9 Professional Tips for Installing an Above Ground Pool in Orlando during the summer

Most of the over six thousand above-ground swimming pools that I have installed were done during the brutal summer months of Orlando.

Doing anything outside in Central Florida during the summer can be a challenge. And next to maybe putting on a new roof, installing an above-ground pool is among the toughest.

Why? Because the summer in Orlando is no joke.

When installing an above-ground pool in Orlando during the hot summer months, you should start very early to beat the heat, have some shade if you can, and be very aware of the potential of strong afternoon thunderstorms.

TWO THINGS TO BE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN INSTALLING AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL DURING THE SUMMER IN ORLANDO

1 Brutal heat

Coming from a guy who has worked outside for most of his adult working life, I can say that no matter who you are, it’s uncomfortably hot outside when hot in Orlando.

I have been outside in Phoenix, Arizona when it was about 112 degrees Fahrenheit and that was hot. I remember walking there and being in a semi-panic to find some shade. That was intense direct heat.

Orlando rarely gets over 100°F, but we have something that the low desert doesn’t have. Humidity! And adding high humidity to temperatures of the mid-nineties will zap you of energy and block your ability to think well.

This is not to say areas of Texas(and other states) don’t get it as bad as Orlando does, but it’s about as bad as it gets when having to do hard work AND think about it what you are doing.

2 Afternoon thunderstorms

Afternoon thunderstorms are somewhat unique to Central Florida. They occur because the sun heats up the earth and causes a temperature difference with the sky.

Temperature differences cause wind, so the wind forms from the Gulf of Mexico
and starts moving inland. At the same time, wind forms over the Atlantic Ocean (other side of the state) and it starts moving inland.

When these two breezes meet, they can make some very nasty thunderstorms. And the battleground where these sea breezes collide is often over the Orlando area.

And don’t be fooled by the name “thunderstorms”. There can be plenty of lightning with these storms, which is fun(sarcasm for scary) when working outside on a pool.

LIGHTING AND HEAVY RAIN ISN’T THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH INSTALLING AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL DURING THESE AFTERNOON ORLANDO STORMS

One of the most challenging stages of installing an above-ground swimming pool is rolling out and securing the pool’s wall. And until the pool is nearly completed, the wall is vulnerable to falling down.

I have some very good, tried and true techniques for keeping the pool wall secured while finishing the inside so we can get the liner in and then complete the frame assembly. But there isn’t anything that you can do if one of these afternoon storms comes. Its wind will BLOW THE WALL DOWN REGARDLESS!

And depending on where you are at with the installation, the wall blowing down can be catastrophic.

WHEN IS IT SUMMER IN ORLANDO?

Central Florida is hot, but when does “hot” start and end? The answer is different every single year. For me, the summer season starts when temperatures consistently hit 90°F and above.

Temps in O-Town can hit 90 as early as late April and last almost daily as long as into October. Usually though, most summers will start in early May and last into late September.

We get wind in spring (which brings its own issues) but it goes away when it starts getting very hot.

So, if it’s over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, there’s a relative humidity of about 80, and you’ve noticed that it rains angrily every early/mid-afternoon for about twenty minutes, then it’s summer in Orlando.

9 TIPS FOR INSTALLING AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL DURING THE SUMMER IN ORLANDO

1 Start early in the morning

I call it “beating the heat” and “heating up with the earth”.

Starting nice and early can be the difference between getting the job done quick and spending days on it. Remember that the most intense sun is between 10 am and 2 pm.

Also, know that those afternoon storms can come as early as between noon and 1 pm, so having as many hours before that happens can be key.

2 Rent a sod cutter

Grass must be removed to successfully and properly install an above-ground pool. Period. Removing the grass with just a shovel is tough in any temperature. During the summer heat/humidity though, it’s pure torture.

Do yourself the best favor ever. Rent a sod cutter. If you’re not sure that it’s worth it, then get started with busting that sod out of your pool site with only a shovel.

After 20 minutes and removing about two square feet of grass, you’ll realize that this is sage advice.

3 Have some shade

If you have some shady-type trees (like oaks) nearby, then that is good. If not, get an umbrella or something so you have a refuge from the direct sun.

And when you feel overheated, get under that shade and stay there as long as it takes.

4 Wear a hat

Don’t underestimate the value of shading your head. A hat can make all the difference in the world. Believe me. I’ve had new help not bring a hat to work and nearly fall out after just a few hours in direct sunlight.

5 Divide the project into two stages – Groundwork and pool assembly

Doing the groundwork for installing an above-ground pool is half of the overall job. Treat it as such.

