We’ve often been asked, “How do I stop my swimming pool ladder from floating?” and the simple answer is to weigh it down with water, sand, or another kind of ballast (according to your swimming pool).
Swimming pool ladders are available in all shapes and sizes, and all are designed to allow easy access to the water.
Pool ladders hang on the side of the pool and should be immobile. However, some ladders drift to the surface and annoyingly do not stay still.
To fix this, apply some weight to the lower end of the ladder. The weight serves as an anchor and will hold the ladder in place.
How do I stop my pool ladder from floating? Introduction
First, check your manual. Many swimming pool ladders are somewhat light and tend to move position in the water.
Thankfully, the manufacturers of these lightweight swimming pool ladders usually have guidelines to solve this.
Check the instruction manual for specific tips, but in the meantime, here are a couple of fundamental ways of weighing down the ladder.
As a safety tip, make sure to check the ladder’s stability before installation, and don’t use it until it’s properly fixed in place. ⛔
Two kinds of swimming pool ladders
Typically there are 2 kinds of ladders for swimming pools above ground, regardless of the pool ladder’s weight limit and the pool ladder material.
Tip: Check our other page and discover a few excellent plus-size pool ladders up to 400 lbs.
Try one of the below suggestions to weigh it down, or combine them (if possible) to make the pool ladder steadier:
Swimming pool ladders without fill holes
To secure a ladder in a pool, first place the ladder where you want it to be at the side of the pool.
Then, put it into the water and hold it firmly against the pool bottom.
Proceed to attach weights to the ladder. Lower some weight, such as sand, in a tightly sealed, waterproof container along the ladder.
Position the weights at the base. Now it’s time to test the ladder for stability.
Apply pressure to the ladder to figure out how much it gives.
When the ladder has little to no give, you have used the correct amount of weight.
Swimming pool ladders with fill holes
First, prepare the ladder for filling by taking it out of the swimming pool, removing the cap on the fill hole, and making sure it isn’t blocked.
Second, add weight to the swimming pool ladder by filling it with water through the fill hole (you may want to use a hosepipe). Screw the cap back on.
Did you know that some ladders are designed to be filled with sand? Sand is poured through a funnel into the fill holes.
It’s the same theory as using water: You’re weighing down the ladder by ballast.
Third, lower the pool ladder back into the swimming pool.
Beware: It might take more than one person for this step due to the additional weight (take that into account to avoid unnecessary injuries).
Various kinds of ballast to weigh down your swimming pool ladder
We know we’ve already said it, but make sure to refer to the installation manual.
It will have all the information you need to best stabilize your pool ladder.
If you’ve lost it or didn’t have one to start with, then read on for some ideas for a DIY job to prevent your pool ladder from floating:
Sand to stop your pool ladder from floating
Some swimming pool ladders and steps actually have compartments to fill in for additional weight, but it’s not advisable to use water.
You can fill the chamber with sand ladder instead of water.
You can make your own sand-filled weights by filling plastic milk containers if your ladder does not have a compartment. Tie them to your ladder with nylon rope.
The downside to using sand is that it can create a mess at the bottom of your spool, possibly damaging your filter system and automatic pool cleaner.
If you see sand coming out from your ladder, try to clean it up immediately and fix the leak.
Water
Among the simplest ways to weigh down a swimming pool ladder is to add water. It may sound strange but bear with us.
Some pool ladders and steps include a chamber that fills with water to prevent the ladder from drifting away.
If your ladder isn’t designed this way, then you can use vinyl or plastic water bags to hold water (or whatever you’ve chosen).
We suggest using nylon rope to connect the bags to your ladder.
The advantage of water as ballast is that there is no mess to clean up if there’s a leak.
Hand weights or dumbbells as DIY solution for weighing down your pool ladder
If you don’t have any water bags, gravel or sand to weigh down your ladder, you might want to consider using hand weights or dumbbells. Just make sure that they are waterproof.
Neoprene or vinyl are usually good enough, but you should go for weights created for aquatic exercise.
Again, nylon rope can be used to tie them to the ladder.
Gravel
Like sand, you can put gravel inside your pool ladder or in an attached waterproof container (or milk containers) to weigh down your ladder.
Gravel, nevertheless, presents a serious threat to your pool’s filter and automated cleaner if it should leak into the water.
Check your ladder thoroughly to make sure none spills out.
How do I stop my pool ladder from floating? Conclusion
Many in-ground and aboveground pools use detachable ladders which are extremely popular since these pool ladders can be stored away in winter before covering your pool.
Because ladders are often made from a lightweight material such as plastic, acrylic or aluminum, they can drift in the water if not properly secured.
It’s a common complaint, and so we hope that this post has proved valuable by offering methods to weigh down your ladder.
Hence, it stays in place, allowing safe access to the water for you and your loved ones.
Tip: With all this added weight on your pool ladder, you might consider protecting your liner by putting something underneath your pool ladder.