A permanent above ground pool is not just a bigger version of the inflatable or tube-frame kits I install most weeks. It is built around a corrugated steel wall panel that carries the structural load, which is what allows a semi-inground pool to go partly below grade without the wall folding in on itself. In … Read more
Test strips and a liquid test kit are not interchangeable tools for an above ground pool, even though most owners treat them that way. Test strips are built for a quick weekly check on a pool that is already stable. A liquid test kit is built for the moment something is wrong and you need … Read more
A federal regulation that took effect in 2021 changed what kind of replacement pool pump manufacturers are allowed to build, and most above ground pool owners only find out about it when their old pump dies and the replacement options look different than they expected. The short version: the rule targets self-priming pumps, which is … Read more
Above ground pool track placement and bottom cove are the two steps that decide how long your liner actually lasts, and most assembly manuals barely mention either one. I have serviced pools where the owner did everything else right and still watched the liner crack at the wall base within two seasons, because the track … Read more
Steel, resin, and hybrid are the three construction options once you move past a soft-sided frame pool, and they are not interchangeable just because they hold the same amount of water. A steel frame above ground pool is the cheapest and stiffest option, but it is also the one most likely to rust if it … Read more
An above ground pool weekly maintenance routine is the difference between a pool that stays clear all season and one that turns green within two weeks. It is almost entirely about consistency, not complexity. This guide lays out the specific weekly tasks in the order they actually work, including the pump run time above ground … Read more
Sand and cartridge filters both clean your above ground pool water, but they ask something very different of you week to week. A cartridge filter needs pulling out and hosing down every week or two. A sand filter mostly just sits there until the pressure gauge tells you to backwash it, which takes a few … Read more
Above ground pool base material has two jobs: protect the liner from whatever is in the ground underneath it, and give you a comfortable, stable surface to stand on once the pool is filled. Getting the material right is not complicated. Getting the amount and placement wrong is what causes problems later. This guide compares … Read more
A soft-sided above ground pool replaces the inflatable ring with a tubular steel frame, and that one change fixes most of what makes inflatable pools feel flimsy: better stability during fill, more depth options, and a liner you can replace without junking the whole pool. It still comes down every winter in cold climates and … Read more
The correct above ground pool chemical target ranges are the same six numbers used for any residential pool, but the packaging that comes with most above ground kits does not always print them accurately. This guide lays out the six parameters that actually matter, free chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, cyanuric acid, calcium hardness, and combined … Read more
Sizing a pump for an above ground pool comes down to one number: how many gallons per hour it needs to move to turn over your entire pool volume in 8 hours. Horsepower doesn’t answer that question, GPH does. This walks through the exact calculation for the common above ground pool sizes, shows where the … Read more
If you are working out how to level ground for an above ground pool, the method most people default to, pushing the high dirt into the low spots, is the exact reason so many pools end up tilted within a season. The correct approach is the opposite: you dig down to the lowest point of … Read more