Thinking you’re just gonna knock out the grass removal and ground leveling and then get to installing the pool is the wrong way to go. Respect that ground prep by considering it a job all by itself.

Earn the right to assemble the actual pool by first completing the big job of getting the ground ready. “This is the way”. (Mandalorian proverb)

6 Have as many people help you roll the pool wall in position as you can get

Getting the wall in the track and keeping it there will be a special challenge. Having extra hands will make things much easier.

6A Don’t mix alcohol consumption with rolling out and securing the wall.

You may have to understand this the hard way. lol

7 If you can, roll the wall out during the morning hours

I know this will mean that your installation is going to take at least two days. But if you roll the wall out on day one and it’s around noontime, then you are at risk of dealing with an Orlando afternoon thunderstorm before you can get the wall fully secured. And that can be bad.

8 Take plenty of breaks and drink plenty of water

Sure, sure. You already know this. Everybody knows this.

The problem here is that installing an above-ground pool takes more thinking than you think. lol. And when you are thinking, you may not be taking breaks or drinking enough water. Don’t make me say “I told you so”.

9 Be patient and take it easy

Intense heat and high humidity will limit your patience and energy for handling things not going well. Knowing this going in may help keep your marriage.

I don’t know your expectations, but know also that these above-ground swimming pools are NOT SWISS WATCHES! Don’t try to be too much of a perfectionist because these kits won’t stand for that.

Do as good a job as you can with this project, but get it together and get it done. At some point, you’re going to arrive at this attitude. You’ll have no choice.

My Orlando installation price sheet

Site prep-only price sheet for Orlando

Replacing the Pump and Filter of an Above Ground Pool in Orlando

All above-ground swimming pools have at least a pump and a filter that is used to help keep the water clean and healthy. They don’t last as long as the pool does though, so they will need replacing at some point.

Replacing a pump and/or filter for an above-ground pool in Orlando usually requires buying them first online. Replacing this equipment can usually be done by the pool owner, which is good as it may be hard to find someone to do the job.

IN MOST CASES, THE PUMP NEEDS REPLACING BEFORE THE FILTER

All pool pumps are run by electricity. The pump (which is what moves the water) has an electric motor attached to it. And it’s the electric motor that is the first thing to go.

There is a difference between inground pool pumps and above-ground ones. One of the differences is that with an inground pump, you can always change out just the motor as it can always easily be detached from the pump.

Some above-ground pool pumps don’t easily detach from the motor. This means it’s often easier and more cost-effective to replace the entire pump instead of just the pump’s motor.

Orlando has several pool supply stores that will replace pump motors, but most won’t replace the motors for above-ground pool pumps because they are problematic with taking them apart.

ABOVE-GROUND PUMPS AND FILTERS USUALLY COME TOGETHER AS A SINGLE PACK.

Inground pumps and filters are completely separate components. This is good when having to repair or replace them.

Above-ground pumps and filters come together, usually fit onto a specific platform/base, and are connected together with a specific fitting. This makes it more difficult to just replace the pump, which is usually what needs replacing first.

These unique and specific ways that above-ground equipment fits together are the reason why most regular pool stores won’t work on them. They only have universal fittings and connectors in stock which cannot be used on some AG equipment.

WHO CAN YOU CALL TO REPLACE ABOVE-GROUND POOL EQUIPMENT IN ORLANDO?

In Orlando and surrounding areas, it can be difficult to find someone to come out and work on your above-ground pool equipment. This is because (as mentioned above) above-ground stuff is often not universal and requires specific parts that pool stores and pool service companies don’t carry.

The other factor is the cost to have a service person come out. With inground pools, people are expected to pay more for having their pools worked on because they cost a lot more.

Above-ground pool owners will have one-tenth to one-quarter of the cost for their pool project, which makes it harder to justify the potentially high expense of having someone come out and work on it.

There are just a couple of stores in the Orlando area that will work on above-ground pool equipment, but the vast majority of them will not.

I’m not sure if any Leslie’s pool stores will work on AG pool pumps/filters as they are all corporate-owned. If you live near Mount Dora or St Cloud, there are two Pinch-A-Pennys there that sell and service above grounds.

If you have an independent pool store near you, then give them a try. You never know. Also, try a few pool service companies that service your area of Orlando. It’s a long shot, but you may find a good guy just starting out and willing to work on your pool.

Above-ground pool guys like me usually won’t do service calls on pool equipment. This is almost certain during the busy summer season.

During the off-season though, I have been known to take on an equipment repair or replacement if close to me, easier to do, and I need the work.

So, if it’s between October and March and you are in Orlando, you can text me to see if I am interested.

