Pool Full But Unlevel

by Greg

I installed this 28' above ground pool myself and I didn't take the necessary time, or precautions, to make sure the area for the walls was completely level.

Now it is full and off by about 4 inches from one side to the other. Can I get by with this for the next two summer months and re-level over the winter, or should I be more concerned, and take the steps of draining and fixing it now?




Hi Greg. In most cases you will be just fine, but it is impossible for me to say for sure. There are many variables that come into play. The quality of the pool is one, the better the pool the better the chances of it being OK.

If you have dirt packed around the outside of the pool you are better off. A pool set in the ground a foot or so, and back filled with dirt, could be six inches or more off level and never collapse.

A visual inspection of the bottom rail is another good indicator. There should be no gaps under the rail. The rail should not be pushing up as to cause the wall to buckle. With a very gradual slope, from one side to the other, the bottom rail should not show signs of stress or of being out of whack.

Check the top rails also. If the slope is uniform the rails should not show signs of being up and down, or in and out.

You need to visually asses the pool for soundness in order to determine if it can stand for two months without a problem.

When you do decide to fix the leveling problem be careful not to completely drain the pool, unless you absolutely have to. Resetting a used liner can be a real pain. The liner will shrink and cause problems with re-installing.

I would use the method described on this page, if possible.

Pool Out of Level