Small DIY 12'x48" AGP...(UK)

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Paul D

Paul D

0
Apr 20, 2015
18
Manchester UK
Hi, I thought I would post some pics to introduce myself. I'm Paul and I'm from the UK.
I've no doubt I will be needing peoples help, and I am very happy to offer any help no matter how limited that may be!
Grab a drink, I will outline my starting process to maybe help others who have zero experience on this subject...

I've had three different pools over the last three years. Most will know you tend to start small and then get bigger and better ;)

Pools so far:
10'x30" Intex metal frame AGP
12'x30" Intex metal frame AGP
12'x48" Bestway Poseidon metal wall AGP

We are a corner house, meaning we have a very small rear garden that is diamond shaped. The front garden drive is much larger, but not suitable to have a pool.
I've always liked the idea of having a outdoor pool, but British weather, small houses/gardens and expense always kept it a pipe dream.
I had seen the Intex metal frame pools in Costco, but never thought of getting one due to the small size of our rear garden. I thought getting a small pool would be a waste of time. A few holidays with small pools in the villa's gave me a few ideas though.

I came across a bargain 10'x30" Intex pool whilst browsing Amazon (£80). It was so cheap I reasoned that if it was a bad idea or that the kids would get bored quickly, then I could just sell it or even dump it.
It would fit between a metal shed and the existing decking, and sited on artificial grass. After the pool arrived, I realised that I would need a few other bits...(it starts!!!)
I got a bargain on a small Intex pump/filter(£10). I was amazed how easy it was to set it all up. Within a couple of hours, the pool was being filled. Whilst waiting for it to fill, it occurred to me we might need a heater!
So the kids could use the pool straight away, I hooked up the hose to the hot tap in the kitchen. Thankfully we have a big instant hot water boiler, so feeding plenty of hot water wasn't a problem. The following Gas bill might be though!
The pool only took six hours to fill, and the water was nice and warm. The kids were straight in, and so were we :) . The next day, the water was much cooler. The kids and me were still in but my wife wasn't.

So I was soon back on Amazon looking for a pool heater. The obvious choice was the Intex 3kw pool heater (£80). It arrived in two days and was fitted straight away. It took a couple of days to warm the pool, and the wife was back in!
By the end of the week, we woke to find the pool had a nice lime tint to it! I had no idea what that was, and by the next day had turned a nice green colour. I looked online for a pool store. Pools haven't really taken off in the UK yet, so stores are few and far between. They are also very expensive. I found a local supplier. They are normally online only, but since I only lived a few miles away, they agreed to help me out. I popped round with the intention of getting something called "Chlorine tablets". By the time I got out of there I had enough pool "bits" to start my own shop!

I was now the proud owner of a deluxe pool maintenance kit, Chlorine multi tablets, shock granules, test strips, floating tablet dispenser, Intex bucket skimmer...
I was told to "shock" the pool with the granules, then add a couple of tablets when the other ones disappear. All the shock granules did was turn the pool from green to grey. I decided to drain the pool and start again.
Once the pool was refilled, I added a couple of multi function tablets to the floating "space ship" (as the kids called it). This worked great until I then bought a Intex solar/thermal cover. The space ship got caught under it and over night dropped Chlorine onto one spot on the bottom of the liner and bleached it white! At that point I started just adding tablets to the clip on wall skimmer.

It took a while until I got the hang of how many tablets to add to wall skimmer. I could almost smell when the pool was about to "turn". I was more worried about bleaching the kids than the colour turning green so took it easy etc.
Even though I had now spent three times as much as the original pool cost, the season was a complete success. The only glitch came in the form of my electricity bill. Heating the pool for 5 months cost an extra £800-900...:(
To my amazement, the kids didn't get bored and used the pool every single day. Wind or rain didn't put them off. In fact it was only during a possible thunder storm that I managed to get them out! My wife and I loved the extra time we all spent together. Friends/family also came round more and had a great time.


That made my mind up! The metal shed had to go. With that out of the way, the garden would be more open and brighter. But more importantly, I could squeeze in a 12 footer :)

The small space...

 
Re: Small DIY 12'x48" AGP...(UK)

With the metal shed removed...



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The old decking coming up so I could extend it.



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I had now invested in a Intex SWG pump/filter(£100 bargain!). Intex side wall LED light(£45).And I bigger 12' solar cover!

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I'm not sure if pics of the decking going in helps, but i'm not a wood joiner (DIY) so please forgive if it isn't up to code in the US etc.



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Back decking nearly done. Just needs front trims putting on. Needs leaving six months before oiling to allow natural resins to settle down.



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I thought I may as well deck the BBQ area while I was as it!



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Nearly ready for the pool!



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This year we decided to go deeper. A 12'x48" Metal wall Bestway Poseidon was again picked up cheap. RRP is £999 and online for £720. I found a supplier in Spain for £413 + £50 delivery.
The first problem I came across was the pools top edge would be wider than the metal frames. This meant the pool had to move away from the fence panel more.
I decided to alter my new decking!

Bottom ring showing the limited space...



Decking being altered to fit the new pool.