IT’S USUALLY BEST TO FIND THE EXACT REPLACEMENT PUMP OR FILTER ONLINE

Under normal repair conditions, you call a service company or store and they come out with the parts and do the job completely. All you have to do here is come up with the money to pay them.
When repairing or replacing an above-ground pool pump or filter, it’s not as simple.

Even if you find someone to do the job for you, they will most likely want you to buy the parts beforehand and have them there. I will ask you to send me pics of what you have so I know what to tell you to buy.

This is what I require when doing a repair. And I do this because I cannot get the specific parts any sooner or cheaper than the pool owner can. So, to save on what I charge, I have the pool owner get the stuff.

Sometimes you can get what you need locally from a pool store. This is great, but you will pay more for it.

MOST CAN REPLACE THEIR OWN PUMP AND/OR FILTER

It’s usually much easier to replace above-ground pool equipment in comparison to inground stuff. And in many cases, the pool owner has no choice since they can’t find anyone to do it OR it costs too much to have someone come out.

If your pool only has the 6ft plastic flex hoses, then it will be easier to replace things. If PVC hard piped, then it will be slightly harder, but still not bad.

If you find this article and are doing a replacement yourself, feel free to send me a text with a pic of what you are working on. I will take a quick look and text you back with something to help you with the job.

Finding Parts for an Above Ground Pool in Orlando

Are you looking for parts for your existing above-ground swimming pool in Orlando? Odds are that you won’t find them.

Since the vast majority of above-ground pools are bought online, there is no official inventory of parts available in Orlando. You will have to find them online.

WHAT ABOVE-GROUND PARTS PEOPLE ARE USUALLY LOOKING FOR

Metal-walled above-ground pools are made of either a steel or aluminum wall and then a frame made of many parts.

The frames can be made of a mix of steel, aluminum, and resin parts. Usually, parts made of steel that rust are the ones people are looking to replace.

Some resin parts will break or crack over time too and need replacing.

The most common parts people are looking for are:

1 Top rails
2 Top stabilizer bars (under the top rails)
3 Top connector plates (under the top rails)
4 Top caps

Metal top rail piece for and above ground swimming

Many of these parts can now be found online.

IF LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT WALL ONLY. FIGURE ON GETTING A WHOLE NEW POOL

Manufacturers don’t like selling replacement walls. This is because it is very problematic to just replace the wall and leave the existing frame.

In the now 37 years that I have worked on above-ground pools, I have only successfully replaced two walls with existing frames. Unless your pool is almost new (less than two years old and has a warranty issue with the wall), don’t bother trying to just replace your wall.

Of course, you can try if you want. Some will always try. Then most will wind up getting a new wall AND frame after either finding out how much a wall costs OR attempting to remove their old wall while still keeping the frame in good shape.

IF YOU HAVE A WILBAR-MADE ABOVE-GROUND POOL, YOU MAY BE IN LUCK FINDING PARTS FOR IT IN ORLANDO

The website that sells most of the online parts for Wilbar pools is inyopools.com. They are an online-only store but have a warehouse located in Longwood where they keep an inventory of AG parts.

Under normal conditions, you would contact Inyo and purchase the parts you need and they would ship them to you. If you are local though, you may be able to swing by their warehouse and physically pick them up. Maybe.

IF YOUR POOL WAS PURCHASED LOCALLY FROM UNIQUE POOLS, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET PARTS, BUT PROBABLY NOT

In the last five years or so, Unique has been selling the same model pools from the same manufacturer. This is a good thing if you bought from them in the last five years as they may be able to get parts.

Most likely though, you will have to get them from the company that manufactured the pool directly.

If you bought your pool from Unique some years ago, then there’s almost no chance that you can get parts through them. You can call them though and know for sure. In the past, they have sold Doughboys, Wilbars, and the now defunct Swim N Play pools, so it will be hard to say what you have.

IF YOUR POOL WAS BOUGHT LOCALLY BY A PINCH-A-PENNY STORE, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET PARTS FROM THEM, BUT PROBABLY NOT

Pinch A Penny has sold the same models of Wilbar pools for years, which is great. They may have some above-ground pool parts available through their warehousing system.

If you have the original paperwork or email of the purchase, that may help them see if they have what you are looking for.

Most likely though, Pinch will tell you to contact Wilbar, the manufacturer.

IF YOUR POOL WAS BOUGHT LOCALLY FROM A LESLIE’S POOL STORE, THEN YOU WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO GET PARTS ELSEWHERE

To my knowledge, Leslie’s pool stores are all corporate owned and they don’t deal with above-ground pool parts at all. Things may have changed though now that we are in the post-coved era, so check with them first.

