as a intex owner myself and someone who has installed a few of them i will add my 2 cents on the installation and pump recommendation.
a few tools that makes the installation alot easier and can be rented from a local tool rental, if you do not own already
1.rotating laser level or transit(for leveling the site) don't try to eyeball it your setting yourself up for failure!
2.viberating compactor ( for compacting the soil ) once level
3.rototiller (optional) for cutting down the high side of ground to lowest point. cut down a little at a time and remove dirt so you don't dig too deep
4. hand shovel,rake, hand tamper, wheel barrow, 4 or 6 foot level and a good straight 2x4 8 foot long hammer and nails, masons string, duct tape, tape measure, 2 inch wood screws, screwdriver, circular saw, drill and drill bits, dykes,spray paint
installation below
1. remove sod from 18 foot diameter that will leave 1 foot around pool
2. cut high spots down to the lowest do NOT build up lowest to highest (remove all rocks and roots from site)
3. once area is level compact down with plate compactor or hand tamper
4. after site is level find the exact center of the circle and take a 2x2x8 inches long and hammer a 16 penny nail in the center of the 2x2 leaving most of the nail sticking out and cut the head off and then drive the 2x2 in the ground in the exact center of circle leaving 1 to 2 inches stick out of the ground for the depth of sand.
5. spray the entire circle with weed and grass killer followed by insect killer (carpenter ants and grub worms are not good under the liner )
6. drill a hole close to the edge of the 2x4x8 foot (you remember the STRAIGHT one) lol make the hole just a bit larger than the size of the 16 penny nail and slip the 2x4 over the nail in the 2x2 in the center if the circle.
7. tape level to the top of 2x4 about a foot from the outside edge and start bringing in the sand and lay it out in the circle and drag the board around making sure to keep it level, once you have the sand level lightly dampen the sand and hand tamp it down until you barely leave footprints when you walk of it.
8. recheck for level using the rotating laser level or transit ( once happy with the levelness of the site) now comes the fun part....lol
9. tie a piece of masons string to nail sticking out of center 2x2 measure out 7and a half feet and hold can of spray paint and walk the circle the will be the cicumference of your pool and where it will sit.(after you remove the 2x4 of coarse).....lol. remove center 2x2 and fill with sand and tamp down firmly intil level with surrounding area.
10. cut 7inch x 7 inch pieces of 3/4 treated plywood 1 for each leg (set aside for now )
11. now for the moment we have been waiting for..drumroll.....open the pool box....woooo hooooo.....take the liner out and carefully spread it out in the yard in the sun to warm up, make sure bottom drains are tight and inside caps are on if equipped
12. lay supplied ground cloth on the site, once the liner has warmed up have a few friends help you carry it to the site and center it as close to the paint line as possible ( do NOT drag liner across ground!!!! )
13. assemble and install top ring through liner loops per instructions,make sure all locking pins are locked in, place plastic feet on bottom of legs and this is where a few friends come in handy
14. place one person at 12,6 and at 3 and 9 o clock position and with leg in hand raise the top ring and place leg through retaing loop and snap in place,followed by the remaining legs make sure legs are also inside the bottom rope. try not to put divits in sand base if you do take a small piece of 2x4 and re tamp it down.
15. level and plum legs and go get the pieces of plywood you cut and center it under a leg ( side to side) and make them flush with the back of the foot ( nearest to pool ) and on the outside of the foot drill a hole on each side of the plastic foot ( just a hair bigger than the screws ) as to not crack the foot when screwed to the wood but dont drill through the wood you want the screw to bite into it, i use 2 inch coarse drywall screws.
16. recheck all legs for plum and level and re-check all clips on top ring and legs.
17. start filling pool, with about a inch of water in it work out as many wrinkles in the bottom as possible and when roughly 16 inches of water in pool re-check legs for plum and level, the reason i like to screw the feet to the plywood is because the legs move out at the bottom as the pool fills so the leg support moves with them.
18. install inlet and outlet into openings and install and hook up pump make sure all clamps and fitting are good and snug and continue filling pool untill full.
pump recommendations
1. ALL the intex cartridge filter pumps are junk the flow ratings are greatly inflated and they are worthless for vacuhming you pool.
2. i suggest the intex sand filter either the 1600 gph 14 inch sand filter pump combo or the 2650 gph 16 inch sand filter /pump combo
my fingers are tired......lol..........jmo.......Mike
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