Sand Settled Around Pressure Plates

by Todd

I just installed my 15' x 30' AGP and tamped the sand base well over the course of two weeks prior to install. Now that the pool has been filled for a week I can see the outline of the pressure plates and bottom of the uprights along the straight sides.

I can also see where the straps attach at the uprights. Apparently I didn't tamp quite enough near these parts. Anyway, it is expensive to have water trucked here so I am wondering how far down I have to drain the pool in order to gain access. If I have three people in the pool on a warm day to hold back the liner while I put in sand where required how far down do I have to drain the pool do you think?
Todd




Hi Todd. If you mean you built the pool on a base of sand, as opposed to just using sand to cushion the liner, that could easily be your problem. Sand will never pack solid, it tends to do a lot of shifting, and is not a suitable base for an above ground pool, especially an oval pool.

One thing you might consider is placing plastic over the pressure plates and putting your sand over the plastic. That should prevent any future settling. This page shows a good example of pressure plates being covered with a pool pad and sand going over top of that.

Diamond Star Installation

Now, back to your question. I would leave about an inch of water in the pool, two inches at most. It is true that three people could hold back more water but be very careful. The vinyl is easy to stretch. Too much pulling, for to long of a time, will put stretch marks on the sides of your pool. Be careful also of finger nails. Water is very heavy and it is very possible to get a really good grip on the liner and poke a nail right through it.

It is better to drain a little more water and not run the risk of causing liner damage. You do want to leave enough water in the pool to keep the liner from shrinking or shifting, but not any more.