If you see a small hole in the pool liner, it's essential to fix it immediately. For this, it would be a shame to replace the entire pool just because one area is bad. Step 3 Tape a piece of roofing tin or sheet metal over the hole from the outside This is a fix on the outside of the pool wall, so make sure to use tape that can withstand the elements. If you poke the wall and the screwdriver goes through, then you have another hole. They require a signature, so you do not need to worry about them leaving a wall on your door stop. Vinyl and fiberglass pools are less likely to stain, but organic, metal and mineral materials can cause staining on vinyl pools. If a wall arrives damaged, please be certain to note the damage when the truck driver delivers the wall. In most cases, its hard to verify that the hole was caused by rust inside the pool wall. If you can flake off the rust in layers, then that means you're dealing with deep corrosion. If you can poke a hole in the wall, then you need to patch the pool wall. You are done. Some better model pools will have a service panel. Some pools have service panels made of the same metal as the rest of the wall. Having a hole in the wall of an above-ground swimming pool is usually not a big deal and can be repaired. This may be more common than you think. Just overlapping a big piece of sheet metal over the inside of the pool wall wont do it either. This is why I recommend using just tape for patch repairs. NOTE: This is an ugly fix as the patch is on the outside of the wall and visible. Installing a thin layer of foam will do this. #greenpoolscanmakeyoucrazy. The type of pool you have will indicate how easy it is to rust. 2 If the rusted hole is big If the rusted hole in your above-ground pool is bigger than say four inches, then I would consider doing more than just patching it. A Drain the pool down to where the hole is Right now (with the pool full of water) your liner is pressing against the wall by the weight of the water its holding. I have tried everything that you are thinking of right now and can tell you there is only one way to guarantee the fix an advanced full wall repair. Step 5 Tape a piece of sheet metal over the hole on the outside of the wall as well. This article will not be covering how to do an advanced wall repair, but you can learn about it by reading an article I wrote some years back here. When you fill the pool, keep in mind that rain will also fill the pool, so try not to fill the pool to the top during the summer season. 1 If the rusted hole is lower in the wall of the pool An above-ground pool holds water above the ground. I even had one from a cross-bow which was kind of cool. Make sure to not drain the pool all the way down. Address the one hole that you have by following steps 3-5. Nothing sharp is to go in the pool often is a rule made the hard way. NOTE: It is fairly rare to only have a small area of the inside of the wall to rust and then locally cause a hole. This is the worst way to have a hole in your above-ground pool. Step 1 When looking at the rust on the inside wall, make sure to view all of the rusted areas. If the hole is lower in the wall, youll need two people to do this. Step 9 If all rusted areas feel solid, then you only have surface rust everywhere (except where your hole is). This will help you decide how to repair it. You need to know the size of your pool before you should order a wall. After you sand and paint the area, use wall foam to protect the liner from oxidation. Metal-walled above-ground pools are fairly durable. Well, when it comes to above ground swimming pools, I am that guy! Step 11 Install your new liner, re-assemble the pool frame, and re-fill the pool. Eventually, the rust spot continued to corrode and made a hole in the wall. Make the piece of metal big enough to cover all of the originating rusted area around the hole. For you country folk out there, this equates to the combined weight of more than 25 Ford F-150 pick-up trucks. Make sure and tape all the edges of the metal piece. If you see light surface rusting around the vinyl pool wall skimmers, you don't have to worry because that's normal. - Rust spots or rusted skimmer/return area can often be repaired. Plus, some will just not care to know how it happened and thats cool. Youll also usually tell which direction the rock came from by the fold of metal around the hole. Sand and apply to any rust on the outside wall as well. Pools and alcohol make a fun mix and things can get crazy. The only real way to tell is to drain the pool down so you can pull the liner away from the wall and look. This creates more fading and staining. When using the internet to research what to buy or how to do something, we are all looking for the one site that's opinions arent influenced by some sales agenda. This involves draining the pool, buying a new liner, possibly buying wall foam and adhesive, and getting a piece of wall. After you determine the extent of the rust, you'll be able to figure out the best course of action when it comes to remedying the situation. Also, use duct tape (or similar) to cover the entire rusted (and now treated) area of the wall on the inside. Now the hole is patched. - Bent or disfigured pool walls of above ground pools, mainly caused by winter damage and can often times be repaired. Unfortunately, some innocent above-ground pools get shot by mistake. Fortunately for me, I get to see how these things fair over the years. Now what? Remove whatever parts of the pools frame it takes to get to the top of the