Help me decide between a soft-sided pool or an inexpensive above ground pool?

[2Rebecca]

Hi all! I'm new to the forum so I apologize in advance if I'm posting in the wrong place or asking questions that have been asked over and over!

I'm seriously considering purchasing a pool in anticipation of another stay-at-home summer due to COVID. My kids do NOT know how to swim, so this will be a pool for swim lessons and cooling off. I planned on getting an Intex pool because the price is (was) low and that is the brand I've seen locally. Of course, as most here probably know, their supply has been very limited for the past 9 months. After searching online I see some other options--BestWay, Aqua Splash Pro Weekender, etc. Can someone help guide me as to the best fit for my family? If I'm looking to invest under $1000 (not including water) am I better off sticking with a soft-sided pool or should I consider the Aqua Splash? Are circular pools better than the oval/rectangular ones in terms of swimming/playing in them? Is 15' too small for swimming? I realize one con to the soft-sided variety is the need to drain/refill them each season. I'd appreciate any advice on what I should look at...brands, size, models, etc! I have a 17'x13' patio that I'm considering using to site the pool on to minimize site prep. (I can enlarge if necessary.) Is that a dumb idea? I need to check the slope on it; I'm guessing it is in the 1-2% range.

 

[Ebburns]

I had a easy set 10×30 last year and they entire experience was miserable. The pump that came with it just didn't keep the water clean. No way to vacuum it. It was horrible. I finally rigged a vacuum set up and ended up puncturing the liner in several places. I spent the rest of the summer trying to patch it so my kids could use it. I will tell you this if you do go that route... I put a white sock over the inlet AND over the filer cartridge and that worked like an additional filter.

Needless to say the pool went to the trash and I'm back looking for advice on what to get as well. I honestly feel like the ovals seem similar to an inground. However I can't find one that is 48 inches high. I have concerns with my youngest not swimming yet as well.

 

[Newdude]

hey guys !! These ‘puddle jumpers’ are the greatest things since sliced bread. They are all but 100% safe without the flaws of life vests and swimmies. To top that off they are comfortable so the kids don’t mind wearing them, which leads to them actually wearing them and not fighting you about it. They have sizes available for all kids, big and small. You need to have extras on hand before company comes, because your friends may still have little ones as your kids get older and they may not come over prepared

Amazon.com : Dark Lightning Kids Swim Vest, 30-50 Pounds for Toddler Boys and Girls Age 1-4, Best Floaties Use in Puddle/Sea/Pool/Beach, Be A Jumper : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Dark Lightning Kids Swim Vest, 30-50 Pounds for Toddler Boys and Girls Age 1-4, Best Floaties Use in Puddle/Sea/Pool/Beach, Be A Jumper : Sports & Outdoors

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As far as the pool goes for both of you, it’s a tough financial decision for many. We always recommend getting the largest pool you can afford. You can float like royalty in any sized pool, but with a few other people in it too, space is always a good thing.

 

[2Rebecca]

Needless to say the pool went to the trash and I'm back looking for advice on what to get as well. I honestly feel like the ovals seem similar to an inground. However I can't find one that is 48 inches high. I have concerns with my youngest not swimming yet as well.

I was hoping to get an oval or square also for that same reason. At least in the pictures, it looks like they are easier to blend with the landscaping/hardscaping...but maybe those are photoshopped! I saw a 42" high one, but nothing taller. Please let me know if you find a taller one, and I'll so the same!

hey guys !! These ‘puddle jumpers’ are the greatest things since sliced bread. They are all but 100% safe without the flaws of life vests and swimmies. To top that off they are comfortable so the kids don’t mind wearing them, which leads to them actually wearing them and not fighting you about it. They have sizes available for all kids, big and small. You need to have extras on hand before company comes, because your friends may still have little ones as your kids get older and they may not come over prepared

As far as the pool goes for both of you, it’s a tough financial decision for many. We always recommend getting the largest pool you can afford. You can float like royalty in any sized pool, but with a few other people in it too, space is always a good thing.

Thanks! Any recommendations on the absolute minimum size you'd recommend for swimming? I don't want to invest time/$ into one only to find it is too small for swimming. If the kids are just going to sit and cool off, I'd rather get a super cheap 12-24" deep one. Know what I mean?

