Hello, above ground pool owners. It’s Matt and Rob. We hope you’re doing great, but chances are if you’re on this post, your day is not going all that well. And that’s because your pool is broken and you can’t find parts. Well, in this video, Rob and I will review commonly replaced parts for above ground pools, their functions and the best way to find the part you need.
Let’s dig in.
We’ll start with the most commonly replaced part, the top cap. Now, these caps are part decoration and protection. Their job is to shelter the top plate from the elements and swimmers. Top caps can be either one piece or two-piece style. The latter has a cap-in support. Pool owners tend to lose these caps as the seasons pass.
Next, the top rail is the five to nine-inch wide brim of your pool, also known as a Daredevil’s favorite place to stand on an above ground pool. The top rail’s main function is to maintain the alignment of the pool’s uprights. Because the top rails are exposed to sun and water, they are one of the first parts that need replacing.
The Top Plate is the joining point for the upright, stabilizers and top ledge, making it important to keep these plates in good condition. The metal versions of these plates have a tendency to rust out.
The Stabilizer is located underneath the top rail. It spans between the upright and assist in holding the pool wall in place.
The Upright supports the wall and provides vertical stability between the top rails and bottom rails. The uprights can become dinged, bent, scratched, or rusted but if your pool uprights show signs of weakness, they should be replaced immediately.
The Bottom Plate acts as the base of the upright and a joint for your pool’s bottom rims. Bottom plates, especially the steel kind, are one of the first parts to rust away on an above ground pool. They’re sitting on the bare ground exposed to rain, snow and lawn chemicals that can eat away at them.
The Bottom Rims suffer from the same issue. The rim serves as a track for the pool wall, leaving them sitting on bare ground. The metal bottom rims will begin to rust quicker if they’re withstanding water.
Okay, now we know what everything is and where it goes, but how do we find the part you need?
Steps to Finding your Part: Option 1
Well, there are four steps to finding the correct part. The first and easiest step is finding a part number on the part you are replacing. Above ground pool parts, especially the resin style may have a part number printed on the component. If you find the part number, copy it down and search it on inyopools.com. But what if the part number is not available?
Option 2:
If you can’t find the part number, then the next step is to find your pool’s paperwork. I know, easier said than done, but hopefully you have the owner’s manual stashed away somewhere. The manual will include a list of part numbers you can use in our search engine.
Option 3:
The third option is finding a match via measurements. This route is most effective with stabilizers, bottom rims and the top rail.
For stabilizers and bottom rims, you’ll measure the outside curve length, end to end straight length and the width of the end. With that information you can reference our common stabilizers and bottom rims page. The parts are sorted from shortest to longest by the outside curve length or A measurement.
Top rails are measured by length and width. Again, with those measurements you can reference our top rail page. The top rails are sorted from shortest to longest.
Option 4:
If you can’t find a part number on the piece itself, your pool’s paperwork is nowhere to be found, and measurements are not working, then there is only one thing left to do; contact INYO.
Contact Inyo. That’s right, with a few pictures of your pool, our part department will try to identify the make and model. All we need is a picture of the upright, top rail, top cap and wall pattern. It also helps if you provide additional information like age, size and material of the pool. With that information we’ll do our best to birddog your pool’s parts.
Just email those pictures to agparts@inyopools.com and we’ll get you up and ready for the pool season.
Check out our blog titled “Identify My Above Ground Pool“. It has hundreds of pool pictures along with corresponding model names.
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