How to Move an Above Ground Swimming Pool Everything you would ever want to know about moving an above ground pool from one location to another By David Mispilkin: Owner of www.AboveGroundPoolBuilder.com, www.AboveGroundPoolFinder.com and www.MAPoolFinder.
Table of Contents How to move an above ground pool written by: David Mispilkin Part 1 where to begin the process of buying and relocating an above ground pool Where does one look for a used above ground pool what is a good price for a used above ground pool how to you choose an above ground pool that’s worth moving Everything you would ever want to know about above ground pool liners‐ (Expanded Information) Tools and materials you will need to relocate your pool Part 2 Taking the above ground pool down f
About Dave David Mispilkin has been in the above ground pool installation business for the past 20 years. His experience includes, but not limited to above ground pool and liner sales, repairs, and installations. Over the years, David has installed thousands of above ground pools and liners from various manufacturers and has expertly installed moved and changed pools and liners. In this guide, David shares his expertise to guide you through the process of relocating a round above ground pool.
Part 1 where to begin the process of buying and relocating an above ground pool Where does one look for a used above ground pool? Few activities can bring a family together quite like a pool in summertime. Most people have wonderful fond memories of fun days spent in the sun by the pool. The pool is as Americana as mom and apple pie and a central part of family life. Choosing the right pool involves many options that you will have to research.
winter. This is when you’ll get your best deal. I have spent many cold days taking down nice above ground pools for short money. Refurbishing them to almost brand new during the winter and then selling them for a nice little profit in the spring/summer time. What is a good price for a used above ground pool? Some of the deals I have come across have been simply a home owner needing a pool removed from their yard.
How do you choose an above ground pool that’s worth moving? First rule of thumb is never buy a used above ground pool that is more than 5 years old. Don’t ever be swayed by what you can see. It’s what you cannot see that you need to see! After doing this for years I have come to the conclusion that anything over 5 years old is starting to show signs of degradation. Yes there are cases when a pool is in great shape after 7‐10 years.
shrink when it’s not in contact with water for more than a couple days. Also it would take a genius to match the same floor specifications and skimmer cut outs in the new location. ALWAYS BUY A NEW LINER WHEN MOVING AN ABOVE GROUND POOL! Everything you need to know about above ground pool liners Measuring Inspecting Research Selection Installation There are many different options and styles one has these days. It’s more important you get the right size then the options and style can be shopped for last.
As with anything in life needing repair you get what you pay for. Having a qualified professional can make the process of changing your pool liner fast and likely to last a long time. Many people hire someone recommended by a friend or even hire from the craigslist in order to replace their pool liners. As a twenty year veteran above ground pool installer I find this a huge reason why pool liner replacement is often given a bad rap.
Don’t Measure wall height on the inside! When you measure the wall height, Measuring from the base of the bottom track to the top of the pool’s wall is the only way to measure effectively. Do not measure from inside the pool, always measure from the outside. Move any debris that may be in the way so you can measure from the base of the pool. Measure upward to underneath your pools top rail. This is your wall height. Next you will need the diameter, if your pool is round.
In this example the pool has 15 uprights. To get the halfway point you’ll need to first find the highest even number of uprights your pool has. In the above example this number is 14. Simply count 7 uprights in either direction and be sure not to count the #1 upright when counting to the #7 upright. Use a tape measure to measure from the #1 upright to between the #7 upright and next upright which is the #8 upright. This is your pools diameter. How to measure an oval pools length and width.
from one curved end to the other curved end (this is the length dimension of your pool) in the center of the pool. Place the two dimensions together; this is your oval pools length by width measurements. So to recap a round above ground pool’s measurements you need the wall height, diameter and cove height. For an oval or rectangle you will need the wall height, length x width and cove height. So whether you hire a professional or do it yourself when you measure your pool first and correctly.
wall cam mask this issue. So take back whatever material you have and have a look. You need not ch3eck every single one. Check about 25% of the up rights. Next check out the skimmer and return and it’s always a good idea to replace them with new ones. But if they are in good shape consider just buying the gaskets instead. Some other important things to check are: Whether you’re going to replace or add floor padding. Floor padding can add a layer of protection between your liner and the base material.
