BALLAST
The components are thermoplastic and have a lower specific density than water. Therefore, according to the basic principles of physics, our structures will "float" when immersed in water.
These guidelines are to allow you to create negative buoyancy and keep the structures on the bottom.
Simply filling the tubes with water will not make the structures sink
Pool Structure Designs - General Rules:
1. Try not to have the larger platforms in much less than 3' of water (Kids may fall off and get hurt hitting pool bottom)
2. Ensure that there is at least 6 feet of free space from all edges of the swim structures and the pool edge
3. To prevent slipping, you may wish to:
.... - add bathtub-type non-slip strips on the platform(s) (commercially available)
.... - spray platforms with non-skid paint (commercially available)
Ballast Weights
Each structure has a different ballast weight requirement based on the number of tubes components
The actual ballast will also depend on the percentage of the structure above & below the waterline
OPTION 1: SCUBA OR WEIGHT-LIFTING WEIGHTS
- best to use the plastic coated ones to reduce chance for pool contamination
- place weights on the bottom “floor-level” panels of the pool structure
- for the larger structures, try and distribute the weight more evenly to ensure stability
- continue to add weights until the platform is completely stable
Advantage: Easy to prepare, easy to remove
OPTION 2: PLASTIC FILE STORAGE CASE WITH WEIGHTS (Can get at Wal-Mart, Office Depot etc)
- place clean weight products (tiles, bricks, river stones, etc inside plastic case)
- do not use any materials which will contaminate the water in any way
- place the case(s) on a “floor-level” panel of the structure (Get as close to the center as possible)
- depending on the size of the water structure - add more plastic cases to distribute the weight load
- continue to add weights until the platform is completely stable. (See below for information on buying weights)
Advantage: Cheap, easy to prepare, easy to remove
OPTION 3: SAND- FILLED (Loose Fill)
- assemble bottom section of structure
- seal all the screws, screw holes and connector joints with silicone (to prevent sand from leaking out)
- best is Marine Goop or Silicone Sealant
- pour clean play sand (Home Depot) or clean pea gravel into the bottom tubes
- seal off more screws and connector joints as required
- important to seal all openings to present sand from leaking out
- add more sand as required to keep structure from floating
Advantage: easy to prepare, good for longer term use
Disadvantage: sand may leak into pool if screw/crack seals are not maintained, + heavier to lift out
FILLING & DRAINING
When placing swim structure into the water, ensure all trapped air is allowed to escape from the structure - including under panels. Otherwise the trapped air acts like a floatation tank
Most of the air in the tubes will escape over time through the small holes in the plastic screws, but to speed things up, you can temporarily remove one or more screws near the top.
You may wish to drill extra holes in the bottom and lower tubes - however, the greater the number of holes, the more you weaken the tubes - thereby voiding product warranty.
