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An easy set pool is one that takes you no time to bring up for use. The first step in setting up a pool always comes by determining the site of the pool. And in determining the location of the pool, you need to look out for level ground or make an uneven ground even before installation.

Ground leveling and getting your pool ready for use should not take more than 6 hours if you follow the right process and installation manual during purchase. Sometimes this can be a complicated process if you fail to follow procedures. Remember, ground leveling is necessary and should be prioritized, as an uneven ground could set your pool to ruin no matter how durable it is. 

Here we will be presenting you the easiest way to level ground for pool.

Steps to Leveling Your Ground for Pool

There are two available methods to leveling your pool. One involves digging, and the other is using a rolling tamper. You can choose any of the methods you think can help you better in getting your site ready.

Step 1: Clear the Site of Installation

Most importantly, your site of pool installation needs to be cleared to remove all grasses and roots. You may choose to use shovels and diggers to get all roots that can puncture into your liner. Most people want to use evacuation companies, but that could be expensive. Shovel, digger, and wheelbarrow can get the job done.

Step 2:  Mark the Site of Installation

Placing pegs helps to keep an accurate measurement of the area you need to install your pool. You would not want grasses to be growing close to your pool walls. So be sure to give enough room to the surrounding area for walkaround and slab placement, usually 12’’. However, you can choose to leave more space. 

Step 3: Have the Ground Leveled and Compact

Keep a leveled surface by making sure you eliminate all high hills and use the sands to fill the low hills. Smoothen the surface and use a plumb measure to check if the ground is leveled. Also, note that a leveled ground can become uneven over time due to rain and some other factors. To avoid this, you would need to compact the surface you mapped out for your pool. For effective results, you can use a compacting machine.

Step 4: Get a Fine Grain Sand and Pour on the Surface

For perfect leveling of the pool area, pour fine grain sand on top of the leveled ground and compact to give an even surface. Make sure the sand is free from any sharp objects that could harm your liner. Most people will choose to install the pool before leveling the sand because they find it easier to install on a hard surface. However, if you use a compacting machine after pouring the sand will make the surface hard for installation.

Step 5: Install Your Pool

Now, you can go ahead to install your pool on your leveled surface.

What To Put Under Above Ground Pool on Grass?

Manually digging and leveling surface areas is one way of getting your pool installed. However, they are other methods you can use to place your above ground pool. Meanwhile, above ground pools are naturally designed to rest on grass surfaces without issues. Still, it is not a recommended means since you might likely not get a leveled surface.

Here are the bases that can be suitable for your pool.

Concrete Pads: Concrete pads provide a well-leveled surface and will not sink if well built. However, it can wear the base of your pool over time if the pool is installed directly on the surface. So, you would need to add some inches layer of sand on top of the concrete.

Commercial Pads: There are lots of commercial pads available in the market. Pool ground tarp is most effective if you need to lay your pool in your garden. It can serve as a perfect base for your pool.

Foam Pads: Another alternative to sand is the use of polyurethane foam. Polyurethane foam will not slide out when your pool takes up the weight.

Conclusion

Knowing how to level your ground before pool installation is very important, but knowing the type of base to use under your above ground pool is more important. So, getting your pool equipped with these gives you a durable pool.

Having to level your ground before pool installation can be challenging and may not be a process a lot of people would love to undergo. Here is something you have been waiting for−getting a pool that fits any unleveled surface. The way to achieve that is to get an above ground pool that is designed to look like a semi-inground pool. This type of pool can fit in any unleveled surface.

It only requires you to dig a meter, which is not up to half the depth of an inground pool. You do not need to level or know how to level uneven ground before using this type of pool. The pool is designed to fit and make you have that perfect landscape pool you sort for.

Let us look at a step by step guide on how to set up an above ground pool on unlevel ground.

Step 1: Site the Location of the Pool

The first thing you need to consider is to have a quick survey of your yard and the nature of the place you need to position your above ground pool. This includes the soil composition, the weather condition of the area, the size and shape of the yard. You would also need to keep in mind that this is a semi-inground pool that needs to be installed on unleveled ground. So, the texture of the soil is important here because you would need to do some little digging.

Step 2: Clear up and Evacuate the yard

Unlike the full-fledge above ground pool, this does not require you to do some leveling. However, you would need to do some little digging. But before you can do that, you need to clear up the surrounding area and make a peg to give you an accurate measurement of the size of your pool. You would also need to make sure the area has enough space for pool slabs.

Most importantly, make sure you site the pool away from any third-party infrastructure. Either beneath, above, or close to the pool. Things like water pipes, gas pipelines, or power lines are not supposed to be close to your pool.

