Too many frustrations

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Chewbubba

Chewbubba

0
Jun 13, 2012
133
Russellville, AR
This may end up being a rant, and if so, I apologize in advance :rant: but there's so many things that are driving me crazy about my pool (Intex 16x48), I'm ready to drain it and sell it, or gut it with a knife while laughing maniacally. Maybe some of you can offer some advice.

The number one thing that is driving me bonkers right now is gnats. Yep, gnats. And ants. But mostly gnats. I promise, this is no exaggeration, but every day before my kids can get in the pool, I'm out there with a net fishing HUNDREDS of gnats off the surface of the pool. It literally takes 30-45 minutes and even then I don't get them all. Would one of those Hayward skimmers help me with this? If so, can I plumb this without hard plumbing everything?

The number two thing driving me nuts is dirt. There is dirt piled up nearly every day in the middle of the pool, or in the creases. Now, I can understand why there is dirt - we had to dig a hole in our yard to make a level spot for the pool, and the landscaping isn't finished, and there is dirt piled up all around the pool. We've only been running the pool about 2 weeks, and I've already changed the filter, in addition to cleaning it out about every 2 days. But it's a drag to have to skim gnats, and THEN VACUUM everyday, which leads me to...

#3 - The vacuum that came with the pool is one of the ones that attaches to the water hose, so it adds water to the pool while you vacuum; not to mention that it only really vacuums about 40% of the dirt, and blows the other 60% of the dirt back up into the water. I was able to take a short hose and start a siphon to get the excess water out without fiddling with the drain at the bottom of the pool, so at least that worked well.

#4 - The cover. I was excited about the cover at first. It seemed heavy and durable. Of course I tore it on the first use trying to tighten up the strings (the string ripped out about 9-12"). I "patched" it with gorilla tape which seems to be holding. BUT, it seems a gentle breeze picks up an edge of the cover and moves it over onto the pool, no matter how tight I think I have it. And then it's a beast getting it off the pool and I don't know what to do with it. It's filthy and I don't want to put it back on the pool (it won't stay anyway). I thought if it was clean, and I had a way to keep it clean, I could put it on the pool each day to cut down on the gnats and dirt, but it doesn't seem like it's meant to be.

Anyway, these are some of the daily things that are turning the pool into a nightmarish chore. It's just really sucking the fun out having the pool. :evil: Last year we had a little Easy Set pool with a 12' base (probably 8-10' across at the top), and we had a lot fun in that little pool, and it seemed like it was low maintenance. Maybe I'm just remembering things with rose-colored glasses.
 
Yup, skimmer, 1600 or 2650gph sand filter/pump.

I modded an Intex water hose vac to a "regular" vac using a sink drain pipe extension, and bought an 1 1/4 hose. I sealed off the water hose connection with epoxy. With my 1600 pump, vacuuming is easy.
 
A skimmer will save your sanity.

I know just from the rains we've had here and the pool collecting too much water, several times covering the whole skimmer ~ the bugs and floaters take forever to collect with the net. I was trying not to release the water as I had added Stabilizer and wanted it to fully dissolve.

Get a skimmer and get a vacuum system fashioned & you should be good to go.

I don't know about covers for that specific pool, but we have a AGP and we don't cover until we close up for the season. We do solar blanket when we first open, but my son would like to hid it once temps start holding because no one here is a fan of bath water temp pools. Have a very lean daughter though so we do use it initially. Other than that we just leave it open.

Once you get over the couple hurdles you have it won't be near as stressful ~ you will start enjoying it.
 
A skimmer will help alot. I usually have to vacuum every 2 to 3 days with a skimmer. Dirt gets blown around and hits the water and settles. Sweat bees and june bugs are bad here. If you properly maintain your pool, you will have to do something to it every day, whether it be add chemicals, vacuum, or clean.
 
the original pump is way to small, replace it with http://www.amazon.com/Intex-Filter-Krys ... B004P3HCPE . Then get this http://www.amazon.com/patio-lawn-garden/dp/B002BRAKAK as a skimmer, it might also help with the gnats. That combo worked pretty well for 2 years until the pool started to leak and we upgraded. The cover is a piece of garbage, first time I tried to tighten it up it tore and there's no need for the cover. The Intex filter you've got uses the Venturi effect for vacuuming ... not good. I used to tie an old sock over the top of the original bag to help trap dirt.