I mean congratulations on getting through step one and two as you have already done more than many above ground pool contractors. Let’s now look at the replacement pool liner world for clues. What makes a good above ground pool liner? There are different manufacturing techniques used in the manufacturing of above ground pool liners. The best manufacturers are the ones who build your liner after measurement has been taken. Most companies brag about how fast they can produce what a customer is looking for.
Vinyl Pool Liners manufactured in climate and environmentally controlled facilities with premium materials designed to withstand harsh environments are best. Also it’s even better to have a facility use UV inhibitors to protect against sun damage and Algae inhibitors which aid normal sanitizers to protect the liner itself. The better manufacturers can produce material that can have cold crack temperature protection to at least zero degrees farenheit.
Mil vs Gauge Material thickness The biggest secret to consider about above ground pool liners. This is perhaps the biggest secret kept from the public’s trustful eyes. When retail establishments advertise certain mil or gauge materials what they don’t tell you is. The thickest part of the liner is the sides of the liner. The floor is not guaranteed to be at that thickness advertised. That’s huge to know isn’t it? Most manufactures sell liner thickness with two choices.
Gauge would be a term used for metal. If someone gives you gauge choice then chances are the liner is not as thick as it could be. Please refer to (Metal thicknesses table). All liners are subject to punctures and tears from outside elements. This picture represents thicknes as 27.5 Mil thickness. That is the skinny on Mil Vs.
J‐Hook V‐Beaded Johnny Weissmuller and Esther Williams Beaded Ambassador Beaded Kayak Bead Wilkes Beaded Ez‐Beaded EZ‐Clip Doughboy bead Expandable Hopper (Oval expandable) If you’re thinking that’s many kinds of liners then you’re completely right. I was dizzy researching all these liner styles myself. Most are just manufacturers’ guaranteeing that customers only use their replacement liners. Kind of like how Apple makes all their own products to maximize profits.
The definitions of these three: Overlap Will overlap the top rim of the wall and are clamped down with a coping strip. These pool liners are the most affordable. You may not be able to find many colors or patterns in this type of liner though. Overlap liners are the hardest to install, requiring basic items which will come with your pool. These liners now come universal to fit pool wall heights of between 48” ‐54”.
Now let’s look at the variations of these liners next: Johnny Weissmuller, Esther Williams, Wilkes, Ambassador and Kayak are beaded liners with varying bead thicknesses. Weissmuller and Esther Williams have a metal bead track that requires the bead to be thicker. Kayak and Wilkes require their own thickness bead to fit their special sized bead tracks. Ambassador has its own system that requires their liner to fit into a special opening built into their walk deck system.
4. Which is right for your pool? Most swimming pools sold today come with beaded liners. So chances are good that yours will be a beaded liner. When it comes to replacing any pool liner the general rule of thumb is to get exactly what is in your pool now. First thing to do is to look at your purchase receipts. Chances are great the pool liner is listed within this paperwork. However if you are becoming a new owner because you purchased a home with an above ground pool finding paper work might be impossible.
Next you could simply research the manufacturer who built your pool. This can be done by looking at top caps and other places on the pool where manufacturers leave their branding. If you’re lucky enough to determine the manufacturer than you solve the problem of which liner is right for your pool. Besides the regular bead liner, J‐Hook and V‐bead liners the rest are tied to which manufacturer the pool was made by. So if you can figure this out stop here and go onto number 5.
5. Hiring the right professional to get the liner installed correctly Always check the bbb and reviews of all contractors especially pool guys in the above ground pool filed. Often times states don’t require specific licencing for above ground pool installers. If the used pool you’re looking at comes with accessories like a pump and filter and or other pool equipment. Make sure the pump and filter runs by plugging them in Check the valves and the clamps in case you may need new ones.