Step 3: Dig

Once the environment where the pool is to be situated is in place, you would need to dig half size of the pool. You can use a measuring tape to determine the depth to make sure you have reached your goal. 

Step 4: Install Your Pool

Now you can commence installing your pool. To successfully install your pool, you would need to go through the manufacturer’s manual. Remember to add a pad beneath the pool to protect your pool liner adequately.

Above Ground Pool Leveling Problems

Your above ground pool needs to be on a leveled ground. If that is not met, you stand a chance of experiencing pool failure. This could result in damage to your pool walls, liner, and even cause uneven water levels.

Your initial pool installation goes a long way in determining the durability of your pool. If you place a pool on an uneven surface, some part of the pool will have more of the weight, which will cause the pool to collapse. Your liner can get wrinkled based because of an uneven ground, which will affect the pool, especially when you need to clean the pool.

More so, the uneven water level does not give you maximum satisfaction because some part of the pool tends to have more water capacity than others. This can be challenging also for children to swim. 

A pool vacuum greatly facilitates the cleaning work. It removes stones, insects, and other particles. But the pool cleaner must be connected via a hose to the filter system or the skimmer. The following instructions explain, step by step, how to hook up an Intex pool vacuum to an Intex pool pump.  First, we’ll see how to use Intex pool vacuum and how it works. 

How Does the Intex Pool Vacuum Work ?

Using a pool vacuum is a bit different from a pool robot. Most of these devices plug into power sources other than an electrical transformer. It is at the installation level that users get stuck, especially at the time of first use. This is especially because the actions to be taken vary from one situation to another. Generally, each model is delivered with a manual that mentions the main steps to be done to tame the device. More often than not, these manuals explain how to change accessories and how to fix it to a pool pump. But everything happens almost the same for all models of the brand.

Types of Pool Vacuums

Here we distinguish a manual pool cleaner from an automatic pool cleaner. For both cases, a vacuum connection needs to be made, and only the type of movement required for cleaning varies.

Manual Pool Cleaner

Manual pool bottom vacuums are used for manual floor cleaning. They consist of a brush head and a telescopic rod. The brush reaches a telescopic pole and is connected with a hose to the filter system. The suction cup is guided by hand on the floor of the pool and sucks the dirt from the floor.

Automatic Pool Cleaner

An automatic pool vacuum cleaner cleans the pool floor independently. This is connected via a hose to the filter system, and the negative pressure ensures that it moves independently on the pool floor. In this way, the automatic pool vacuum cleaner works without the need for manipulation or effort from the user. Manual cleaning of the bottom is not required in this type. 

Best Practices with an Intex Pool Vacuum Cleaner

The attachments should all be suitable for the purpose you are vacuuming. This allows you to have the desired results. It is not a good idea to use the vacuum cleaner in water that is too cold, as it may shorten its life. 

Also, each manual mentions the ideal temperature to stick to. You should clean the pool now and then to prevent the filter from clogging.

How to Connect the Swimming Pool Vacuum Cleaner to the Intex Pump

• Unplug the pool pump from its outlet.
• Unscrew the hose connection and pull it out.
• Check out the hose with an “A” mark. Screw up the hose adaptor.  
• Connect this adaptor to the hose connection you unscrewed earlier on in the upper part.
• Screw up, attach, and lock the hoses to the adaptors by turning it clockwise. 
• Attach the free end of the “D” hose to the clamp of the hose. Then connect this free and to the upper vacuum connection, tightening up the clamp with a screwdriver. 
• Submerge your vacuum inside the water. Ensure the hose is beneath the level of the water, so the air in the hose can be filled with water. 
• Turn counterclockwise the upper air release valve. Fill this vacuum with water, creating a backflow, by doing up to two revolutions. 
• Limit the inflow of air by tightening the valve mentioned above back to the opposite position.

Important Tips

• Always follow the product’s operating instructions.
• Exhaust the air in the filter before starting.
• Do the cleaning gently and patiently so as not to cloud the water with dirt from the bottom.
• Allow the filter to run for 10-15 minutes before sucking.
• You’ll need to backwash the filter after you’ve done a big vacuuming.

You are very proud to have built or bought and installed your first above ground pool. Then you have waited long hours for it to be filled. When you go to check on the progress of things, you notice that your brand new pool is tilting sideways. Ironically, the difference is only realized after filling the pool with water.

A tilting above ground swimming pool due to an unlevel ground is not a problem you should take lightly. We recommend that you fix this problem as soon as possible. If you continue using the pool in that tilted position, you risk serious damage to your garden. In this tutorial, we’ll see how to level a pool that is already filled. 

What are the Causes of an Unlevel Above Ground Swimming Pool?

