?'s re: Intex Quick Set Dimensions and operating costs

[Notacop]

My daughter will be starting swim lessons a month before her 3rd birthday in the middle of July. My son will turn 1 at the same time. My parents are putting in a big fiberglass pool in their backyard (construction to start in the next week or two) but that is 25 miles away and going to grandma's house is a bit of an "event". My wife and I are thinking of getting something basic for the kids to splash around in (properly supervised/accompanied of course). I looked at the real basic plastic wading pools or the $30 inflatable side pools. For not a lot more I can get a small Intex easy set pool. I just measured the concrete pad on the lower level of our walkout (deck above). To fit a 10' diameter circle, I would have to build up the ground past the concrete about 6" on 2 sides of the concrete, only an arc. This would leave about 3" between the side of the pool and the house on 1 side and the 4x4 posts that support the deck on the other sides. I drew it up in google sketchup to get a better idea. Here are a few view from the basic model I threw together:

There is a GFCI outlet right near the inside corner of the house. I would place the filter/pump in that corner.

The only problem is that this is based on a 10' outer diameter, but what is the maximum diameter of a 10'x30" pool? Is the 10' the inside diameter of the ring or the maximum diameter of the pool including the "bulge" of the sides when it is filled? Does anyone have a 8x30 and/or a 10x30 setup that they could measure for me? I would hate to get it in place and mostly filled only to realize it is going to hit the corner of the deck support and put a hole in it. I guess I could take the easy way out and get the 8' pool, but where is the fun in that!


Secondly I wanted to get a ballpark estimate of the operation costs of an easy set pool if I decide to go that route rather than an ankle deep toy for the kids to play in. Our electric is cheap around here, currently ranging from 3-8 cents per kw/h ("power smart pricing"), but I am unsure of the amount of chemicals I will need. I have been reading up on the BBB method and plan on going that route. Our water here is very "hard" so I am sure that will complicate things a bit. If I can fit the 10'x30" intex, I will be looking at around 1,000 gallons. The pool will get very little direct sunlight as that side of the house faces north and there is a deck above it. Roughly how much bleach, borax and bicarbonate would I be looking at per week/month if the pool is only getting light usage by my family of 4? Any ideas on the current draw for the little pump intex includes with the smaller pools?


Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[zea3]

Alot of the measurement relies on how full the pool is. The ring "floats" and pulls the sides of the pool up. If the pool is completely filled it should come pretty close to the posted dimensions.

The sides of the intex are pretty tough, but if you are worried about rubbing a hole in the side you could pad the house wall and deck supports with foam board. Since you are planning to install it on concrete you should put foam board under it as well, to pad those little knees and elbows.

Keep in mind an easy set pool is just a big bag of water. Its going to jiggle like jello when the kids are splashing around in there so it could still bump into the structure of the house while they play.

Since the little intex pools hold a small volume of water, you will want to use liquid clorine and give it a good stir with the leaf net. The pump/filter combos that come with these pools are under powered, but if you stay on top of the water chemistry and make sure to keep the leaves and dirt out you should be o.k.

As far as chemical usage goes, you should only need a few cups of bleach a week. You may be able to get a couple of weeks out of a 96 ounce bottle of 6%. Borax and baking soda usually are occasional additions and depend on the specifications of your fill water.

 

[Jin_1626]

We had an Intex 18'x48" easy set for five years. It jiggles a lot with use. I would not want 5,000 gallons of water that close to my house/foundation. Cost of maintaining was not enough for me to even have taken note of. We loved our pool and used it daily! We've upgraded to the Intex Ultra Metal Frame 24x52, yet to be installed. Hoping do to that this weekend!

 

[foster400]

The 10' dimension is the diameter of the bottom of the pool at the bulge. My 18' easy set is about 15.5'-16' across the outside of the ring, give or take a few inches depending on water level.