The following is a list of everything you will need when relocating an above ground swimming pool. A sunny day with calm winds Bobcat, tiller or shovels to excavate Truck or moving van Handy‐strong persons to help you (More the better) Sand or stone dust Metal rake and metal shovels Ladder to get in and out New above ground pool liner New skimmer/Return Drill gun with assortment of different sized bits (#2 bit, #3bit, flat head bit, etc...
Extra stainless screws, nuts and bolts (in case some are lost or to rusted and stripped) Tape measure Valves‐clamps‐nipples as needed Manufacturer’s directions if possible (only for reference) Part 2 Taking the above ground pool down for transport Digging around the perimeter Move all soil and rocks away from the outside of the pool. It is important to wash the wall at this time. Clean by spraying the wall with a water hose paying more attention to the bottom portion.
the liner into the sand as this will only dull the knife and not scratch the pool wall. Next, cut along the top just below the top rails being careful not to score the pool wall; then bag the liner piece you cut off into a contractor trash bag. If the liner too big to handle simply cut it into smaller pieces and then bag them. Next cut the floor into smaller pieces and place them appropriately into trash bags.
Taking the top caps, top rails and top plates off the pool Remove the top caps and top rails of the pool and try to keep all parts together for re assembly. Screws go into Ziploc bags and try to keep count of the screws you lose so that you can replace them at the next location. Once the top caps and rails are removed unscrew the metal caps that are on top of the uprights. These caps lock down the plastic coping which holds the liner in place.
Removing the wall bolts and rolling the wall up when ready it's time to take the wall bolts out. Find where the upright was covering the wall bolts. While someone is inside the pool and someone is outside the pool remove the wall bolts from bottom to top. At this stage of the take down the wall will be extremely flimsy. Hopefully you picked a nice day with hardly any wind. Lay down your piece of 4’x4’ plywood in the middle of the pool area. This is what you will use to roll the wall up.
Taking apart the bottom track so all you have left is the bottom track and plates. Bend over and start picking up all the bottom plates and track pieces. Take note of their condition, if you inspected them right in the beginning then their probably fine and just need to be free of dirt. Wash with a garden hose and put like pieces together for transport. If you come across any bad parts order them asap as it may take a few days to get them.
Site leveling Having a level surface free of top soil is a must to a perfectly installed pool. A bobcat is the best choice for taking up top soil and leveling where the pool should go. Look around on the Internet for someone who is willing to come over and level the site for you. Another place to ask is your local above ground pool retailer. Never hurts to ask but sometimes the retailers want you to buy first before giving out what they perceive as valuable information.
Sand or Stone base Most pools require a base material to be laid before beginning installation of the pool structure. Either a mason, (basic pool building sand) material can be used, or a stone base material. Mason sand, also known as pool sand, will create a very smooth bottom layer and is often more popular.
Foam covings are a choice in regards to an above ground pool liner installation. We recommend if your pool has them to inspect for any damaged pieces and replace them. If your pool doesn’t have any and you want them. Then you will have to take the entire base of your pool down to accommodate the installation of the covings. The picture represents at what level the floor will needs to be. There are two choices when it comes to covering the bottom of your floor base.
Above‐ground pools generally require tons of base material and the chart below can be more specific as to how much: Pool size feet Tons of material 12 2 15 2 18 2.5 20/21 2.5 24 3.5 28 4.5 30 5.5 33 6 What you want to do is get the sand or stone base material into the middle of the site and place it in a single pile. Now you’re ready for Installation.
your diameter in several locations to make sure it’s perfectly round in all directions. If your pool is a 24’ round its diameter will measure 24’ in all directions, no more and no less. When you apply the measuring diameter example from earlier example you will get it set perfectly round and ready to install patio blocks and laser leveling can take place. Laser leveling the patio blocks After your track is set and measured its time to place patio blocks under the bottom plates and track.
