Fanta Sea Help

[TomSINY]

Rebuilding a 26 year old Fanta Sea 16 X 32 5.5 hopper, it has been empty for 5 years and needs to be cleared of many tree roots that have grown on the bottom. Looking for dig spec for the hopper. My original liner and its replacement 10 years ago had a walk ledge of about 1 foot or so around three sides. I called Pool Supplies.com and they sent me a spec that does not have the walk (safety) ledge. Have been trying for a week to re contact them via Email and phone. I get no response to Email and the phone Extension of the person who originally sent the spec goes to voice mail. If I try to speak to another Rep they just transfer me to the voice mail system of the original rep. QUESTION: Do they still make the liner with the walk ledge, and does anyone have a copy of the dig spec?
Thanks

[Watermom]

This sounds like a good question for CarlD to answer as he is also a FantaSea pool owner. I'll ask him to chime in.

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

[CarlD]

Yeah, the new answering system is a pain in the neck. Took me a while to actually get to one of the support people in Grand Island. Yes, they still make the liners with the safety ledge. There is no reason why they cannot give you the spec. The hopper is the same on three sides, but the angle to the shallow end is longer than the three sides. I am not able to get the spec for the next three weeks, but I have it. But the company should easily be able to get that.

Again, you have to tell them that you need to talk to technical support, not an account rep.

[TomSINY]

Thanks Carl. I'll keep trying. BTW did you or anyone else you know of ever replace walls with anything other than their wood or space age material. Just curious I am thinking of alternate materials to use.

[PoolDoc]

. . . membership updated.

[CarlD]

Thanks Carl. I'll keep trying. BTW did you or anyone else you know of ever replace walls with anything other than their wood or space age material. Just curious I am thinking of alternate materials to use.
Yes J_Palmer_Cass suggests using 3/4" pressure treated ply, with stainless screws, and lining the inside with pool foam before installing the new liner. If you can find a marine-grade P/T with an A/C side, rather than C/C, that would be better. The wood waterwalls run about $120-130/ sheet but 3/4 P/T ranges from $35-55/ sheet and pool foam is about $50 for a 100' roll, 48" wide. The math is compelling.

[TomSINY]

That is the way I was leaning, I also thought I would paint it with a good Marine Paint, or perhaps a 2 part Epoxy, I think sealing the bottom edge (ground Contact) is most important. I did get the dig spec today Just one sheet with 12X24, 16X24, 16X32, 20X40, and 16X48, also was advised that all liners are available with the walk ledge. Thanks for your help, I'll post Pics when finished.

[CarlD]

If I remember correctly, the diagram is pretty simplistic. I think the safety ledge is 18" on 3 sides, with a 45 degree slope down to the hopper bottom. The fourth side, which is the shallow end, has a longer, shallower slope. It's not really clear in the manuals, but the shallow end and safety ledge sand should cover the bottom 2" of the wall....but check on that. Also watch for a "gutter" forming between the ledge and the vertical. The idiots who installed my liner weren't careful and I've had that gutter for 12 seasons.

I'm going to be doing the same this year as the "Space Age" walls have been a major disappointment. Aluminum WILL corrode if not properly anodized and sealed, and it has done so, creating rough mounds under the liner threatening to pierce through. I was planning on using the wood waterwalls until J_Palmer_Cass suggested P/T and liner foam instead.

[TomSINY]

After checking a few big box stores and Lumber Yards around here I find the moisture content of their PT plywood to be much too high to take any kind of finish or sealer well. I am now looking at 3/4 AB grade Marine Plywood.
I plan to edge seal it with Epoxy Resin then prime and paint with a good exterior latex paint. Any thoughts or comments?

[TomSINY]

BTW according to the Dig Plan the walk ledge is 12" the drop to hopper bottom is 20" and 18" out from the perpendicular. That would make the surface of the slope somewhere around 27 " for all but the shallow to hopper transition.

[CarlD]

I stand corrected. I am working from memory and have not looked at the dig plan in ten or twelve years.

[TomSINY]

I didn't mean it as a correction to what you had stated but was just trying to correct the thread for any future readers. Ordered the 3/4 marine ply today $71.50 per sheet delivered + tax

[CarlD]

I wasn't offended. Correcting incorrect assumptions and facts is a large part of what we do here. Incorrect "facts" are worse than useless: They are destructive.

[J_Palmer_Cass]

Rebuilding a 26 year old Fanta Sea 16 X 32 5.5 hopper, it has been empty for 5 years and needs to be cleared of many tree roots that have grown on the bottom. Looking for dig spec for the hopper. My original liner and its replacement 10 years ago had a walk ledge of about 1 foot or so around three sides. I called Pool Supplies.com and they sent me a spec that does not have the walk (safety) ledge. Have been trying for a week to re contact them via Email and phone. I get no response to Email and the phone Extension of the person who originally sent the spec goes to voice mail. If I try to speak to another Rep they just transfer me to the voice mail system of the original rep. QUESTION: Do they still make the liner with the walk ledge, and does anyone have a copy of the dig spec?
Thanks


Have you inspected the upper rail system in detail? I did not do so, and at year 30 (2013) I had an upper rail failure. Liner was at the end of life so at least I did not have to replace a "good" liner. Some details here:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php/25237-Fanta-Sea-Pool


I did a full rebuild last year due to that failure, so I can give you some advice based on experience if you need it. I have a lot of pictures if you need to see what is involved.