Decking altered to fit, but the base now needed re-screeding plus more artificial grass...DOH!



Pool now fits!

 
Everything went well with the build. No leaks and I since connected the Intex SWG. I added approximately 35kg of salt(£30).
The first problem I encountered was the timer on the Intex SWG combo pump/filter. The timer operates both SWG and pump together. This means I have to manually switch to pump only mode every day.
Crazy why Intex would do this, but I need the pump running more than the SWG. The old 3kw heater needs to run 24/7 just to keep up.

I have decided to sell the Intex SWG combo. I have just ordered a Intex 3200 GPH pump/sand filter(£170). I will be heating the pool with a 8.5kw air source heat pump as well(£850). I hope this will reduce my massive electric bill.
I want a neat install, so I will be running all the pipes under the decking to the wall mount heater. I will also be making a new pump/filter housing.
 
Wow! When there's a will, there's a way! I'm impressed.

When does the next larger pool go in?? Just kidding!

Your family sure is lucky. I remember when I was little, my dad set up a small backyard pool (no pumps or anything). He said he would NEVER do that again!! He was a great man, just not very handy.... Suz.
 
Hi Paul! <<waves from sunny Brighton>>
Firstly, well done on setting up your pool. You certainly have made the most of your space.

I would be interested to see a photo of your wall mounted heater when you have one. Our air to heat exchanger had to be placed with at least 90cms space around it, so I have tried to disguise it with some trellis! I didn't know you could get them to hang on walls!
 
The heat pump is going up on Saturday. I will post some pics.
The plan is to wall mount and just get it running. Then sort out the pipes into a neater permanent arrangement the week after. It is supposed to have a minimum of 30cm rear space. I think I will only manage 25cm.
The "suck" side can be less than the "blow" side (blow needs 2.5mtr). It does suck from one of the sides as well, so I should be ok.

The "L" wall bracket.


Heat pump
 

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I've hooked up the new 8.5kw heat pump. It's only on the floor until I wall mount it. I had to mod the Intex hoses to 2" rigid pipe. They don't leak, so that's good.
Once the heater is wall mounted, I will change most the piping to rigid pipe. I think I will be keeping the flexi hoses from the skimmer and inlet ports that attach to the pool wall. These will feed into rigid joints built into the bottom of the decking.
I will use rigid quick couplings, so I can disconnect them if need be. I will convert the Intex sand filter and SWG to rigid pipe and run up to the heater. I plan on running a rigid pipe for the waste/flush. There is a grid/drain nearby I can empty straight into.

The pool temperature started at 18C with and air temperature of 14C. The 3kw Intex electric heater has been on for three days and didn't even manage to raise the temperature at all. Within three hours, the pool has raised to 21C.
I don't expect any more rise tonight. The air temp is to drop to 9C, so I would be pleased just to keep the 21C. If it drops back, so be it. Tomorrow I expect to see a greater rise. I've put my neck on the line and promised the kids it will be 28C by Sunday!


 
Well done on getting the new heater set up & working. Mine is set to 26°C Max and it usually achieves this by early afternoon at the moment. In the morning if the temperature has been cold overnight, the pool can drop back to about 22°C but it doesn't take long for the heater to get the temperature up again.

I just want the air temperature to warm up now.... Where oh where is our summer?!!
 
I've decided to make a alteration to the pool. We love the pool, but as it is taller than the other 30" pools, it dominates the garden. When the season ends, I've decided to lower part of the pool into the ground by 18".
It's took me a few days to work out how to do this safely, and with consideration for good drainage. In fact, water drainage was the main problem. Digging down and pouring a new concrete slab will create a "in ground pool" on its own!
The rest of the garden level will be above the pool floor, so I had to work out how to get rid of rain water/pool splash. I did consider a "in ground" sump pump/float combo. This would work, but would be relying on nothing breaking down.
With more though, I realised that there is a main drain/manhole right on the other side of the fence. I can tunnel to this and simply lay a fixed drain. I have a good neighbour who won't mind me digging on their side to do this.

So I will pre drill some holes around the outside pool whilst it is still standing to give me an exact guide for the pool size. Remove the pool, and break up the current slab using the holes as a guide. Once i'm deep enough, I will re-pour a new re-enforced concrete base. I will install two new drains before pouring the base. The pipes can run underground to the main drain. I will install two drains just in case one becomes blocked with debris, inflatable toys etc! I will then use flexible shuttering to create a new round edge which I can then back fill with concrete up to the original level. This will give me a smooth "shelf" and tidy up the broken edges. The area can then have the artificial grass re-laid. When re- installing the pool, I will have to build it on chocks above the hole. This is because I won't have access to the bottom screws on the side uprights. Once it is ready for the liner, I will get plenty of people to help lift the pool all around, and some can remove the chocks. Once it's in the hole, I can then add the liner and finish the pool.

I will add pictures when I do it of course!
 
Looks great, do you use a "solar" (bubble wrap) cover to prevent evaporative cooling when the pool is not in use? If you don't it would really help out the heater.

Ike

p.s. I can just picture you squeezing in a 12x20 oval in a couple of years.
 

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