Spreading the base materials with a shovel spread the base material all around the inside floor making sure to place between the patios blocks you just leveled in the previous step. Your final compacted height will be level with the top of the patio blocks. The whole inside radius should be initially spread about an inch higher than the patio blocks so that when the base gets packed it becomes level to the blocks and the bottom track.
Wall construction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Dm0czEXkY Wall installation Video (Sharkline pool) Place a 4’x4’ piece of plywood into the middle of the pool area and place the wall with skimmer cut out at the top. When the wall is just sitting in the middle of the pool area you’ll want to loosen the coil. This shouldn’t be too hard since the factory coiled wall is now loosely rolled by you and some friends when you took it down.
large seam upward to the top of the liner. That is where you will start installing. Do not start near the skimmer area with the smaller seam. You don’t want to cut through this seam when attaching the skimmer later on. Place shop vacuum hose through the return opening so the end is about 4 inches above the bottom cove. Hold the hose close to the wall and straight for accuracy. Use duct tape to secure the opening around the hose and place strips to cover the skimmer opening on the outside of the pool.
J‐hook connections – place J‐hook over the pool wall and continue until entire liner is in place. As you place J‐hook over the pool wall secure with the metal copings that were removed earlier. Don’t secure top hold down plates, rails and caps until liner is all the way on. When the liner is on all the way around this is the time to install the top hold down plates, top rails and caps. Once the top hold down plates are in place the vacuum can be turned on.
water weight will help you push the wrinkles. When installed correctly you should have no wrinkles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmJIRMh4CV8 super simple above ground pool liner installation part one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8XvASfbVEE part two Uni‐Beads‐ Uni‐bead liners are liners made to fit ether a J‐hook application or a regular bead application.
inside person will handle a #3 Phillips screw driver and the inside plate of the skimmer. For per‐assembly directions on putting your particular skimmer together refer to your manufacturer’s directions. The person on the outside will handle the outside portion of the skimmer and will have one skimmer screw at his disposal. The outside person uses his skimmer screw and starts to poke a hole through the top middle hole at the skimmer’s pre‐cut out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw4e3axOkOU a good overall pool installation video (Edwards pools) Ladder installation most likely when you purchased your used above ground pool it came with a ladder already installed and all you have to do is place over the pool wall when you’re ready to start using your pool. Pump and filter installation before you can make any connections to a pump/filter you want to start filling with a garden hose until you pool is about 1/3 rd full.
Crushed stone around the pool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfp4rhY__xU random crushed stone landscape project (BigRizTV) The last step before enjoying a swimming you’re new used above ground pool will be to add a crush stone base around the perimeter of the pool. Remember earlier when leveling your pool site that you made the site 2’ larger than the pool itself. It’s this area around the perimeter where you’ll place the crushed stone base.
Part 5 Caring for your new/used above ground pool Chemistry Your pool water will need to be regularly tested for maintenance and at other times as needed for various issues. Some examples of other instances where you may need to test your pool waster are (link other pages here to show when testing might be needed).
with, which is often found on the bottle. The results should dictate what chemicals, if any, need to be added to bring your water to the standard levels. Another type of testing kit you can purchase is a liquid testing kit. Rather than dipping something in the water to display results, for this kit you will withdraw a water sample and fill a cylinder with it. Then, you will drop in a few different liquid testing materials as directed by the instructions and you will see the water change colors.
Cleaning Equipment When you’ve put in your use pool, you’ll need all the right tools at your disposal to keep it in pristine condition, ready for swimming at a moment’s notice. Like anything else, a pool needs to be properly maintained and you’ll need the tools below to do so: Handheld skimmers Skimmers are made of thin, mesh nets that will help you remove items floating on the surface of your pool, like leaves, bugs, or things blown into the pool by wind.
