Traditionally the walls of a vinyl liner in ground swimming pools are made out of 14 gauge G35 galvanized steel. These walls are made up of several individual panels that get bolted together to create the overall form of the pool. This is the way that vinyl liner in ground swimming pools have been made for decades. The only problem with this type of material is that it corrodes. Steel will rust at some point. It may be thirty years from now or it could be 5. There are so many variables that aid in the corrosion of steel that most if not all manufacturers of steel panels for swimming pools will not warrant the panels against corrosion or discoloration. This is just the way it is. They cannot be held responsible for the steel panels rusting. If they were then they would quickly be out of business because all steel wall pool panels rust. Some last much longer than others but eventually the outcome is the same. So what aids in the corrosion of the steel? What can be done about it?
First there are so many things that aid in the corrosion of the steel wall that I will probably forget one or two. The main thing I can think of is the water in the pool. More and more people are getting “salt water pools” these days. If you live in a northern state then you know what salt does to metal. Also, even if it is not a salt water pool then the chemicals in the pool can aid in the corrosion of the steel walls. I know what you are thinking, “the liner will be between the water and the walls so how could the water affect the steel? Well thats easy. At some point in the life of a liner, it will likely develop a hole, tear, or leak around a fitting. That will allow the water to get behind the liner. In addition to the water in the pool you also have to realize that there is plenty of ground water outside of the pool that can aid in the corrosion of the walls. This can be even more dramatic if you live in an area where the rain water is more acidic due to pollution. Also stray electricity in the ground can aid in corrosion, and fertilizer on your lawn can help do some damage. There is just so much. Just think about it this way, there is a large amount of steel buried in the yard and exposed to the elements of mother nature. So how to combat the problem?
There is really not a lot that can be done. Originally the steel was galvanized to help prolong the life of the wall panels. Galvanization is a process in which the steel is coated with zinc and is something that all pool wall manufacturers do. The zinc acts as a barrier between the steel and the elements. It does help protect the steel but eventually the outcome will be the same. Only Alpha Pool Products have taken it a step further.
They have developed a process in which an extra layer of protection is added to the steel on top of the galvanization. This process dramatically increases the life of the pool panel, and every steel component that Only Alpha makes get this coating. However the steel will eventually begin to corrode.
The next step to combating the rusty pool wall is to make it out of a material that does not corrode. That is exactly what Only Alpha has done. In addition to that Only Alpha has created a non – corrosive bracing system to compliment the non – corrosive pool wall. These two items combined together make up their Fuzion line of vinyl liner in ground swimming pools. This is the largest advancement in the fight against rusty pool walls that have ever been made in the industry. In addition to the fact that these components are non – corrosive Only Alpha has developed them to also be the strongest non – corrosive pool wall panel available. Others may boast about the strength of their non – corrosive pool walls but they aren’t even playing on the same level as Only Alpha Pool Products. Check out the website http://www.onlyalpha.com/ Here you can access some youtube videos that demonstrate beyond a doubt that their panels are superior to anything else on the market today.
These new non – corrosive panels are relatively new and are still being implemented into the industry. I expect them to become the new standard in the vinyl liner in ground pool industry. Check out their website and watch the youtube videos to get the full effect of the strength in these new panels. The side by side demonstrations pinning other manufacturers panels against Only Alpha’s is very powerful and will open your eyes to the way in which the pool industry is going. Also check out my other blogs posts as they all pertain to vinyl liner in ground pools and cover basically cover any topic you could think of. If not please feel free to bring it to my attention and I will do my best to cover it in a future post.