WHERE TO FIND ABOVE-GROUND POOL PARTS ONLINE

There are a couple of websites that sell Wilbar pool parts. Wilbar made a deal with inyopools.com to provide and sell all of their replacement parts, however, some other sites have them available also.

The two websites that I know of that sell Wilbar parts are inyopools.com and recwarehouse.com

Inyo pools is good in that you can call them and they will help you identify which pool model you have.

The second most popular above-ground pool manufacturer is Doughboy. Other than through them, it’s almost impossible to find replacement parts. So, if your existing pool is Doughboy-made, somehow get ahold of them, and good luck.

Above-ground pool parts are in no way interchangeable. YOU MUST HAVE THE EXACT PARTS FOR YOUR MODEL OR THEY WON’T FIT

HOW TO FIND OUT WHO MADE YOUR POOL AND WHICH MODEL IT IS

Broken plastic top connector for an above ground pool

It may not be easy to determine who made your pool and which model it is. Even though the umbrellas of Wilbar and Doughboy make up 90% of all above-ground pools, there are a lot of different models and some obscure makers.

This is what I recommend:

1 Find your original paperwork or purchase email

This is by far the best way to know what you have. And even with this, it may still be hard as receipts can be unclear with names.

If you do find your purchase info and still can’t make out what you have, then contact the retailer. They may have a record of your purchase and/or someone there that can help by remembering what they sold the year you bought from them.

2 Check inyopools.com

This website has the biggest selection of above-ground pool parts. Plus they will help you through emails if you need it.

3 Join my Facebook group “Above ground swimming pools group”

This is not me trying to promote my group. In truth, this group is too big and takes up too much of my time. But with 400+K members, it’s the biggest group about above-ground pools online.

Posting pics of your pool there may find someone who can identify your specific model.

IF YOU STILL HAVE TROUBLE FINDING OUT WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU CAN CONTACT ME. I’LL TAKE A QUICK LOOK AND SEE IF I CAN HELP

Chemically Starting Up your Above Ground Pool in Orlando

So you got an above-ground pool, had it installed, and filled it with water. Now what? You know a pool needs chemicals, but which and how much?

Chemically starting up a new above-ground swimming pool in Central Florida is easy if you filled it with municipal(city) water as it’s already balanced. With that, you only have to shock it and maybe adjust the PH.

If you filled your new pool with your well, then depending on the quality of your water, you may want to take a sample of the pool’s water to a pool store. They can analyze it and tell you what to add for your start-up.

BASIC ABOVE-GROUND POOL WATER CHEMISTRY 101, VERY BASIC

This article is not about swimming pool chemistry. It’s about telling you what to add to your brand-new pool for the first time. Even though it’s not necessary, some understanding can help.

1 Pool water needs to be sanitized

In the water business, they like to use the word “sanitize” instead of kill. To help you understand, know that this fancy word means “kill”,

You’ll want to kill all the things in swimming pool water that can hurt humans, so when starting up a pool, it must be sanitized or “shocked” so you know everything is dead before you go swimming.

This is what shocking a pool does.

2 The pool water’s PH needs to be in range

Every single thing has its own PH. A chair, a dog’s skin, a tree leaf, coffee, pool water, humans, etc.

If the swimming pool’s PH is not in the middle range, then it can irritate human swimmers. In reality, it’s somewhat rare for a pool’s PH to irritate human skin, the main reason to have proper PH in a pool is so the sanitizer/oxidizer (chlorine) can work well.

3 Pool water needs to be clear

It is unsafe for a swimming pool to not be clear. You should be able to very clearly see the deepest part of the bottom.

Anything in the water that is causing an unclear pool needs to be addressed either chemically or manually taken out.

These are the only three things that have to be accomplished when chemically starting up a swimming pool.

You can add a hundred more scenarios and issues to confuse this process, but this is all you need initially.

SO, TO CHEMICALLY START UP A SWIMMING POOL, YOU NEED TO SHOCK IT AND ADJUST THE PH.

THE POOL SHOULD BE CLEAR BEFORE ANYONE GOES SWIMMING

If you filled your pool with city water, then it should be clear even before you shock it. This is because it already has some level of sanitizer(Orlando municipal water uses chlorine) and the PH is in range.

If you filled with your well and it’s colored or cloudy, then you will have to wait for the water to clear up from shocking it, adjusting the PH, and adding anything else needed to remove excess metals to oxidize what’s in the water making it cloudy.

Depending on how bad your well water is, this can take a few days.

