New Intex pool owner, need some help

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Artzechck3

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Jun 25, 2013
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Hi, first let me say...I am so glad I found this site!
We purchased an Intex 15' round pool this year. Set it up according to the directions but it was about 5" unlevel. We were too nervous about it so we drained it. Now we are going to dig out the high side, and make sure it is level. Couple questions: should we put sand under the tarp/pool? I have read mixed reviews about this. How much sand? Do we need a gorilla pad, or can we wait until next year for that? Do we need to take the pool down every year? We live in Southeast PA. Do we need to put the feet of the pools on paver blocks (leveled of course)? Any tips would be appreciated. We are so frustrated with this so far, it has turned in to a major project. Also, now I am seeing that I will probably need a better filter?? What do you suggest for that?

Thanks!!
 
Welcome to TFP, Artzechck3.

I had about 2" of sand under my first pool. My reasoning was to have the pool floor on something that contained no sharp objects. Roots, rocks, nails, bottle caps, etc. Spent a lot of time sifting through the sand. It worked pretty well, though there were places where the sand had shifted and dirt / leaves would collect in the depressions in the pool bottom. This time I put the the wall foam under the new pool and I have to say I like it much better. Softer on the feet and no worries about the sand shifting.

I leave my pool up year round. You have to do a little work so you don't have green swamp next spring, but it's worth the trouble. Not much chance of freezing here in South Texas. Your situation may be completely different. Wait for advice from someone with a similar climate to you.

Paver blocks are a must. The weight of the pool water is significant. It would likely push the legs down into the ground without them.

I have the Intex 2650gl/hr sand filter. I like it a lot. It's relatively inexpensive, convenient (all in one), and does a nice job. Some consider it a bit on the small size, it should be more than enough for your pool. I backwash more than once a month, but it is so much easier than the cartridge filters that come with the pool.

John
 
Where in southeast PA are you? I'm outside of Allentown.

We also did the pink foam under our 16'x48" Intex Ultra Frame. I really like it, but don't really know anything else since we did this from the get-go last summer. We don't have anything under the legs. The husband didn't think it was necessary since we put it in an area that was already dug out from where the previous owners of our house had their AGP that they tore down before selling so the dirt was already very compacted. In hindsight we would have done it my way and put wood or pavers or something under the legs, because we did have one leg sink about a 1/2" after a recent heavy rain, although we didn't have any issues last year with it.

We took our pool down for the winter last year. My biggest fear was having chunks of ice floating around it in, possibly hitting the sides and tearing it, although I guess you could have that problem in regular pools with a liner as well. I have read of quite a few people in freezing climates leaving them up, so you probably could without issue if you took the proper steps to winterize it, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

We upgraded to the 2650gph sand filter this year. The stock Intex one worked last year, but didn't do a great job of moving the water around and cleaning the dirt out and the cartridges were a pain to deal with. I am very impressed with the difference and the bigger pump makes it so much easier to vacuum and keep clean. We also have the saltwater chlorine generator which I also really like and it works much better with the bigger pump. With the stock Intex one last year I used to get a lot of low flow warnings which was a pain, but haven't had a single one with the new filter/pump!

I know it's frustrating and a lot of work in the beginning, especially for a "temporary" pool, but it is definitely worth it in the end!
 
I thought that our pool was a headache last year with the setup. We thought the ground was level enough but we were wrong. We used sand and that was a big mistake. The two things that is mentioned for installing the pool, (make sure it's level - don't use sand) and we didn't take that seriously enough..."it will be fine"...WRONG! :grrrr:

This season I have it set up just the way I envisioned. Yes, it can be very frustrating "what the fu**" did I get myself in to at first? Yes, it's all worth it! We love it! I have the same setup as Wozzukes plus the Ecosaver solar panel, which has been awesome. We haven't had hot weather and the pool is at 80 degrees. I highly recommend a quality solar blanket. I ended up throwing the Intex cover that came with the pool in the garbage...it's junk.

Just make sure the pool is 100% level! That's what is the most important!
 
I used 3/4 inch Styrofoam in 4x8 sheets. I used 8 sheets in total. It was around 60 bucks. Its most likely cheaper in the USA as I am in Canada. I duct tape mine together and then cut around the pool after it was filled. Then I used wood to support the legs. I didnt use the blue tarp, I thought it looked ugly sticking out the bottom and I would cover it anyway. Hope that helps.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
We bought a 14x48 Ultra Frame Intex this season. It has been up for almost 4 wks. We did not put foam under it. We put it on a space that our 13x39 ring top pool had sat for 5 seasons. Our ground is mostly clay. My husband leveled out the spot (last year the pool leaned a bit :shock: ), and then added an inch or two of sand to smooth out the bottom after he cut out some tree roots that were in the way (did not use the sand to level). We did not put the legs on wood or pavers. So far the legs have not moved at all, even after several heavy rains recently. I don't think the foam is necessary unless you have a lot of small roots or rocks under your pool. I didn't grow up swimming in pools with padded bottoms so the concept seems a bit much to me. It depends on where your pool is going to sit, I guess. We have not upgraded the pump, so far the one that came with the pool is doing its job. I will say that the ladder that came with the pool is horrible and we are looking to upgrade it as soon as possible. I am an average-sized lady and don't feel comfortable using it, it isn't very stable. As someone who is putting up this pool only seasonally, I can't see doing all the extra stuff that some other pool owners are doing who keep them up year round. I would like the pool to be stable and not look stupid in my yard, but I am not going to go nuts with it (although if we upgrade to a bigger diameter I am sure I'll change my tune!). I do appreciate seeing all the tips and photos of similar pools and what other people have done with them :goodjob: .

I also am interested in maybe keeping up the pool through the winter but haven't seen a lot of information about that.

 
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