Is My Out Of Level Pool Safe

by Kevin
(Essex, Ontario, Canada)

I recently installed a 24' x 48" above ground pool in my backyard. We got a little rushed and after all is said and done the pool is 2" low on one side. It's not a sudden drop - it gradually goes down then back up across 5 or 6 support posts. I did have the yard leveled by a contractor and leveled my bottom rails myself. Not sure where it went wrong but it's wrong nonetheless.

Is 2" acceptable or do I need to drain the pool and get it level? My gut tells me it's safe and the level, or lack of, is more cosmetic than anything. Should I drain it and level it or should it be okay?

Thanks.
K



Hi Kevin. In most cases 2" out of level is not going to cause you any problems. There are many factors involved in how an out of level pool might affect you, or how safe it is.

A pool that is a foot in the ground, and packed in with dirt, can be out of level by six inches or more and be just fine. With all that dirt holding the base solid the pool is not going anywhere. Dirt packed in around your pool adds a great deal of support to it.

If you have a good solid cove on the inside of the pool you are probably just fine. You can also visually check all of your bottom rails for any that are not resting firmly on the ground. It's even better if the bottom rail is covered on the outside.

You can also monitor this situation. Make sure the pool is not sinking more over time. If the situation gradually gets worse it is probably time to drain the pool and make a repair.

Fixing the level is not hard to do, but you would need to drain the pool. If this is something you want to try, be sure to not drain the pool all the way. This page talks more about leveling an existing pool.

Pool Out of Level