liner. The vinyl liner or plastic pool steps age over time and will be susceptible to UV rays and chemical degradation. So, dont think that if you have a non-stainless steel service panel, you can just replace it. Youll want to try to determine how the wall started corroding. It wont. 3 If the rusted hole is directly under the skimmer or return In many cases, a leak from an improperly installed or faulty skimmer and/or return fitting is what caused the wall to corrode, get rusty, and ultimately cause a hole in the first place. Check inside the pool where the hole is to see if theres a hole in the liner. Dan writes with the knowledge of having 35 years (and counting) in the above ground pool industry. Once done, you can now move the liner inward to gain access to the hole from the inside of the wall. This is not good but the best-case scenario when it comes to holes made by rust. That's why it's essential to find the source of the rust instead of spot treating it over and over again. Access panels are imperious to any rust or corrosion problems around your skimmer and return area of your swimming pool wall. Step 2 Spray and coat the corroded area and edges of the hole with a rust inhibitor Be careful not to discolor the pools wall too much if spraying. In order to test if the rust is causing corrosion, get a screwdriver and see how deep the rust goes. Remembering that a pool wall holds an extreme amount of water weight, the bigger the hole (caused by corrosion), the less overall integrity of strength. Step 2 Patch the hole in the liner Use an underwater patch kit for this and follow the directions. link to How close can you get an above ground pool to an existing deck, link to 11 things an above ground pool retailer will tell you that just arent true, Nationwide Above Ground Pool Installer List, reading an article I wrote some years back here. Finding this article usually means that you have an above-ground swimming pool with an existing (usually wood) deck and are about to replace the pool with a new one. If you need to replace the entire vinyl pool wall panel, it can be done in the same way as a small patch. This means you have to take the top of the pool apart so you can be able to make space to separate the liner from the inside wall. Tape around all edges of the piece of metal so as not to expose any openings. In many cases, when a wall is severely rusty on the inside of the wall, its rusty in too big an area and the whole pool has to be replaced. The installation of your liner will take one day. Sign up for our newsletter to receive news, access to special deals, and more. This means that it is more likely to fail and split open from the water weight the further down the hole is. Step 4 Spray the edges of the hole with a rust inhibitor An above-ground swimming pool wall has coatings both on the inside and outside. The gel coating on the fiberglass can scratch and chip over time. Learn about stainless panels here. If you have discovered that the inside of your pool wall is rusted through badly, but only in one area, then you can fix this by doing an extreme repair. See above for how to do this. It is relatively impossible to stop any water from leaking through both sides of the pool wall when the skimmer rusts. 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Usually, a hole in the wall of an above-ground pool can be explained, but not always. Step 3 Use a hard flat surface and a hammer to smooth out the holes edges Hold something flat on the inside of the wall where the hole is, then tap the wall around the hole on the outside. The upper part of the pool wall is one of the most common areas for rust to occur because moisture can get behind the liner. If you have a small hole that needs patching, you're going to get long lateral patches of galvanized steel roll flashing or cold roll steel sheets. This wont stop corrosion from continuing, but it may slow the process way down, which is good. If the edges are sharp, then you will have to smooth them out or flatten the hole. BOX 561, Grand Island, NY, US, 14072. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. For one reason or another, a pool wall can get a spot of rust on the exterior. You may think that just because there's rust in the pool, the entire pool is a goner, but you need to determine how bad things are first. This means that the wall got rusty due to constant moisture from a leak, which usually means that the rust is traveling straight down the wall from the skimmer box or return fitting. Step 10 Buy wall foam and spray adhesive. Step 1 Use a hard flat surface and a hammer to smooth out the holes edges Since the hole was made from the inside, the edges will be protruding outward, so you wont need to access between the liner and the inside of the wall. First, you're going to place the new wall pieces on the inside of the pool wall and line up the metal channels to the edge of the wall piece. Make sure the nuts and bolts are drilled tightly. Abovegroundpoolknowitall.