Pool vacuum heads Vacuum heads are powered with the suction from your pool pump and are used to clean surfaces. They’re easier than using a regular pool brush and scrubbing by hand or pulling out your pool cleaner just to clean a spot or two. Brushes that rotate will quickly clean up any stains or spots to be scrubbed, and they can be used with even a fragile liner. Like the skimmer, pool vacuum heads can be attached to a standard utility pole. How to vacuum your pool (with sand or DE filter): http://www.
Keep running the pump until the water in the sight glass you can see through is clear. Turn the pump off and then make sure to re‐set your filter to the ‘filter’ setting. Do not try and turn the filter settings while the pump is running, because you will then have to replace the gaskets within the filter. If you have a DE filter, check to see if it requires more DE to be added now. Turn your pump back on.
Winterizing your above ground pool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ZK2ZueuQg (Teddy Bear Pools) When fall comes around and the weather cools, you’ll want to make sure your pool is in tip‐top shape for the coming winter. First, balance the pool chemicals about a week before closing it to: pH within 7.2 – 7.6 Alkalinity between 80 – 120 ppm Calcium hardness between 180 and 220 ppm. Next, shock your pool water with at least one pound per 10,000 gallons.
Drain your filter, pump, chlorinator and heater to rid all the pool water from them. They should each have a drain plug. If there is any water left in the equipment, it will freeze throughout the winter and cause your equipment to crack, so use a shop vac if you need to blow out any excess water in the equipment. If you have a DE filter or a cartridge filter, clean them thoroughly. Before you store your equipment, take some time to lubricate the o‐rings on your pump lid with Magic Lube.
THE HOMEOWNERS OFF‐SEASON RESPONSIBILITIES (NOTE: Winter covers are not 100% water barriers. Water seepage is a normal occurrence.) 1. Keep some water (1‐3 inches) on your cover. This helps to prevent wind damage. Use quick clips on the aboveground winter cover in high wind areas to keep it secure. Fill water bags only 2/3 of the way so there is room for ice expansion. 2. Remove excessive water (anything more than 3 inches) from the cover during the off‐season.
BONUS MATERIAL Opening your above ground pool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=‐qDx7HzU_YQ (Teddy Bear Pools) Removing your pool cover: For solid covers, you’ll need to use a small cover pump to remove any rain and snow melt that you have sitting on the cover. You can make it easier for the pump by pulling on the pool edges, tilting it to get all of the water in one place.
Once your pool cover is clean, let it dry out or use a blower to make it dry faster. Next, fan‐fold the whole cover to make it easy to re‐install over your pool when the weather turns colder. Beginning at one end, roll the cover tightly and wrap the roll with rope or twine to hold in place and store in a dry locale without risk of rodents chewing at it in the future. Now, head back to your pool and remove the expansion (freeze) plugs from the skimmers and the wall returns.
Next, lubricate the valves and o‐rings since they may need to be flexible. Fill your pump basket with water from your hose. Replace the lid on your pump very tightly. Look for leaks that may be coming out, and re‐check that all of the valves and pressure relief openings are open and ready to go (down position for DE filters, up for sand filters, and filter for multiport valves). Turn on your pump and watch the pressure gauge very closely while your hand is still on the power switch.
If you have a pool heater, follow the pilot lighting and test firing instructions as included with the product. The instructions can often be found on the back of the front heater door. Take time to test all of your other pool equipment as well now. Inspect your pool accessories for safety and wear and tear – check electric outlets for damage, assure proper grounding, make sure no wires were exposed over the colder seasons.
pH balance should be 7.4 – 7.6, and should be tested 8 hours after opening your pool, ad pH increaser if the water is acidic, or below 7.4 and add decreaser if water is basic or going above 7.6. After your chemicals have been in the water for eight hours, shock or super‐chlorinate your pool. If you use granular shock, add it at 1 pound per 10,000 gallons, or if you’re using Clorox bleach, add it at 5 gallons per 10,000 gallons.
