Installation Problems With An Above Ground Pool

by Chip
(PA)

We had an 18x33 Swim and Play Westminister pool installed last year- 5/2010. The soil base was firm and leveled. This pool has 4 post each side with pressure plates on the inside. Our yard is very slightly sloped with very little surface run off. 7 ton of pool liner sand was installed inside. We back filled the pool 8 inches high with screenings (small stone and stone dust). Sloped it away from the pool and tamped it. This spring we opened the pool and all 8 channels and pressured plates are showing under the liner. The installer with out looking at the pool stated the sand was washed out due to the use of the screenings as backfill. The store where the pool was purchased immediately stated the same thing. What is your opinion?

Hi Chip. I would love to see some detailed photos of this. It is really too bad for you, to have to be in this situation.

I do not understand how the sand could have washed out from under the pool after you backfilled and tamped. That makes no sense. It also makes no sense that this happened on both sides. One side may have washed out for some reason, but not both sides. I think you have a completely different problem.

Holes in the liner are the usual cause of washouts. Are there any holes in the liner? Holes in the liner, on both sides, that would wash out the sand, with the pool backfilled as you describe, makes no sense.

And furthermore, a properly installed pool will stand regardless of what you do with the outside. A preformed cove, or a solid dirt cove, should keep the pool from washing out regardless of what is done around the outside of the pool. It sounds to me like you are being blamed for something that has nothing to do with you.

You need to get the installers and store managers out there to take a look at it. Their over the phone assessment is ridiculous. They need to examine the liner and the installation overall. Something is not right and they should make it right.

Comments for Installation Problems With An Above Ground Pool

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Jun 15, 2011
 accountability
by: Bryan benedetti

Chip, I feel your pain! My wife and I purchased a 18 x 33 Aqua Leader "Influence" pool July 2009, I was instructed by the pool installer to backfill around the perimeter 6 inches and tamp after they left. We spent the remaining daylight hauling dirt from the leveling around pool and tamped it in. $585 dollars-13000 gallons water and the hose to finish overnight. First rain an end support "settled" and I called to report- they questioned my backfilling and I had to send photos of incident, no one came too see! Made good on promise and returned with new liner and replace upright May 2010-$650 in water and finish with hose. Feb 15 2011 found cover with Illinois ice sitting on pool bottom. 10 days later and many photos (again no one came to see) liner has a large horizontal slit at cove seam, water is gone. March 10 the end wall is blown over and with that e-mail of photos and a phone call, I am told to call my home insurance and "THEY" will pay to remove, replace with new pool and even fill it with water! NO ACCOUNTABILITY

What a SNAFU for us!! Good luck trying to get anything but poor excuses from a "big box pool stores"!

Jul 15, 2011
 Pool Installation
by: Anonymous

We recently purchased a Swim N Play 33 x 18 and hired professional agp installers. Some of the straps can be seen thru the liner. They cut the skimmer hole with just a couple of inches of water in the bottom. There is puckering at the top of the skimmer and the return hole. We purchased the 7.5 fine masonry sand per their specs and they probably used 4 or 5 tons. We contacted the company and they came out to look address our concerns and dismissed them. We have put a hold on the payment & are going to dispute it. Does any one have any suggestions? Are our concerns valid?

Thanks!

Hi. If the straps are anywhere close to being in contact with the liner you have a real concern. That sharp metal can cut a liner so fast. You should not be seeing any of the metal under your pool liner.

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