Hello, all. I'm brand spanking new, so please be gentle, lol.
Bought an Intex Ultra XTR 24' pool. The ONLY place to put it in my yard was an existing asphalt basketball pad. It's about 2 1/2 inches or so out of level. Options were to dig it all up or level it out. The same financial situation that changed our plans from a permanent AGP to an Intex made removal too costly. But I thought hey, it's a great solid base, and I won't have to worry about sinking!
Cue the questionable decisions.
After researching, I decided to go with a 3/8" layer of rubber padding, followed by a thin layer of XPS foam. I also used the XPS to "shim" the pool floor to as level as I could get it, then used pavers of slightly different heights under the legs. That worked pretty well! We also purchased a Hayward thru-wall wide mouth skimmer, a 150 ft cartridge filter, and a variable speed pump. I've never had good luck with the Intex pumps and filters.
I cut a larger hole for the suction port and installed a different port, in addition to the skimmer. I purchased an extra return port and enlarged the hole for that, as well.
But then I got to thinking. Even though an Intex doesn't traditionally get bonded, I've changed the situation, haven't I? I fell down the rabbit hole trying to figure out how to make everything safe, but there seemed to be no strong concensus, and I've added a couple layers of complications, so I thought I'd just ask:
What is my best bet? There is asphalt around and under the pool. I separated the pool from the ground with the padding, though the vinyl already separates it, in a way. How can I bond and ground everything? If I connect to four sections of the pool, they're all separated by plastic. If I do them all, will all the screw holes weaken the frame? Is it a good idea to run the bond wire over asphalt? Could I put rocks over it to make it safe? At most points, the ground is more than 18"-24" away from the pool. How do I properly ground the pump? Thank you for reading my essay, and for any information.
Bought an Intex Ultra XTR 24' pool. The ONLY place to put it in my yard was an existing asphalt basketball pad. It's about 2 1/2 inches or so out of level. Options were to dig it all up or level it out. The same financial situation that changed our plans from a permanent AGP to an Intex made removal too costly. But I thought hey, it's a great solid base, and I won't have to worry about sinking!
Cue the questionable decisions.
After researching, I decided to go with a 3/8" layer of rubber padding, followed by a thin layer of XPS foam. I also used the XPS to "shim" the pool floor to as level as I could get it, then used pavers of slightly different heights under the legs. That worked pretty well! We also purchased a Hayward thru-wall wide mouth skimmer, a 150 ft cartridge filter, and a variable speed pump. I've never had good luck with the Intex pumps and filters.
I cut a larger hole for the suction port and installed a different port, in addition to the skimmer. I purchased an extra return port and enlarged the hole for that, as well.
But then I got to thinking. Even though an Intex doesn't traditionally get bonded, I've changed the situation, haven't I? I fell down the rabbit hole trying to figure out how to make everything safe, but there seemed to be no strong concensus, and I've added a couple layers of complications, so I thought I'd just ask:
What is my best bet? There is asphalt around and under the pool. I separated the pool from the ground with the padding, though the vinyl already separates it, in a way. How can I bond and ground everything? If I connect to four sections of the pool, they're all separated by plastic. If I do them all, will all the screw holes weaken the frame? Is it a good idea to run the bond wire over asphalt? Could I put rocks over it to make it safe? At most points, the ground is more than 18"-24" away from the pool. How do I properly ground the pump? Thank you for reading my essay, and for any information.