Do you have a freestanding swimming pool that leans? The two main reasons are:

The Sloping Land 

Your floor may appear to be flat, but if your pool ends up tilting, it may not be flat enough. Half a centimeter can be enough to end up with a freestanding swimming pool that leans to one side. When the swimming pool is empty, it is not usually visible. But when it is filled with water, the difference is seen and can become a real problem.

The Ground is Not Strong Enough 

A stable ground is a hard ground – not the sandy, freshly-filled, or waterlogged one. Installed on a sandy, wet ground, above a water table, the above-ground swimming pool can move, sag, or tilt. The ideal is, therefore, to install it on a concrete slab or an earthen floor.

Risks Caused by a Tilting Pool

If the difference in level does not exceed a centimeter, it does not really pose a problem. Beyond that, you risk damaging your liner as well as its structure.

In the most extreme cases, a part will get weakened, fail, and the liner will be liable to shatter. Then several tons of water will flow into your garden. This is not a risk to be taken lightly. The mass of water released in a fraction of a second can cause serious injury and damages to the environment.

Also, if your swimming pool is placed near a neighboring plot, you’ll be held responsible for the damages caused. A high level of chlorine in your pool water may be harmful to your (or your neighbor’s) vegetable garden. So, the flooding of your neighbor’s residence may not be taken casually. 

How to Remedy the Situation and Avert Disaster

First, you have to know why the pool is tilting to provide the right solution. As stated in the manufacturer’s instructions, the ground on which the pool sits must be level.

Did you notice that the sagging is coming from the level of the feet? Then there is a good chance that they have sunk into the sand. You can try to remedy this by leveling the structure with shims. 

If the difference in level is high, the entire liner is likely resting on sloping ground. It is generally, in this case, that the risk of the liner rupturing is the greatest.

In this case, do not hesitate to drain the pool to remedy the problem. This is the only solution available to you. Once empty, disassemble the pool and resume the landscaping from the beginning.

Are you sure that the ground was level before installing your pool, but it is still sagging or tilting? Then the problem is probably because of the way you prepared the ground for the pool.

The sand must still be too loose and no longer provide a level surface. If the pool tilts for more than two centimeters, you will have to empty the pool. 

Based on your observations, then you can proceed to improve your land to straighten your freestanding pool. You can level the ground, for example, by installing a concrete slab, or you can also earth the ground.

Is it that the nature of the terrain is the problem (sandy or easily waterlogged)? Then we advise you to call an expert to assess the problem and give you the different possibilities. But in all cases, it will be best to rethink its location.  

How Unlevel Can Your Pool Be?

• Under 1 inch: It does not really pose a problem too. It should be left to be but closely observed. 
• More than 1 inch: A little bit beyond an inch, you risk damaging your liner as well as its structure. This can be corrected by wedging the tilting side. 
• 2-3 inches or more: If the difference in level measures between two to three inches or more, then you have to empty the pool immediately, disassemble it, and work on the landscaping. 

Step 1: Prepare wooden shims of almost the same size with the remaining inches the pool needs to be on level. For example, if the pool is 2-inch off level. Prepare 2¼-inch high shims. 

Step 2: If the pool is full with water, drain it. To save water, stop draining at halfway the level of the pool capacity. 

Step 3: Identify the sagging/tilting sides of the pool. Then raise each angle of the tilting sides with a metal lever or strong shovel. 

Step 4: With the assistance of another person, put a wooden shim at the base of the angle or foot of the pool. Repeat the process above for the other angle or foot. 

Step 5: Fill your pool back to the required level. 

Note: You may choose not to drain the water if you feel the lever is strong enough to carry the weight and have someone else assist you.

Do you want to protect your above ground or in-ground swimming pool from debris, bacteria, leaves, and other contaminants? Then you must get yourself a pool cover. These covers, as the name implies, keeps contaminants from your pool water.

However, after some time and due to certain factors, you might observe your pool cover start to lose shape and sag. Why does this happen, and how can you prevent this?

Well, following our recommendations can help you succeed in stopping the sagging.

Why Pool Covers Sag

There are several reasons why even a new pool cover sags in a short period. Below, we discuss some of the most common causes.

• Weight of debris and leaves

The pool cover protects the water from debris like fallen leaves and similar contaminants blown by the wind. Thus, when this debris settles on the pool cover instead of the pool water, the accumulation adds to the pool cover’s real weight. Because of this, the cover will sag.

If it is left unchecked, it can permanently deform the cover. By removing the debris quickly, you can prevent it from accumulating and causing the pool cover to sag.

