How to assemble a frame pool

1. Prepare everything you need

Not all of the tools and materials on this list will necessarily be used when installing your particular pool, but some may be needed. Especially if you want to perform the installation qualitatively.

• Pool;
• EPPS;
• geotextile;
• foamed polyethylene;
• sand;
• shovel;
• tamper;
• rule;
• level;
• roulette;
• leg-split;
• reinforcement or pegs;
• water - optional;
• adhesive tape - optional;
• wooden blocks or tiles - optional.

2. Unpack the pool

Open the package carefully so as not to damage the fabric. basin. Take out and lay out all the parts, sorting them by type for convenience. Read the instructions for a general understanding and make sure the kit is complete.

Do not throw away the packaging - it will still be useful for storing the pool at the end of the season.

Leave the pool in the sun so that the fabric warms up, becomes softer and more manageable. So there will be much less wrinkles, and they will be easier to smooth out.

3. Pick a seat

Convenience of operation of the pool and care of it directly depends on correctness of its arrangement. It is important to find a perfectly flat area without slopes and depressions so that the container filled with water does not fall on its side.

It is best if the chosen location is located at a distance from trees and during the day it is maximally illuminated by the sun - this will prolong the swimming season and reduce the amount of debris in the water.

Please note that the pool should not be placed close to the wall of the house or to the fence, so as not to damage the bowl and cause damage to buildings in the event of a leak. At a short distance from the tank there should be an outlet for connecting the filter pump, but not closer than 3 m to avoid splashing. Extension cords are best avoided.

4. Prepare the site

Even a small pool of water has an impressive weight, so it should be installed on a solid foundation. There are two options here: soil and a hard surface like concrete or tiles.

On the ground

Mark out a place for the pool, taking into account its size and a small margin of 0.4–0.5 m around the perimeter. As a guide, you can use a pre-assembled side of the structure or rely on the data in the instructions.

For a round pool, drive a wooden peg or rebar into the center, and then set aside the radius on the twine and, tying a shovel to the free end, mark a perfect circle on the ground.

For a rectangular bowl, use four pegs at the corners. To make it even, be sure to make sure that the diagonals are the same. Pull the twine along the supports and mark the perimeter with a shovel along it.

Next, remove and remove the fertile layer of soil to a depth of 15–20 cm (half a shovel) so that all this does not rot under the pool.

Fill the area with sand and, wetting it, tamp it well. Attach a level to a rule or flat board and cut the sand with it to achieve a strictly horizontal surface. Be sure to remove even the smallest pebbles, otherwise they can damage the bowl under the pressure of the water.

Lay a sheet from the kit or geotextile over the rammed pad for additional protection. You can use old banner ads, linoleum.

On a solid foundation

Thoroughly sweep the area, remove all small debris and rinse with water from a hose. Inspect the coating for pits and other defects - in such places, put pieces of the substrate for an additional layer of protection.

Line the place under the pool with polyethylene foam 8-10 mm thick, which is used when laying laminate. Connect the strips with tape with an overlap of 2-3 cm so that they do not disperse.

5. Lay insulation

Insulating the bottom of the bowl is an optional step that will speed up the warming up of the pool during the day and slow down its cooling at night. If your region has a short and cold summer, then it is advisable to lay extruded polystyrene foam (EPS) under the tank, which is used to insulate foundations.

Fold the sheets of material together, inserting them into the locks at the ends, and glue with tape so that they do not move apart.

When installing the pool on the ground, the insulation is placed on compacted sand and covered with geotextile or a complete PVC film. On a hard surface, XPS is laid directly on concrete or tile, and the pool can be placed on top.

6. Expand the pool

Bring the canvas to the prepared place and unfold. Do not drag on the ground and even more so on concrete, so as not to damage PVC.

Position the bowl so that the holes for the filter pump are on the side where you plan to connect. After filling with water, it will not work to turn the structure.

7. Assemble the racks

Prepare the frame posts. Take the pipes designed for them, they are usually thinner parts. Put on the bottom plastic plugs-supports, and on top of the T-shaped connectors. The top and bottom are easy to distinguish from each other: there are holes at the top to snap the hinge lock into place, but not at the bottom.