Also, I love the puddle jumpers. They're so much easier than those old orange arm floats that we used to wear as kids. My oldest son probably exceeds the weight limit on his puddle jumper by now, so he needs to learn how to swim ASAP.

 

[jseyfert3]

I realize one con to the soft-sided variety is the need to drain/refill them each season.

Not necessarily. We've got a 26', 52" deep Intex (15,000 gallons), and after reading here decided to leave it up over the winter. We're in Wisconsin, so this thing has had ice for a couple months now. You do have to do a partial drain to get the water below the intakes/returns, and remove the plumbing, but you have to do that with rigid wall above ground pools too.

This is our first winter with the pool (pool went up last June) but based on other people's experience here leaving soft-walled pools up over the winter I don't expect any issues.

Oh, and here it is in the summer. (yes, I still need to landscape around it. That's my spring project)

I have a 17'x13' patio that I'm considering using to site the pool on to minimize site prep. (I can enlarge if necessary.) Is that a dumb idea? I need to check the slope on it; I'm guessing it is in the 1-2% range.

The rule of thumb is no more than one inch out of level across the width of the pool. The slope on patios is normally one inch every few feet for water drainage, which makes it too steep. If it's actually flat, then concrete would make a remarkably easy surface to set up an Intex style pool on. Ground prep was the most expensive part of my pool install as I hired someone with a bobcat to level the ground. Putting up the actual pool took a few hours with a few friends helping.

I have a massive thread with my pool planning/build if you're interested. I tried to go back and edit the first page with links to various things of "importance" for new users so they didn't have to wade through hundreds of posts of back and forth conversations, but I see now I stopped at the leveling for the pool. If I think of it I'll try and update that with the filling of the pool and a couple other things later on tonight. 26' Intex - Planning, Install, Upgrades, and Landscaping Thread

If you've got any other questions related to Intex pools in particular, I'd be happy to answer. Overall I'm happy with ours so far.

I had a easy set 10×30 last year and they entire experience was miserable. The pump that came with it just didn't keep the water clean. No way to vacuum it. It was horrible. I finally rigged a vacuum set up and ended up puncturing the liner in several places. I spent the rest of the summer trying to patch it so my kids could use it. I will tell you this if you do go that route... I put a white sock over the inlet AND over the filer cartridge and that worked like an additional filter.

I know you're not the OP and I don't want to hijack, but I think this is relevant enough. I suspect an Intex pool with posts (preferably the Ultra XTR which has better coatings for rust resistance) would be better than an Easy Set, though ground prep will almost certainly be needed to get it level enough. Get a model with a sand filter, not the undersized cartridge filters. You can upgrade the pump to a more powerful Intex model if needed. Then you can add a through-wall skimmer (see link in my signature) which greatly helps with catching leaves and other floating debris before it sinks and you have to vacuum it up. The skimmer will come with an adapter plate that will let you vacuum through the skimmer, and I got a pole and a vacuum and it works okay. Looking to get a robot like the Pool Rover Jr this year so I don't have to vacuum, but that may be overkill for a 10-15' pool.

Oh, the Intex cleaner is an option if the filter is big enough, I got one but for a 26' it's a bit small. With overhead trees it just didn't have the capacity to work for long enough. I think for smaller pools further away from trees it could be better.

 

[Newdude]

Any recommendations on the absolute minimum size you'd recommend for swimming? I don't want to invest time/$ into one only to find it is too small for swimming. If the kids are just going to sit and cool off, I'd rather get a super cheap 12-24" deep one. Know what I mean?

Sorry but this one is completely subjective. What is big to me can be small to you and vice versa. That being said i would go as big as you can afford, every last time. I had a 20X40 inground pool and after the first season it seemed small at times. Your kids will only get bigger in the pools lifetime and will make more friends to come over swimming along the way..

You can lay a string or rope in the backyard and pretend to get a better feel for the sizes. It helps even more if the string is about waist high on stakes of some kind. That will truly give you a 3D effect.

 

[Teald024]

Hello and welcome to TFP!

