26' x 52" Intex - new pool owner needs advice

[karenkolby]

We just purchased the 26' Intex from Walmart, after debating on pools for a LONG time. Biggest reason for going with Intex is cost (son is 15 & don't know how much pool will really be used after 2-3 years). Pool is still in box in garage ... hope to break ground this weekend!

After reading lots of info on this great site, I just want to be sure I have all my ducks in a row and am hoping for advice from the experts .... :-D

WARM CLEAR WATER
-TF100 test kit ordered yesterday and is in route. We have city water and once test kit arrives, I plan to go ahead & test some of the water so I have some idea of what I'm dealing with. Anything else I should be doing to "prepare" for clear swimable water ASAP after pool is set up?
-What is the typical "comfortable" (ie not cold) water temperature?
-I'm in Raleigh, NC ... once pool is filled with the waterhose and assuming at least 85 degree sunny weather, how long before the sun will warm up the water to the "comfortable" temperature?

PUMP / FILTER SYSTEM
-Sadly this model does NOT come with a sand filter ... it's a 2500gph "paper" cartridge. Trying to determine what are my best options. In no particular order here's what I'm thinking ....
-am I better off never hooking this thing up and going ahead and purchasing a "normal" sand filter and pump. I could sell the original one new on ebay / craigslist for about $75. I've read about needing to convert the size of the hoses / pipes which is a major concern (single mom here learning as I go ... not too handymanish). Another concern is if I go this route, will I need an electrical plug by the pool, or can I still run a drop cord? (electrical plug will cost me an additional $275 and WE must dig a 50' trench)
-I realize / think there are other advantages to going ahead & converting pipe size to "standard" ... i.e I can add "normal" skimmer later, I can use other "standard" ABG stuff like vacuum systems, etc (don't think this Intex model comes with a vac), etc. Am I correct on all this?
-if I hookup the original one, will it really keep the water clear? Am I better off also purchasing the Intex salt generator to go along with the original pump? (I'm not set on a "salt" pool ... just want whatever option will be lowest maintenance ... single mom = super busy)

MAINTENANCE / DEBRIS IN WATER
-I realize I won't know until the pool is setup, but I anticipate there is going to be a fair amount of bugs and debris in water at any given time (lots of pine trees about 20' from pool). Any necessary accessories to help with this?
-What kind of vac should I plan on purchasing? I'd prefer an autovac but I don't think any of these will work with the Intex. Is this true?

DECK
-Existing screened porch height is about 12" lower than pool. Thinking of adding deck around pool same height as existing porch. Am I going to regret the deck NOT being pool height?

These are my 4 top items right now. If there's anything else I should be caring about PLEASE tell me !!

I greatly appreciate any and all input! Many thanks!
Karen

PS - Think I forgot to add this to my sig but per box pool should hold 14,667 gallons at 90% capacity.

 

[zea3]

Hi, welcome to TFP! I hear ya on the busy single mom thing. You can get by with the standard pump and filter combo if there is not a lot of windblown debris that can reach your pool, and you stay on top of the water chemistry so you don't get algae. Water chemistry is the most important. The best way to stay on top of the water chemistry is to have a high quality test kit such as a TF100 or Taylor K2006. Either of these kits are as good or better than the testing you will get from a pool store, and when you perform the tests yourself, you know they are performed consistently and you can trust the results. As far as a chlorine source goes, using 8.25% unscented household bleach is the easiest. It takes about 10 minutes to test and dose the pool. SWG are good, but you still have to test. The intex model has a timer, but if you loose power it will not reset automatically. Some of our members that live in rural areas have reported that power outages resulted in a green pool because they didn't realize the power had been out while they were away from the house, so the SWG hadn't run for days.

26' is a good size pool. If you do get a lot of pine needles your best bet would be a robotic pool cleaner for above ground pools, such as a pool rover jr. Robotic pool cleaners are self contained. They have their own motor and are not connected to the plumbing in any way.

Be sure the site is good and level. It is better to dig down to level instead of adding dirt. Use concrete pavers under each leg of the pool.

Get enough CYA/stabilizer to bring the pool to 30ppm. Stock up on liquid chlorine/bleach. If you are on well water have it tested for metals before filling the pool. If you have iron in the water you will need to add a sequestrant to prevent iron stains.

You do not need floating chlorine feeders or the tablets that go in them. Do not buy any pool products that contain copper. Copper can stain the pool and cause blond/light colored hair to turn green.

Good luck setting up your pool! Feel free to ask questions whenever you need.

 

[msgtdan]

We will swim down to 68 deg. Sunday we were at 70 and Monday had a warmup and pool went to 77 deg. Last night it was at 80.

 

[gtnos]

you can still use a drop cord for the sand filter. i am ordering the 1 hp 2650 gph intex one off amazon for 156 for my 18x48 intex ultra.

rather than pay 275 for electrical work, you could do what im planning which is to run a good quality extension cord from a GFCI outlet on the side of my house underground out to the pool site. that will power your pump fine. you can just trench it down about 10-12 inches with a shovel. it doesnt have to go 18 inches for code as it is just a buried extension cord. 50 ft 10-12 inches with a shovel isnt that big of deal unless your ground is rock hard.

that is my plan as I dont use that side outlet, its GFCI, and by burying the cord I wont have to see it, and more importantly, have to worry about moving it every time i mow or forgetting about it and mowing it by accident. a lot cheaper than having an electrician come out.

if you want to make the cord last longer and make it a more permanent solution, run it in pvc conduit and it will last forever. im planning to just bury the cord as it will be a short term solution until i get my electrical planned out. I plan on a SWG and probably some lighting later, not too mention having a 220 put in for a future hot tub (i have found with electricians, its cheaper to just plan ahead and have them run everything you want at once, you get a better discount on a bigger job)

at any rate, this cheapo solution will get me by til then.