SOME ABOVE-GROUND POOL PACKAGES COME WITH A CHEMICAL START-UP KIT. DON’T EXPECT MUCH

There is nothing standard when a retailer puts together a chemical start-up kit. I have seen kits that have all kinds of unnecessary chemicals with them.

All of them will have some kind of a shock though, and that’s good. In some cases, that is all you’ll use in the kit.

Just don’t think that everything you need is in one of these kits. They aren’t extensive, they are only basic and you rarely get much with one, so don’t rely on it.

DID YOUR POOL COME WITH A SALT CHLORINE GENERATOR (SALT POOL)? YEAH, YOU’LL STILL WANT TO SHOCK THE POOL AT START-UP

People have all kinds of ideas about what a salt pool is. And they can be sold all kinds of ideas of what a salt pool is by websites and salesmen.

A salt chlorine generator (which is what makes your pool a salt pool) only does one thing – it makes a small amount of fresh chlorine all day and introduces it into the pool.

A SCG cannot shock the pool though, so you will have to shock your salt pool initially just like a non-salt pool just to make sure the water is safe to swim in.

USING A TEST KIT/STRIPS

Your new above-ground pool will most likely come with a maintenance kit which will have a test kit included.

It won’t be much, but it should do the two things you need it to. And that is to check the chlorine level and PH.

The strips are very easy to use and so is the drop kit type. Just follow the directions and learn how to read them. It’s not hard.

Regardless of what the readings are on your newly filled pool’s water, I recommend shocking the pool initially no matter what.

HOW MUCH CHEMICAL SHOULD YOU ADD TO YOUR POOL?

This is not an easy question to answer here as there are different-sized pools and each chemical requires different amounts per gallon of water.

Since we are only talking about starting up the pool though, you’ll only need to know how much chlorine is needed and maybe adjust the PH

When using liquid chlorine, one gallon will shock 10,000 gallons of water. So if you have a 24’ round pool with 14,000 gallons, then pour in two gallons ( or just a full 2.5-gallon yellow jug).

You don’t have to be precise, but it’s better to add more than recommended instead of not enough. The shock effect doesn’t last long, so you can add more and it’s ok.

When using granular shock, one pound will shock 10,000 gallons of water, so follow the same routine as with liquid. Shock a little more than you need if you want.

WARNING: When using granular shock, dilute completely in a bucket of water before pouring it into the pool. The granular can damage the liner if not diluted.

To adjust the PH, determine how many gallons of water are in your pool and follow the directions on the product label. There are a few different chemicals used to raise and lower PH.

NOTE: Don’t get too tripped up on getting the PH perfectly in range. It doesn’t matter as much as you think. Enjoy your new pool and go swimming.

WHEN IN DOUBT, TAKE A WATER SAMPLE TO A POOL STORE

This is the advice I give everyone just starting out with pool water chemistry. You’ve got a new pool and you want to enjoy it.

Learn pool chemistry as you go but initially let the pool store do the work. You will eventually learn what is needed and what isn’t with your pool. You don’t have to figure it all out on day one.

Should You Add Sand When Installing an Above Ground Pool in Orlando

It’s fairly standard for above-ground pool install manuals to recommend sand for the install. But should you add sand if installing in the Orlando area? And if so, how much?

Although it’s commonly recommended to add sand to the base of an above-ground swimming pool, It’s usually not needed for the Orlando area. This is because Orlando’s earth is already sand-based, so adding sand can make the base too soft for having a smooth pool bottom.

ALL OF CENTRAL FLORIDA IS SAND-BASED

The earth is made up of different things depending on the location. Rocks start to form in the earth around the Gainesville area, which is quite a bit north of Orlando.

This is the very beginning of the stone hills of middle Georgia, so as you move north, there can be more and more rocks (and bigger) naturally forming in the earth.

Fortunately for us in Orlando, we don’t have any of those rocks. Our earth is naturally sand-based, so this is good when moving and leveling the ground for things like above-ground pools.

ADDING YARDS OF SAND TO AN ALREADY SAND-BASED EARTH WILL MAKE THE POOL BOTTOM TOO SOFT

In the now 37 years of me installing pools, I have had my share of arguments with people on whether sand should be added to their pool during installation. Being in my fifties now, I’m happy to say that I will not argue this issue any longer (and haven’t for years).

People generally think that they need sand because the owner’s installation manual tells them they need sand. I get that, but that manual is made for all areas of the country (and the world), not just Central Florida.

This is the equivalent of building a house here in Orlando, but installing expensive floor heating just because some builder material said to do it. Yeah, that would be a complete waste of money here. Get what I’m saying?