The Intex or soft sided pools are typically lacking on pump / filter performance. But it should be noted that water chemistry and specificity the CYA / FC (chlorine) ratio that is most important to keeping a clean pool.
Filters remove the stuff in the water but do nothing for algae. Chlorine is the key to clean pool.
I would recommend going with the largest pool that you can afford and that you have space for.

 

[2Rebecca]

Not necessarily. We've got a 26', 52" deep Intex (15,000 gallons), and after reading here decided to leave it up over the winter. We're in Wisconsin, so this thing has had ice for a couple months now. You do have to do a partial drain to get the water below the intakes/returns, and remove the plumbing, but you have to do that with rigid wall above ground pools too.This is our first winter with the pool (pool went up last June) but based on other people's experience here leaving soft-walled pools up over the winter I don't expect any issues.

The rule of thumb is no more than one inch out of level across the width of the pool. The slope on patios is normally one inch every few feet for water drainage, which makes it too steep. If it's actually flat, then concrete would make a remarkably easy surface to set up an Intex style pool on. Ground prep was the most expensive part of my pool install as I hired someone with a bobcat to level the ground. Putting up the actual pool took a few hours with a few friends helping.

I have a massive thread with my pool planning/build if you're interested. I tried to go back and edit the first page with links to various things of "importance" for new users so they didn't have to wade through hundreds of posts of back and forth conversations, but I see now I stopped at the leveling for the pool. If I think of it I'll try and update that with the filling of the pool and a couple other things later on tonight. 26' Intex - Planning, Install, Upgrades, and Landscaping Thread

If you've got any other questions related to Intex pools in particular, I'd be happy to answer. Overall I'm happy with ours so far.

Oh, the Intex cleaner is an option if the filter is big enough, I got one but for a 26' it's a bit small. With overhead trees it just didn't have the capacity to work for long enough. I think for smaller pools further away from trees it could be better.

THANK YOU!! Really this is all good information. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to share! I haven't had a chance to read your entire thread regarding your build (it is massive!), but I have skimmed through it and will look at the rest soon. In the meantime, I do have a few more questions for you regarding Intex.

1. Do you know whether the round pool is structurally superior to their rectangular one? I like the look of the rectangular one and it will be easier to build a deck, but it looks like the liner has less support than their round ones. (I haven't seen either in person, so I'm relying on photos.)

2. On that same note, it looks like the rectangular ones need to be full of water or the sides lean into the pool? (The water pressure squares it up so to speak.) Is that true for the round ones? I was hoping to purchase a deeper one and just lower the water a 6 inches to make it easier on the kids while learning to swim. Then I can raise it once they've gained some confidence.

3. I think I saw a dog in a few of your photos on the other thread. Any worries about a dog puncturing the liner? I have a lab who loves to swim in the pond. I'm not sure how she will feel about a pool. I don't want her in it, but worried on a hot day, she might sneak away and try to cool off.

4. Thoughts on saltwater with the Intex? I've read it is cheaper/easier to maintain long term. Of course, that is assuming it doesn't corrode the metal frame.

Again thank you so much for the help!!

 

[2Rebecca]

Sorry but this one is completely subjective. What is big to me can be small to you and vice versa. That being said i would go as big as you can afford, every last time. I had a 20X40 inground pool and after the first season it seemed small at times. Your kids will only get bigger in the pools lifetime and will make more friends to come over swimming along the way..

You can lay a string or rope in the backyard and pretend to get a better feel for the sizes. It helps even more if the string is about waist high on stakes of some kind. That will truly give you a 3D effect.

You're right it is very subjective. My problem is I'm not 100% sure we want a pool long term. I know they require lots of upkeep and there are safety concerns with kids. If we go with Intex, I debated going small (14' x 48") and upgrade later if we love it. There is just a lot of prep work that makes that plan less than ideal.

Hello and welcome to TFP!

The Intex or soft sided pools are typically lacking on pump / filter performance. But it should be noted that water chemistry and specificity the CYA / FC (chlorine) ratio that is most important to keeping a clean pool.
Filters remove the stuff in the water but do nothing for algae. Chlorine is the key to clean pool.
I would recommend going with the largest pool that you can afford and that you have space for.

Thank you!

 

[jseyfert3]

1. Do you know whether the round pool is structurally superior to their rectangular one? I like the look of the rectangular one and it will be easier to build a deck, but it looks like the liner has less support than their round ones. (I haven't seen either in person, so I'm relying on photos.)