• Snow on Pool Cover

In the winter months, snow usually piles up on the pool cover. The amount of snow can range from mild snowfall to heavier snowfall that can damage the pool cover. The snow can even come as frost or solid blocks, which adds even more weight to an already weighty pool cover and cause sagging.

If this is what happens to your pool cover, you can stop it by removing snow from the pool cover regularly. Some people decide to leave the snow on the cover until winter passes, but that is usually a bad idea. The snow can get so heavy that it tears the cover.

Aside from the obvious damage that snow does to the cover, snow can cause internal damage to your pool’s system if it enters the pool itself.

• Low Water Level

Another factor that can cause your pool cover to sag is the low water level. Since there isn’t anything supporting the pool cover from below, the chances of sagging are higher.

A right water level gives the cover more support from below and prevents the pool cover from sagging.

The water level must be equal with the pool edges. That will assist the pool cover to retain its shape.

Tips on How to Keep Pool Cover from Sagging

Aside from removing debris, snow, and ensuring proper water level, here are some tips that can also help you.

• Hold the edges of the pool cover with pins and metal locks.
• Remove debris and snow from the pool cover promptly.
• Use Styrofoam on the pool’s water surface before adding the cover.
• Use a mesh cover. This would allow water flow normally while keeping away debris from the pool.
• If your pool cover uses a water-resistant material, remove water from pool cover to prevent deformation.

Conclusion

We hope that this article has given you enough insight into how to keep pool cover from sagging.

A Thru wall skimmer is an accessory every pool should have. It helps to filter and clean the water inside your swimming pool. If you have an Intex above ground pool, the skimmer comes in even handier. How can you install a Thru wall skimmer on Intex pool? Well, this post is just for you! Here is a comprehensive guide that will assist you with the entire process.

Thru Wall Skimmer and Your Pool

If you happen to have an Intex pool, the Thru wall skimmer offers you arguably the easiest and most efficient way of cleaning the pool water. If you haven’t installed such a skimmer before, it can be a challenge installing it now. However, the simple steps outlined in this article will assist you in setting up in a short time and without plenty of hassle.

Before we outlined the steps to take, there are certain important things you must know.

What is a Pool Skimmer?

It is important to know what a pool skimmer is and what it does in a pool. If you aren’t familiar with the device, the pool skimmer is simply a device that cleans the pool. It does this by sucking in water and filtering the water.

Using a skimming action, it separates contaminants like leaves, insects, and debris from the water and prevents these from reaching the bottom of the pool.

The accumulated debris is passed to a basket, and the filtered water is returned to the pool via the filter pump. Mostly, it takes contaminated water, removes the contaminants and returns clean water back into the pool.

What is a Thru Wall Skimmer?

The Thru wall skimmer is like most skimmers because it helps to remove contaminants from the pool. The water passes through the skimmer and traps these in the basket. Using a Thru Wall skimmer, more water will pass through the skimmer. Therefore, it removes more debris than your regular skimmer on the market.

Apart from removing more debris, the Thru Wall skimmer has a weir door to trap the debris in the basket, even when the pump is off. Thus, at no point does the debris re-enter the pool.

In addition, the weir door controls water flow into the pump and stops damaging, excess air from entering the pump system and filter.

The combination of all these features ensures that your Intex pool remains clean. It also ensures that the pools’ pump and filter systems work optimally.

How to Install Thru Wall Skimmer on Intex Pool

Now that we have considered what the Thru Wall skimmer is and its benefits, let’s see how to install it. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Fill the Pool

Prepare the pool by filling it with water up to 2′. Why? Well, filling the pool will stretch the pool liner into position.

2. Assemble the Skimmer

After filling the pool and having the pool liner in position, you should assemble the skimmer if it doesn’t come pre-assembled. If you are not sure about assembling the skimmer, you should consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

3. Install the Skimmer

Third step is to install the skimmer. Make three corner holes at the top and place flat head screws at these holes. Push the screws in through the holes while ensuring that the skimmer and screws are aligned. Through the liner, gasket, and faceplate, place and tighten flat head screws.

4. Remove the Extra Liner

Remove the excess liner to keep everything looking neat. The skimmer faceplate is an excellent guide when removing the excess liner.

These first four steps will help you to attach a Thru wall skimmer. If you want to improve the filter system of your Intex pool, the next step will come in handy

5. Add a Vacuum line

Interestingly, the Thru Wall skimmer is where you hook the vacuum hose when you want to clean the pool. Attaching a vacuum line can help to improve the efficiency of your Thru Wall skimmer.

Conclusion

Installing a Thru wall skimmer can be hard if you have no DIY skills. However, following our instructions in this How to Install a Thru Wall Skimmer on Intex Pool guide will help you set it up and have the skimmer working in no time.