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Cut the liner out of the pool in pieces and discard. Doing this will help to flake off any loose pieces of rust. There are different reasons a pool can become rusted, including leaking gaskets, holes in the pool liner, an overfilled pool or even water behind the pool wall. Some will go through a lot to sand down all the rust, treat it, and then maybe re-coat everything with a fancy anti-corrosion paint. If youre not following me, thats ok. Just know that the further you go down the pool wall, the more weight it has to hold. - Pool walls that have come out of the bottom or top track. All rights reserved. A variety of things can cause rust stains in a pool, including screws, nails, staples, hairpins or barrettes, nonpool toys or rusty water pipes bringing in fill water. Step 7(Continuing from step 2) If you have drained the pool mostly, inspected the wall in several areas, and found a lot of inside wall rust, then I recommend draining the pool completely and buying a new liner for it. How close can you get an above ground pool to an existing deck. Take something hard and flat (like a small piece of wood) and press it against the inside of the hole while taping the outside of the wall with a hammer. If you have determined that the hole is the result of rust originating on the inside of the pools wall, then you have already inspected the inside of the wall in that area. This website claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. This means that the wall of the pool is holding in tens of thousands of pounds of water weight. Maybe forever. In-ground Pools - We will take precise measurements of your pool for a perfect fit of your replacement liner. If rust is coming through the metal, then you need to fix the skimmer. Depending how long it takes to fill your pool, you can be swimming the very next day! Use tab to navigate through the menu items. If you have rust on your pool wall, there may be water seeping through a weak gasket on the vinyl liner skimmer, returns, lights or steps. The order subtotal is less than the minimum allowed value ($1.00). That's why it's important to always keep up with above-ground pool wall repair. Spot treating the rust stain may seem more manageable, but over time, the rust can affect the overall longevity of the pool. Many pool owners realize early on that they need to make a rule. 2141 Babcock Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15209 Ph: 1-888-GET-POOL. Some held nicely and others failed miserably. (You dont want your pool to look like it was tagged by some kid). When these pools rust at the skimmer/return, you are supposed to be able to remove the panel and replace it with a replacement panel. Step 1 Sand around the hole and anywhere there is rust from the outside. Yeah no. 2006 - 2022 AsahiParts.com. When you purchase a pool, the last thing you want is for it to start breaking down within the first five years. Duh!! This is very important! Acid washing plaster pools will remove the top layer of the plaster and maintain the freshness of the underlayer of plaster. One to hold a piece of wood(or something flat) on the inside of the hole and one to tap the hammer on the outside. Your email address will not be published. NOTE: If you want to do a slightly better repair job, then youll have to tape a piece of metal to the inside of the wall at the hole as well. This is not good. When a hole is made, the edges of the hole will not have a coating. Step 3 Spray the holes edges with a rust inhibitor Youll be doing this from the outside of the pool, so be careful not to discolor the wall when spraying. Before installing your new liner, youll want to protect it from your rusty wall. If the rust is not surface level, though, then you are dealing with a more serious case. This is a separate piece of wall at the skimmer/return openings that is designed to be removable and then replaced with new. If your pool has a service panel made from stainless steel (which is what it should be made of), then you will never need to replace it because the stainless steel will never rust through. Since you have a flat area, water leakage is reduced or eliminated from either water fitting! In the 35 years of me working on above grounds, Ive done more than a few wall repairs from gunshots. The first thing youll want to do is determine how the hole happened. If water is delivered it can be as early as the same day or within a few days if using your hose or well water. And that outward pressure increases towards the bottom of the wall all way around. Take something pointy (like a screwdriver) and poke all the badly rusted areas of the wall. This is to stop direct exposure to the elements and reducing the rate of corrosion. Required fields are marked *. WARNING THIS IS THE MOST SERIOUS CONDITION FOR GETTING A HOLE IN THE WALL AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AGGRESSIVELY. In most cases, there is rust in other places as well. This is why it may be a good idea to replace the entire piece of wall when a hole is under the skimmer or return fitting. You most likely will not be able to. Don't worry, though you can repair an above-ground pool with rust on the pool walls. All you have to do is sandpaper the area and use a little Rust-Oleum to make sure it doesn't come back. The wall of the pool has a lot of outward pressure from this water weight. All Rights Reserved. What Can Happen If Water Gets Behind the Pool Liner? NOTE: This may seem extreme to some, however, if you have a hole in your pool wall resulting from inside wall rust AND you have a lot of wall rust, then you may have an issue that will kill your pool in a matter of several months or less. These rolls or sheets are sold in a variety of sizes, so it's essential to measure what size you need first. The only way to be sure is to bolt a full piece of wall over the old one and bolt both sides to the existing wall from top to bottom. Walls are compatible with all frame sizes. A pool has the potential to last for up to 20 to 30 years, but even the most meticulous of pool