An 18ft round above-ground swimming pool is the second most popular size in Orlando.
Orlando above-ground pool owners will often choose the 18ft round size with households of 2-3 or if the yard is smaller.
18ft round AG pools are a nice size and a little easier to maintain during the long and brutal swim season of Orlando. This is why it’s the second most popular size for Central Florida.
THINGS TO KNOW WHEN INSTALLING AN 18’ ABOVE-GROUND POOL IN ORLANDO
1 18’ above-ground pools typically have twelve uprights and top rails
The frame of a round above-ground pool is made up of same-size pieces. They will have the same number of top rails top and bottom connector plates, top cap assemblies, bottom track pieces, and uprights.
The amount of frame parts for an 18’ round is almost always 12 pieces of each. Some models will have 13, but that is fairly rare.
2 An 18ft round pool requires clearing and leveling a 20’ circle.
With the frame included and depending on the model, an 18’ above-ground pool will take up a physical space of about 19 feet around. Clearing and leveling 20 feet then will give enough room for the installation.
3 18’ round pools are a good size for households of two or three
In America, bigger is better. With swimming pools though, that’s not necessarily true.
Keeping in mind that the bigger a pool, the more maintenance it requires may help you decide that an 18-round is the perfect size for your needs.
4 Installation of an 18’ round pool should take less than a day
Barring a lot of grading or some big mishaps, an installation crew of two should have no problem getting an 18’ done in one day.
This does not include the time to fill the pool.
5 Standard installation of an 18’ round above-ground pool is $1100
This is my price and includes PVC hard piping the equipment to the pool (with 2 valves) and up to twelve inches of off-grade leveling.
Other installer prices may not include certain things, so you want to make sure and know what’s included in their price as no one likes extra cost surprises.
NOTE: This is a price for metal-walled(hard-sided) type above-ground pools. Soft-sided Intex, Coleman, and Bestway made pools are different. With those, I only offer a ground-preparation service.
6 Depending on your water pressure and source, an 18’ pool takes about 18 hours to fill on average
Almost everyone in the Orlando area fills up their pool with their own water source. Municipal water in Orlando and Orange/Seminole County has decent water pressure in most areas.
Some living in areas outside of Orlando may have wells. Some wells pump water very slowly and some can pump a lot of water quickly.
Only a few here in Central Florida will opt to have a water truck fill their pool. This is a very expensive option but can fill your pool very quickly.
7 Installing a 24’ round above-ground pool takes at least two people
The bigger the pool, the harder it is to keep the wall up during installation. When installing a 24ft, I will have myself and one other experienced helper.
This is mainly to get the job done in one day AND get the wall up and secure if any strong wind is possible.
Occasionally if someone doesn’t show up AND the weather is going to be good, I will install an 18’ round by myself.
Most DIYers will use 3 or more people to install an 18’ round pool.
8 In Orlando during the summer, installing an 18’ round pool should start very early in the morning
The summer in Orlando is also the rainy season. It can rain every afternoon here. This is why you want to have an 18’ pool almost completely installed before around 1 pm.
Afternoon storms in Orlando don’t last long, but they can be violent with high wind gusts and lighting. You want the pool to be almost done (or done) before the potential of one of these storms come.
9 An 18-foot round semi-inground pool will require at least a 21’ round hole
Setting an above-ground pool partially in the ground has become quite common in Orlando.
A pool needs room in the hole to be assembled, so making the hole 1.5ft wider than the pool size all the way around will give enough room to build.