My 24 Egg Pool

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Pigeonlove

Pigeonlove

0
Jun 29, 2013
102
Boise, Idaho
I think by now I have read every single post on TFP and I owe you all a story and pix. Last fall I acquired a 20yo Doughboy Breckenridge that had been packed away and sitting in a barn for many yrs. It was advertised as complete except for the sand filter which melted in a fire and they were asking $80 for it. I negotiated and ended up paying for the pool with a smile and 2 dozen eggs from my very fine backyard hens.

I grew up with a succession of round AGP's so felt somewhat confident I could handle the installation by myself, I am very handy and have just about finished a total house remodel on my own as well as building barns, etc. My husband doesn't know one end of a screwdriver from the other so it really is all me. When I do have a crew it would be my two little girls. Honestly, that's it.

This pool came with every bit of original documentation, as well as a truckload of random ancient chemicals and rather a lot of bees. It was packed very carefully. The only thing I needed were the installation instructions but a quick email to Doughboy and they were in the mail.

So this spring, I began with my crew (4yo and 2yo girls) and my $5 shovel. I decided to set the pool into a hillside which meant digging down about three feet on one side. I could have used machinery here but it is a tight spot and so very near the previous owners pet cemetery, so I shoveled it.

Then the nasty cantilevers. Horrible. By this time I had hit rock so had to dig through that to set the blocks into. Eight of these things. It took me so long to get the cantilevers in my husband started giving me grief about the pool -that it would never be done. I felt that way too so took a break and got this cute sign on Ebay:

(please bear with me, photos are coming)
 
I like the "Beach Closed Due to Shark Sighting" sign so much I think I will leave it up permanently.

So, since I have been basically working alone I have not followed the installation instructions exactly. I placed one side of cantilevers, set on blocks, put in pressure plates then worked my way around one end building a skeleton to reach the point where I started the other set of cantilevers. Got those in and then continued around the pool with skeleton until I reached my first cantilever. Whew! Checked and rechecked everything was level and square. I set blocks under all uprights and under the track but did not pour concrete for the cantilevers. My plan was to get the wall up first, check everything again then pour the concrete .

So the wall. My dad told me there was no way I could do the wall by myself so of course I was heck bent on doing it by myself. Carrying it into the pool was the hardest part. Since I had built the skeleton it was very easy to unroll and place the wall in the track with the supports helping me out along the way. I was lucky the wall matched up perfectly. Getting the bar in that joins the wall was difficult. The instructions tell me that it should go in easily and forcing it will void the warranty...I have no warranty and so beat it into submission with my baby sledgehammer.
 
 
Mkay. So where was I? I glued wall foam in, taped down floor foam (so I did use the less expensive white foam board after plenty of research. Pool is just about full and it is great) put in the foam cove. My crew helped a lot with the floor foam so it did not go in perfectly level. They just couldn't resist digging in the soft level dirt, it was 100+ this day so I just went with it. Dropped in the liner same day, stretched it and clipped with clothespins and filled to about 1ft. Well water. Very hard well water. The next day we filled a little more and had to go in and test it out, so cold!

(am catching up to today, we started filling last Sunday)
 
Thank you fireman! Got all the coping on today and most of the rails and filled to the skimmer. Big storm blew in so I had to call it a day. I am very eager to get the pump and filter hooked up especially now with all the gunk that blew in polluting my nice new water. Here I have no idea what I am doing. Was told the pump works (manufacture date 1993) and my filter is brand spankin' new but in pieces I am not sure how to put together. Skimmer is std Doughboy and looks fine to me. I did swirl in some bleach yesterday but am not doing anything more until my equipment is up and running. The pool is actually starting to look appealing and I will post more pix soon!
 

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Thanks for the support lauriec62 and harleysilo! My personal swimming deadline was today b/c it is my birthday. Was. An even bigger storm came in last night so I spent most of the day so far scooping armloads (yes, armloads!) of debris out of the pool. I was in the water doing this so I guess that will have to count as swimming. Was really hoping to get the pump going today but no way that is happening now when I so need it. Of course I have other chores to do as well out here in the country so I have to call it quits for the day on pool work. I get out there and work on the pool sometimes in my pj's and muck boots I am so determined to get it done, it will happen!
 
You are amazing! That is a tremendous amount of work!!!

And of course, Happy Birthday!!!!

You will have SO much satisfaction that 1) You did it yourself and 2) You are swimming in a pool that your chickens paid for!!!!!!!! Talk about the ultimate in recycling!



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I would do very well in a cashless society; I am always trading for something and a serious Craigslist addict! I do a big veggie garden, can and keep around 15 layers so there's that but also find myself trading away things I have built and then later decide I can do better. Hopefully it is at least a few years until I decide I need to upgrade the pool!
 
I was hoping to be up and running tonight, but no. I have a cracked strainer basket cup (think that is what it is called) on my pump. Now I decide do I want to fix it and hope my untested 20 yr old pump works or just suck it up and get a new one. I have searched high and low online for any one anywhere who has this pump and I am coming up empty. Anybody here have 1993 Doughboy 1 hp PowerPak I DIGITAL pump? Still functioning? We swam again today anyway w/me as the human filter running round and round holding a skimmer. Kinda fun, but...
 
That is something else, so congrats on a job well done, and not one I'd want to tackle. I might trade some labor for some of those eggs though. :)

I don't know how bad the basket is, but it must be pretty bad not to use it. You might be able to "sew" it together enough with some stainless wire enough to keep it from coming apart.
 

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