SOMETIMES YOU DO NEED TO ADD SAND TO AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL INSTALLATION IN ORLANDO

There are instances where I will absolutely recommend getting sand for an install. As an installer with a machine, I very, very rarely need added sand for an installation, but DIYers need it more often. This is when:

1 Hard earth

Builders and developers will like to raise areas where houses are built to prevent any future flooding issues. This is a good idea when in the sub-tropical region of Orlando. What’s not a good idea is what they will sometimes use as fill.

Hundreds of tons of fill is needed to raise a lot or an entire neighborhood, so it can come from anywhere and not be very good. Some fill has very hard and/or lumpy clay in it (usually from Georgia) which doesn’t smooth out very well.

Other earth used as fill can have harder aggregates that cannot be broken up into small enough pieces which results in a bumpy, uneven surface when trying to level out.

These types of fill will force you to add sand when installing a pool in your yard as you can’t work with it enough to level and smooth it for the pool’s bottom.

Adding a layer of sand here will enable you to level the earth and make it smooth.

2 Excessive roots

Sometimes you don’t have to be near big trees to have a lot of roots in the earth. This, I can’t figure out why. If you have a lot of roots though, it’s best to dig them up and cut them all out before installing the pool.

Again, as an installer with a machine, I use the machine to dig up most of the big roots so I can cut them out. And even with a machine, this can be a big job.

If installing yourself without a machine, digging up and cutting out all of the roots that still may be attached to the root system is difficult, but very necessary.

In most cases, you won’t know that you have an excessive root issue until you remove the sod from the pool site and start leveling out the earth.

Dig out and cut up what you can, but if there are still a lot of roots, then it may be a good idea to leave what is still there and add a thicker layer of clean sand over them. This is not ideal, but sometimes you have no choice.

3 Excessive rocks (Like an old drain field)

In almost every single pool that I’ve ever installed (6k plus), there were at least a couple of rocks. That is just the nature of the ground in Orlando and all of Central Florida.

What I mean here is if you have hundreds or thousands of rocks in the earth.

I will spend an insane amount of time raking and picking out rocks from a pool site before I determine that it’s clear enough for a nice pool bottom. If there are so many that it would take days to pick out, then I am forced to add a layer of sand over them and install the pool.

Usually for me, I can make some magic happen with a few tricks and still get the pool up with a nice bottom with no one ever feeling a rock. If there was an old drain field in the spot where the pool is going though, that is too many rocks even for me.

It’s ok to have some rocks left in the earth when installing the pool, but any situation where you think that swimmers will feel them will require you to add some sand so they won’t feel anything.

4 Construction trash

At some point in the early 1990s, Orange County (along with Seminole, Osceola, and other central Florida counties) started disallowing house builders to just bury their excess construction trash in the yard.

I have run into some buried construction trash in newer homes, but it is rare now. If your home was built a few decades ago or longer, you may run into some nasty things like nails, tile pieces, shingle pieces, metal, etc.

If excessive to the point that you can’t get it all out of the earth, then adding a layer of clean sand over everything is the key to a good pool bottom and installation.

5 Old trash burn site

Here in the South, many used to burn things in the yard instead of putting them out for trash pick-up. As a kid, I remember hanging out around an outside fire pit dug in the ground and my dad drinking beer and burning things.

If you run into an old burn site, you may not want to bother trying to dig out all the broken glass and sharp metal pieces. You may opt to leave that mess right where it is and cover it with some fresh clean sand to install the pool on.

Once again, as an installer with a machine, I can sometimes dig up all of the burned remnants from a time long ago, but sometimes it’s too much and too deep, so I will add sand.

6 Tree stump

Did you have some big trees in the yard and have them cut down some time ago? And did you have the leftover stump ground down below the grass level?

If you (or someone before you) got rid of some trees, then the old stump may be still there, hidden just below the sod, waiting to get in the way of you installing an above-ground pool.

Many people think ground-down tree stumps won’t get in the way of installing an ABOVE ground pool. Sorry to say, “they usually do”.

If there is an old (or new) stump in the way, it may be best to add sand to cover it so you can install the pool.

Having the stump ground further down is an option too, but usually not recommended as the grinder leaves a lot of sawdust, which is not good for making a nice pool bottom.

WHERE TO GET BULK SAND IN ORLANDO

It’s not as easy to get bulk sand as it use to be in Orlando. Most concrete-making plants have closed and the ones that are still here don’t like to sell their sand. At least that’s what it seems like when I try to buy it. Lol

As a do-it-yourselfer though, you can get bulk sand from most Home Depots or Lowes Home Improvements.

Home Depot and Lowes sell 1/3-yard bags of bulk sand. You will need a truck to pick it up though. Each bag weighs about 1000 pounds.