I would clean the filter weekly and replace the filter every 2 weeks. You can get a case of 6 from Amazon for under 30 bucks.
 
fireman00 said:
the original pump is way to small, replace it with http://www.amazon.com/Intex-Filter-Krys ... B004P3HCPE . Then get this http://www.amazon.com/patio-lawn-garden/dp/B002BRAKAK as a skimmer, it might also help with the gnats. That combo worked pretty well for 2 years until the pool started to leak and we upgraded. The cover is a piece of garbage, first time I tried to tighten it up it tore and there's no need for the cover. The Intex filter you've got uses the Venturi effect for vacuuming ... not good. I used to tie an old sock over the top of the original bag to help trap dirt.

I would clean the filter weekly and replace the filter every 2 weeks. You can get a case of 6 from Amazon for under 30 bucks.
Click to expand...

This advice is sound. You have to learn to walk before you can run. I had one of the 15-foot blue, metal-framed Intex pools with that type of skimmer for two years, and it was good practice for getting a better Intex with some of the components others are suggesting, like a through-the-wall skimmer and a higher-end pump/filter. And I use a chemical cover that reduces evaporation and heat loss called Cover Free. My Intex cover, the type you ripped on the first try, hangs on the side of the pool in case I feel so inclined to put it on for a major storm.
 
There is an alternative method, that will solve the gnat issue immediately.

Use live fish in the pool, cheap goldfish or koi fish will suffice.

If you decide to go this way, which I might add, is not to everyone´s taste, the pool must be run with no chemicals at all, much like a freshwater aquarium, filtering 24/7 using biomedia in a separate larger chamber and keeping the Intex "filter" as a pump.
 
I'd skip the Intex cartridge filter and go to their 2650 gph sand filter. Much better and less maintanence than even their biggest cartridge filter. Personally I've got the 2650 gph model and I like it a lot. I've also got the Intex over the wall skimmer and the Intex deluxe vacuum setup. It all works great for me and my water stays very clean. Back washing every once in a while beats fighting those little cartridges by a long shot.

Based on the condition you describe I'd have the pump kick on before pool time to start skimming the surface and probably set it up to run past pool time to keep ahead of the debris you say is being dragged into the pool.
 

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jcp said:
I'd skip the Intex cartridge filter and go to their 2650 gph sand filter. Much better and less maintanence than even their biggest cartridge filter. Personally I've got the 2650 gph model and I like it a lot. I've also got the Intex over the wall skimmer and the Intex deluxe vacuum setup. It all works great for me and my water stays very clean. Back washing every once in a while beats fighting those little cartridges by a long shot.

Based on the condition you describe I'd have the pump kick on before pool time to start skimming the surface and probably set it up to run past pool time to keep ahead of the debris you say is being dragged into the pool.
Click to expand...

I agree 100 percent, especially when the sand filter is priced at under 200 bucks: http://www.amazon.com/Intex-650-Gallon- ... and+filter

I've been using a sand filter on our new AG pool and it is SO much easier to maintain compared to the paper cartridge filter that my in-laws had on their AG pool.
 
Yep, a thru the wall skimmer (or even the Intex Deluxe (not regular) clamp to the wall skimmer) makes a world of difference. Run the pump a lot with the clamp on skimmer and life will improve. A thru wall skimmer doesn't require hard plumbing, and it does an even better job. Leave off the cover. More mess than it's worth.

If you get the thru wall skimmer, the associated vac is great! The water hose vac is really just for larger debris, not fine particles. The downside is that it adds lots of water. :(

Sorry... of course the skimmer suggestion assumes you have a good pump/filter. At a minimum the 1,600 gph Intex is needed.
 
No worries buddy, I know how much it sucks sometimes. I have pretty much the exact same pool. Here's a link to how I did my setup.

intex-18x48-filter-plumbing-upgrade-relocation-project-t65490.html

I just added a sand filter and hard plumbed it and wow what a difference. Even before I did the sand filter I had a huge problem with little brown junebugs in the pool but I got one of those intex skimmers that clamps to the side of the pool and requires no pool modding to work and even with the stock 1500gph pump it worked great.

The other good thing about getting the intex clamp on skimmer "which was only like 30 bux on amazon" is the little blue connector that screws onto the suction fitting and hooks to the skimmer hose. The blue fitting is a perfect fit for a standard pool vacuum hose so instead of using that horrible plate in the skimmer setup, you just hook it right up to the suction fitting and go.

Also, the 2650 gallon sand filter will work wondrers. I don't care how bad ur yard it. My entire backyards all dirt and its pretty much constantly windy here and even with all the tracked in dirt, and blown in dust, the sand filter handles it like its nothing.

Good luck
Andy
 
no... he means swimming WITH the fishes.

DSC00244_800.jpg


new-pool-easy-set-8-leveled-by-magazines-t49620-20.html
 
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