How do I identify and find replacement pool parts?
When things go wrong with your pool components, how do you fix or replace them?
After a few seasons of little Robbie’s cannonballs from the top rails and melting snow drifts along the bottom rails, it’s inevitable you will find some wear and tear on your above ground pool components. Worn out or broken parts are not the end of the world however, and it’s easy to find replacements online these days. We know you want to keep your pool in tip-top shape so it will last for many years, so let’s identify the different components of an above ground pool and what might go wrong with them, then we can discover how to find replacement parts for them.
Top Cap
The most replaced piece on your pool will probably be the top caps. The purpose of top caps is to cover up and shelter the intersection of the top trail, top plate, and uprights. They come in a variety of materials including resin, metal, and rubber and can come in one or two-piece styles.
Top Rail
This is the 5-inch to 9-inch-wide rim of the pool. The top rail is used to keep the spacing consistent between the uprights as well as keep the uprights vertical. They may also be called top ledges or top seats and are made in variety of materials like steel, resin, and aluminum. Because they are exposed to the sun and water so regularly, they are one of the components most often needing replaced.
Top Plate
Top plates are the joining point for the top rails, uprights, and stabilizers making it important to them to stay in good condition. Metal top plates tend to rust and need to be replaced as a result.
Stabilizer
Also known as the top rim, top track, or slotted tube, the stabilizers are located right under the top rail and are mounted on the top edge of the pool wall. They span between the uprights and help to hold the pool in place. Often made of resin, steel or aluminum, they support the pool wall and help provide vertical stability.
Uprights
The uprights support the pool wall and provides vertical stability between the top rims and the bottom rims. Uprights can become scratched, dinged, bent, or rusted so if you see any sign of weakness in the uprights they should be replaced as soon as possible.
Bottom Plates
Acting as the base for the upright and a joint for the bottom rails, the bottom plates can be made of resin, steel, or aluminum. If made of metal, bottom plates can be one of the first components of your pool to rust since they sit on the bare ground and are closely exposed to rain, snow, ice, lawn chemicals that can eat away at them.
Bottom Rails
Bottom rails serve as a track in which the pool wall can sit. You may see them also referred to as bottom rims, bottom tracks, or wall rims and may find them in materials such as resin, steel, or aluminum. Just like bottom plates, if these rails are made of metal, they may be one of the first areas to rust on the pool. Sitting so close to the ground and being exposed to the elements eats away at the metal and you will want to get them replaced.
So little Robbie had his friends over last weekend and while climbing out of the pool one of his buddies cracked one of the top caps and bent a top rail. How do you go about finding the replacement part you need? Have no fear – there are three easy steps to finding the part you need!
Locate the part number
The first and easiest way to tracking down the part you need is to look for the part number on the part you need replaced. Often on the underside of the part you will find a part number printed or stamped on it that you can use to search online for the replacement part. Easy peasy!
Check the owner’s manual
If you can’t find the part number on the piece you need replaced, the next best place to check is your pool’s owner’s manual. (Even if you can’t find the physical manual, many manuals are available online these days.) Part numbers are listed in the manuals which can be searched for simply online.
Measure the Part
This method is going to be the most effective with parts like stabilizers, bottom rims, top rails. Top rails are measured simply with length and width, so you can take those measurements online and shop for the right size top rails in the material you desire. For stabilizers and bottom rims, measure the outside curved length, the inside straight length and the width of the end. Again, you can take those measurements online and shop for the right size components in the material you desire.
Whether it’s wear and tear from little Robbie and his buddies or rust from the melted snow that collected on the ground this past spring, finding replacement parts for your pool is not that difficult and absolutely something you can handle. You want to keep your pool in tip-top shape so it will last for many years and we are here to help make that happen.