HOW MUCH SAND DO YOU NEED?

Well, this is the question. And it’s a tricky one to answer. It, of course, depends on the size of your pool. But it also depends on how thick of a layer you need. And I cannot tell you that in this article. There are just too many variables.

What I can say is that as a professional installer, I want to use as little as I can so the bottom doesn’t get too soft. If too soft, then the bottom can easily get footprints, which is ok, but not ideal.

A super broad-stroked answer, which is all that I can give you without any info, is between one and three yards of sand.

Keeping in mind that Home Depot only sells 1/3 yard sandbags, if you think you need more than one yard, then see about someone delivering the total amount to your house. They will dump it where they can, which can be a pain, but that’s better than making multiple trips to Lowes.

WHERE TO GET BULK SAND IN ORLANDO FOR AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL INSTALLATION

EVERGLADES EQUIPMENT GROUP
12049 S Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32837
407-240-1023

SUNRISE LANDSCAPE SUPPLY
East Orlando Office 6670 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32807

ROEDELL’S LANDSCAPING 1707 East Semoran Blvd. Apopka, Fl 32703 (407) 204-1572

Finding an Above Ground Pool Installer in Orlando

It’s not easy to find even one above-ground swimming pool installer in Orlando. Finding two is almost impossible. And during most years, finding a third pool installer has been impossible.

Unless you know of someone from a personal reference, finding an above-ground pool installer in the Orlando area is extremely hard to do. This is mainly because doing a Google search usually only gives results for websites that only claim that they are or can find them, but in reality, cannot.

I HAVE BEEN IN THE POOL BUSINESS BASED OUT OF ORLANDO FOR 37 YEARS

For the past twenty-plus years, there have been only 3-4 pool installers available in Orlando during the summer season. There can be a couple more during the off-season as out-of-town guys are needing work and will travel farther.

There were a few of those years where there were only two installers.

Coming from a guy who knows, don’t let anyone (a pool salesman) tell you there are plenty of installers in Orlando. That is a lie.

MOST POOL INSTALLERS ONLY DO THIS JOB FOR FIVE YEARS OR LESS AND THEN MOVE ON

Installing above-ground pools is a seasonal business. This forces legitimate workers looking for a good career to move on as it’s tough to not have work for half of the year AND the job is a hard one.

In the years that I have installed pools in Orlando, only two beside me did this job for more than twenty years. And they were Kenny(I’m not going to give full names) who did it for 27 years mainly in Lake County and retired about five years ago, and Johnny B who I think is still installing in the Tampa area who started a month after I did in the 1980s.

Everyone else has come and gone. Some have died and two committed suicide.

NEED A SOFT-SIDED (INTEX, COLEMAN, BESTWAY) ABOVE-GROUND POOL INSTALLED IN ORLANDO? YEAH, YOU MOST LIKELY WON’T FIND ANYONE TO DO IT

Soft-sided-type pools are very popular mainly because they are available at Walmart and are not expensive.

They are also very easy to assemble. But installers like me don’t install them. For me, there are two reasons for this. One is that I have to charge usually more than what the pool cost to buy for the installation.

The other is that you can’t get soft-sided pools perfectly level. I mean you can, but it will take either luck or extra time.

I have installed a few of these pools over the years, but it’s always been during the off-season when I needed the work.

I will do ground prep only for soft-sided pools in Orlando though.

DOING A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR “ABOVE GROUND POOL INSTALLERS IN ORLANDO” IS NOT VERY FRUITFUL

This is nothing against Google. They do the best they can with what they have. In truth, there aren’t many pool installers to begin with, and some of those don’t have websites, so that leaves the Google search filled with non-pool installer sites.

While just doing a search for “above-ground pool installers in Orlando”, only one real opportunity to find a real installer came up.

NOTE: As of right now (September 2022), my install site comes up on the second page of this search. But not for long though.

WEBSITES THAT WILL NOT HELP YOU FIND AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL INSTALLER

Any website that claims they have a list of above-ground pool installers will not. This is a deception or a lie. Just sayin’. Here are a few examples:

1 Angie’s List (Nope)

Being a contractor, I’m not a fan of Angie’s List to begin with as people can leave negative comments and the worker cannot rebut them.

Regardless, Angie’s list claims they have some above-ground pool installers in Orlando, but they don’t. Clicking on this site will only give you testimonials of work done for inground pools.

And since inground pool companies don’t work on above grounds in any way, you might as well be looking at testimonials of ice cream shops. FAIL.

2 HomeAdvisor (Another total waste of time)

In the ten-plus years that I have looked, the HomeAdvisor website has NEVER had even one above-ground pool installer to reference in Orlando.