I can't say for sure. From a physics/engineering standpoint, round is much easier to control the forces (in simpler/less material), that's why water towers and air tanks are round, and not square. But this is also why the rectangular Intex pools have sloped supports. It's a more complicated structure because it's not round. However, that does not mean it's inherently superior or inferior to a round pool, structurally.

I was leaning towards a rectangular pool for similar reasons to you but someone here pointed me to a great deal (pre-COVID) last spring for a 26' round from Walmart for $450. So that's what I got.

2. On that same note, it looks like the rectangular ones need to be full of water or the sides lean into the pool? (The water pressure squares it up so to speak.) Is that true for the round ones? I was hoping to purchase a deeper one and just lower the water a 6 inches to make it easier on the kids while learning to swim. Then I can raise it once they've gained some confidence.

That's what I've seen in pictures. The walls of the round ones do not lean if you lower the water partially. See my earlier posted winter picture, I had to drain the water by at least a foot to get it below the intakes, the walls did not lean. I don't think I'd suggest leaving them half full or lower, but I don't see why 6" or so would be an issue. The return may splash a bit but so long as you maintain the water level above the intakes all should be good.

Lowering the water isn't an option with a through wall skimmer, an upgrade I can vouch will make your life much easier, especially if you have trees nearby, but you can do that anytime later on once you've taught your kids how to swim. Actually the perfect time would be right before you raise the pool water level up to normal.

3. I think I saw a dog in a few of your photos on the other thread. Any worries about a dog puncturing the liner? I have a lab who loves to swim in the pond. I'm not sure how she will feel about a pool. I don't want her in it, but worried on a hot day, she might sneak away and try to cool off.

We did have a dog, he hated it. So long as a dog isn't trying to climb out over the wall, I doubt they would puncture the liner.

4. Thoughts on saltwater with the Intex? I've read it is cheaper/easier to maintain long term. Of course, that is assuming it doesn't corrode the metal frame.

Hmm. You may read a lot of people here say "I went to saltwater any my Intex rusted months later!" That happened, but correlation is not causation. In other words, had they not gone saltwater, would their pool still have rusted? From what I've read, the answer is yes, but I cannot say for certain. What we do know is several things:

• With the exception of the new Ultra XTR series, the support posts on the other Intex pools are not coated on the inside and quickly rust from the inside out, salt or no. The Ultra XTR should be much better due to inside tube coating, and the new 2-year (vs 90-day on other models) warranty reflects this, but the Ultra XTR series is also quite new so there's not any evidence as of yet to support this.
• Saltwater pools usually need about 4000 ppm of salt. For reference, the ocean is 35,000 ppm, or almost 9 times the salt of a saltwater pool. It's barely at the edge of taste, some people can taste a little salt, other cannot. Adding any form of chlorine will add salt to a pool, and it's not unusual for non-saltwater pools to get to 1000 ppm or more of salt from chlorine additions alone. While theoretically 4000 ppm of salt will make metal rust faster than 1000, practically speaking it's not enough to make a noticeable difference.

So, yes. Saltwater on a pool is great, even an Intex. I don't have the Intex SWCG, but it's not very expensive if you want to give it a shot. Perhaps someone that has it can chime in. Other SWCG's can be retrofitted but it's somewhat more difficult, and could potentially change pool ground bonding requirements.

But it's also not difficult to maintain with liquid chlorine either, which is what I did last year. You just need to add at least every other day and lug gallons of chlorine around. Here in Wisconsin I was going through roughly 2 gallons of 12.5% every week in the peak of summer. In TN you may go through slightly more, and will do that for longer due to a longer season. Basically though I just got into a morning routine of letting the dog out, checking FC levels (and others as appropriate), netting out leaves and adding chlorine as needed before heading off to work.

 

[2Rebecca]

I can't say for sure. From a physics/engineering standpoint, round is much easier to control the forces (in simpler/less material), that's why water towers and air tanks are round, and not square. But this is also why the rectangular Intex pools have sloped supports. It's a more complicated structure because it's not round. However, that does not mean it's inherently superior or inferior to a round pool, structurally.