On large rectangular pools, instead of straight pipes, U-shaped supports are used as racks. Put PVC loops on them, which will then connect with the same loops on the bowl. In some models, the loops can be solid and immediately attached to the canvas.

For convenience, spread the racks apart, evenly spaced around the perimeter of the pool, so that they are already at hand during assembly.

8. Fold the side of the bowl

round pool

Insert all the frame beams - the longitudinal members that form the rim - into the sleeves on the top of the bowl. These pipes are usually thicker so you won't get confused.

Rectangular pool

In rectangular structures, the beams of each side consist of several elements, and depending on the model of the pool, there may be more or less of them. Connect the required number of pipes, inserting them into each other until they click, and assemble pairs of long and short sides.

Next, together with an assistant, alternately insert the side pipes into the pockets of the bowl. For easier installation and removal of parts at the end of the season, some experts recommend dusting the beams with talc. Align the holes in the canvas with the holes for installing the supports in the side tubes.

When all the pipes are in place, close the bead contour by inserting connectors at the corners. Depending on the model of the pool, they can be both with clamps and without.

9. Install supports

round pool

Take the assembled rack, put it behind the strap on the wall of the bowl and insert the bead pipe into the connector from one side, and then from the other side. In small pools, they simply snap into place; in larger pools, they are held by a locking pin (nail) with a rubber washer, which must be inserted into the pipe, aligning the holes.

Pull the bottom of the rack outward until it stands upright, and place a piece of wood or paving slab under it so that the pipe does not push through the platform under water pressure.

Attach all racks in this way. Ask an assistant to hold the frame. Insert the last two supports deeper and do not fix immediately (turn the side pipe so that the holes do not match and the latch does not snap into place). This will make it easier to close the rim contour.

Rectangular pool

If the fastening loop is solid, then first pass the support through it, and then insert it with “horns” into the grooves of the side.

If the loop consists of two parts, then insert the rack into the holes of the side, then align the loop on the support with the loop of the bowl and fix them with a short tube pin.

10. Assemble the ladder

If the pool has a high side, then, as a rule, a ladder is included in the kit. It will have to be assembled already at this stage in order to be able to climb inside the bowl.

Stairs have a different design, so it's best to check the instructions specifically for your instance. In general, the assembly takes place according to this principle: vertical racks are made up of several tubes, then steps are attached to them with latches. A platform and handrails are installed on top - all this is fastened with screws and nuts.

11. Start filling the bowl with water

Let the water into the pool and when it completely covers the bottom, start smooth folds. Wrinkles on the walls are not terrible - they will disappear on their own when the container is full. But at the bottom you need to try to straighten the canvas as much as possible, because then it will be impossible to do this.

Smooth the material with your hands or feet from the center to the edges. You can also straighten the bottom by pulling the bottom of the bowl from the outside. Keep in mind that it will not work to completely remove the wrinkles and this is normal, but still try to achieve the best possible result.

12. Connect filter pump

The smallest pools may not have a filter, but more or less large ones usually come with such an accessory. And the device must be connected at the assembly stage.

To do this, insert the inlet and outlet fittings from the inside of the bowl and screw the nuts onto them from the outside. The inlet is usually higher and marked with a "+", the drain is lower and has a "-" sign. A large nozzle with holes is placed at the inlet, a smaller smooth one - at the drain. However, all elements are marked, so it is unlikely to confuse.

Next, put the filter hoses on the outside of the pipes, again focusing on the marks, and crimp them with clamps for a tight connection.

13. Completely fill the pool

It remains to pour a full pool of water and wait until it heats up. The filling process usually takes several hours. Heating - and even more: up to 2-3 days.

Without additional costs for furnaces and solar collectors, you can also speed up heating a little: use not a jet for pouring, but spraying through a sprayer. So the water will be in contact with the air and warm up by a couple of degrees.

14. Start filter pump

If there is a filter, it must be put into operation after filling the pool. To do this, open the valves on the hoses (if any) by turning them counterclockwise.

Next, bleed the air by unscrewing the plastic nut on top of the filter housing. Wait until the hiss passes and water flows from there, then tighten the nut. Turn on the pump by connecting it to the mains.