They will have you fill out a form, give all of your information including your email, then they will have nothing for you. SHAME.

3 Porch.com

Although not as bad as the above two, websites like Porch try to get you someone for the work you are asking for. The problem is that they don’t have anyone. So why do they pay to be on this search for “above-ground pool installers”? This is a waste of everyone’s time.

The top three websites for “above-ground pool installation services” on Porch right now are a gas company, a construction group, and a leak detection company. Fail, Fail, FAIL!

4 Above ground pool Retail websites

When Google can’t find good enough websites for pool “installers”, then it positions sites that SELL them instead.

This offers an opportunity for pool sellers to rank high on this important search even though they don’t have anyone to install your pool. They do have a pool to sell you though and maybe even an installer (if you buy their pool).

This is a deceptive practice from pool retail sites. The bottom line here for you is that you’ll be clicking onto sites that say “above-ground pool installer/installation” and there will only be pools to buy instead. Not cool, bro.

In the Orlando search area, there are two retailers that do this. I’m not going to mention any names here, but if you click on a site that says “above ground pool INSTALLATION” and it sends you to a retail pool buying site, then you’ve been duped and there won’t be an installer available for you.

There is also a retailer that has made a couple of websites that look like installation-only sites. One even has a guy’s name as an installer that doesn’t even exist and an installation price sheet even though no one from that site does installs.

About two clicks into these “installation sites” will bring you to the real reason they exist – a page that sells pools and liners.

5 Facebook installers page for Central Florida

Sometimes, Google will place the Central Florida Installers FB page on its first page of searches. This is my FB page, but Facebook is very glitchy and I usually cannot communicate with anyone who tries to contact me that way.

This is a shame as that would be a good resource for those looking for install-info in Orlando. I have tried to get FB to fix these issues, but they are huge and have never gotten back to me.

OTHER WAYS TO FIND AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL INSTALLER IN ORLANDO

After fruitless efforts to find an installer by way of Google, many will call and talk to pool stores. Most pool stores won’t have any names to give out, but a few will.

Pinch A Penny Pool Stores

There are a lot of Pinch-A-Penny stores in Orlando and Central Florida. Most of them won’t deal much with above-ground pools, but a couple will.

The ones that I know of that at least used to deal some with above-ground pools are the Pinch A Penny in west Orlando near Ocoee, a great one in St Cloud, one in Mt Dora, one in Merritt Island, and one in Deland.

I know most of these are out of town, but that’s all I’ve got.

Leslie’s Pool Supply

Unlike PAP above, Leslie’s is all corporate-owned out of the west (California I think). This means that they have corporate policies that prevent employees from giving out the names of installers.

I have had my name given out a few times by Leslie’s over the years, but it’s very rare. You can try a few, but good luck.

Independent pool stores

Orlando has just a couple of independent pool supply stores. If you have one close to you, you may want to ask them. They would be happy to help you especially since you may start going to them for chemicals.

Online classifieds and Craigslist

Craigslist isn’t at all what it used to be, but you may find an installer there. I have occasionally put ads on Craigslist Orlando during the off-season, so it is possible to get a real installer there.

Other smaller online classifieds that are super local to areas of Orlando like Altamonte Springs, Winter Park, Longwood, Kissimmee, etc. are harder bets, but you never know and it’s worth a look.

Above-ground pool retail stores

At of the time I am writing this, I know of only one above-ground pool retailer in Orlando. I used to install for them independently, but they now have an in-house installer and occasionally contact me when they get backed up.

Occasionally, they will give my number out for some used pool repair or a liner replacement, but they won’t give out the number of any installers. This is because they want you to buy their pool instead. I don’t blame them. It’s good business, I guess. (Notice that I didn’t give their name).

Facebook Marketplace

FB marketplace has replaced Craigslist as the free place to find tradesmen and things for sale. In the past couple of years, I’ve looked on FB marketplace for pool installers and didn’t find any for the Orlando area.

This is not to say that there will never be. I tried to advertise on there for my services and didn’t like the process. This could be why no one else who installs pools is on there.

As far as I know, I am the only above-ground pool installer based out of Orlando. What I can tell you is there are a couple of installers in the Tampa area, maybe two in Ocala, one or two in Daytona, one in Wildwood, and one in Palatka. This is it.

At least a couple of these guys have been around for a while, but keep in mind that during the busy season, they most likely won’t come to Orlando. That just leaves me. Here is my price sheet. Contact me with any questions.

By the way, I only install bigger oval-shaped pools during the off-season.

Orlando Above Ground Pool Installations

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