for the 2nd time in about 3 hours with my 12 year old son. Keep it simple.

Matt

 

[fishpick]

HangtoenMatt is right on - we just sold out 27' above ground - for all of $250 - and it's in great shape... the buyer are even going to take it away... the $250 should conver the topsoil I need to fill it back in!

Check places like craigslist - that's where the hot tub that came with the house is going next!

 

[Renob]

Thanks all for the information. Pool has been in for a couple of weeks now as installation went well . Can't keep the kids out of it. Deck construction is underway and will be done this week. Then permanant electric will be run in a trench with a dedicated gfci circuit.

The installation actually was not that difficult as long as all is level and round. Thanks again for all tips given, the knowledge given by TBN members is priceless.

 

[BotaBigot]

I am thinking about tackling an above ground pool installation and would appreciate any tips, warnings, recommended books, resources, links, etc.

Thanks

Did one (22' round) back when kids were small. Positives: Taught kids to swim (drown-proofed ). Great relaxer after long commute home on hot summer days. Negatives: Friends and neighbors expected me to be the lifeguard. Expensive to open up each year (chemicals). Proper winterizing (especially to keep ice from cutting liner).

Tips: Keep away from trees, and out in full sun. At your latitude, you may want to consider some kind of heating to extend season. If you're on a well, go slow filling (or have it commercially filled), don't want to exceed well drawdown. Level, level, level! Since mine was round, I drove a piece of rebar at the center, and used a 12' 4X4 (hole in one end for rebar) with a level on it and went round-and-round digging, filling, and tamping until completely level. Then levelled sand bottom with it (never had problem with sand, 5' of water made sand bottom very hard/stable). Carefully center liner. Smooth wrinkles as you fill. Enjoy!

 

[txdon]

Good job Renob!

Hey , my deck construction is also underway and will be done next month.
Here is a peek at it in progress, and yes there is a tractor involved!

 

[txdon]

Renob, do you have your deck up?

Today was splash day in the new pool for the retired group of Lee County volleyball players. (we need a pool so we won't break any bones. )
13 people played a competitive 4 games.

The tractor dug the pool below grade, dug and hauled rocks, and moved pallets of cement blocks and retaining wall blocks.

The deck was made with composite decking and Tigerclaw side connectors. The connectors were slow at first but installation was quicker with experience. The deck is 24'X12'.

We play with 20 of the 99 cent balls as seen in the photo and retrieve the balls after each game.

Build it and they will come.