owners can run into above-ground pool rust. Contact us regarding your concerns with your pool and we will determine if your pool can be repaired. What you are doing here is seeing if any other part of the wall has rusted through. Plaster pools will stain easier than vinyl because plaster is porous. - Pressure plate issuesor metal straps pushing up through sand and/orliner (oval above ground), - Broken up floor or walls (in-ground pools). Some panels will be stainless in color, some in aluminum color and some will be painted or patterned to match your swimming pool wall. A vertical line of rust in the wall of an above-ground pool (that has rusted through) is dangerous and can easily take away its ability to hold all of that water weight. Now that you have figured out what caused the hole in the metal wall of your pool, its time to fix it. The majority of rusty walls originate from a leak at the skimmer or return fitting. The fix will depend on what caused the hole, so here is the fix for each cause. Before repairing though, its important to know how the hole happened and if the cause was rust. Looking at the hole in the metal of the wall will usually tell you what it was that hit it. You can reduce the rate of corrosion, which is cool. If there's rust on the lower third of the pool wall, there's more cause for concern. Sometimes you wont know it happened at the time, but when you see the hole, you can tell how it happened. A hole in the wall of an above-ground pool made from rust is a big concern and should be addressed quickly. Youll know if the hole came from the inside of the pool by inspecting it. You dont want any edges exposed to the liner when the pool goes back together. The liner will have a hole in it too and the metal around the hole will most likely be pushing outward. If the hole is in the lower third of the pool, you won't be able to do a simple patch job. Your email address will not be published. For some, its not a mistake. If you dont know though, then youll have to assume the worse. Most of the time, a flying rock or something will make a rip in the liner. Kids may also not tell you that they hit the pool while playing. If theres a hole, patch the liner with an underwater patch kit right away. And thats a lot of work. Step 4 Tape a piece of roofing tin or sheet metal over the hole from the outside This is a fix on the outside of the pool wall, so make sure to use tape that can withstand the elements. This will flatten out the edges of the hole. Use gloves when using rust remover chemicals or epoxy putty. Step 2 Check the edges of the hole for sharpness If any part of the ripped metal is sharp, then that can cut the pools liner and has to be addressed. Even after 35 years of working on pools, I still see new things and still come across situations that I cannot explain. If the screwdriver can poke through the wall, you're going to need to think about above-ground pool wall replacement. Youll see that by how the metal folds around the hole. This means its ability to split from the outward water weight is greater. They will be shipped with a freight carrier of AsahiParts.com choice. - Concrete repair/patching and replacement. When you're filling the pool for the first time after it was closed, try to keep an eye out for water overflow. Lets look at what caused the hole and how to fix it. If you want a nicer-looking repair job, then follow the directions above for patching on the inside of the wall. Having a small hole in your liner can be detrimental to your pool because most people don't notice small amounts of water loss. Read about wall foam here. This is because the body of water has a downward weight as well. How to Isolate a Leak in a Vinyl Pool Liner, How to Fix a Pool Liner Corner That Has Popped Out. Because the bolts on these panels are always fused together and cannot come apart. Step 5 Tape a piece of roofing tin or thin sheet metal over the hole from the inside of the wall Cut a generously sized piece of metal to place over the hole. Again, kids are probably the culprit here but you never know. Go to step 7. Using duct tape, tape the metal piece over the hole from the inside. WHY? They are made with a pretty thin metal wall though, so they can get holes in them. This is especially true if the rust hole is more vertical. As an example, a 24 round above-ground pool has about 14k gallons in it. 2022 Copyright Above ground pools knowitall. NOTE: Most holes made by lawnmowers throwing rocks are low in the pools wall. Your repair is complete. Make sure that the patch is not super heavy or thick because you won't be able to cut, drill or hang it on the pool. Once the necessary amount of water is in the pool we will returnto complete the process. Panel has a 100% warranty from seam separation and will provide a flat surface for your skimmer and return. If the hole in your rusty walled pool is toward the bottom of the pool and it looks really badly rusted, then I would recommend doing a full piece of wall repair. So, youve in some way discovered that theres a hole in the wall of your above-ground pool. If there is an images appearing on this website that belongs to you and do not wish for it to appear of this site, please e-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed. In the world of all things sold, selling above-ground swimming pools isnt that hard. Doing so will cause the liner to shrink and youll have to replace it. Walls are not returnable. Everyone is looking for that guy who really knows what he is talking about and has an unbiased opinion.