I was leaning towards a rectangular pool for similar reasons to you but someone here pointed me to a great deal (pre-COVID) last spring for a 26' round from Walmart for $450. So that's what I got.


That's what I've seen in pictures. The walls of the round ones do not lean if you lower the water partially. See my earlier posted winter picture, I had to drain the water by at least a foot to get it below the intakes, the walls did not lean. I don't think I'd suggest leaving them half full or lower, but I don't see why 6" or so would be an issue. The return may splash a bit but so long as you maintain the water level above the intakes all should be good.

Lowering the water isn't an option with a through wall skimmer, an upgrade I can vouch will make your life much easier, especially if you have trees nearby, but you can do that anytime later on once you've taught your kids how to swim. Actually the perfect time would be right before you raise the pool water level up to normal.


We did have a dog, he hated it. So long as a dog isn't trying to climb out over the wall, I doubt they would puncture the liner.


Hmm. You may read a lot of people here say "I went to saltwater any my Intex rusted months later!" That happened, but correlation is not causation. In other words, had they not gone saltwater, would their pool still have rusted? From what I've read, the answer is yes, but I cannot say for certain. What we do know is several things:

• With the exception of the new Ultra XTR series, the support posts on the other Intex pools are not coated on the inside and quickly rust from the inside out, salt or no. The Ultra XTR should be much better due to inside tube coating, and the new 2-year (vs 90-day on other models) warranty reflects this, but the Ultra XTR series is also quite new so there's not any evidence as of yet to support this.
• Saltwater pools usually need about 4000 ppm of salt. For reference, the ocean is 35,000 ppm, or almost 9 times the salt of a saltwater pool. It's barely at the edge of taste, some people can taste a little salt, other cannot. Adding any form of chlorine will add salt to a pool, and it's not unusual for non-saltwater pools to get to 1000 ppm or more of salt from chlorine additions alone. While theoretically 4000 ppm of salt will make metal rust faster than 1000, practically speaking it's not enough to make a noticeable difference.

So, yes. Saltwater on a pool is great, even an Intex. I don't have the Intex SWCG, but it's not very expensive if you want to give it a shot. Perhaps someone that has it can chime in. Other SWCG's can be retrofitted but it's somewhat more difficult, and could potentially change pool ground bonding requirements.

But it's also not difficult to maintain with liquid chlorine either, which is what I did last year. You just need to add at least every other day and lug gallons of chlorine around. Here in Wisconsin I was going through roughly 2 gallons of 12.5% every week in the peak of summer. In TN you may go through slightly more, and will do that for longer due to a longer season. Basically though I just got into a morning routine of letting the dog out, checking FC levels (and others as appropriate), netting out leaves and adding chlorine as needed before heading off to work.

Thank you again! If I could find a 26’ round pool for that price, round would be my go to shape, too! I emailed Intex asking if/when they expect more inventory of the rectangular Ultra XTR and they said there is no current ETA. I decided to go ahead and purchase a 32’x16’ one when Walmart lowered the price to $1600. I’m worried it will be too large. We are on a well and I can’t find anywhere online that delivers pool water to check prices. I guess I’ll have 90 days to return the pool if I find the water costs too much or it is just too big.

Oh, I read most of your post regarding the through wall skimmer. That is a great post with lots of details and if I keep the pool, I’ll definitely consider doing that!

 

[Woodstock1234]

I have an 18' round Intex with sand filter. I thought the filter worked very well and it was minimal work. I have also left it up this winter. I don't plan on ever taking it down until I get rid of it.

The size depends on the age of your children I would think. If they are 10 or older, I would say 18' would be a minimum size for actual swimming.

 

[Mdragger88]

I have had various pools of increasing sizes over the years as my kids have grown as I wanted them to be able to touch as they learned to swim. I live near Memphis & winterized all of them & left them up. If you go with a soft sided pool my advice is:
1) to try to find one with a skimmer already (so u don’t have to cut your new pool to install one) all of mine have had them & it makes a huge difference. The little one was a Bestway. The 16x48 was a summer waves. They both went through 3 seasons.
2) upgrade the pump/filter - those paper filters are horrible & the pumps are horribly undersized. The pump I bought for the little one still works & is in my shed as a back up.
3) oversize your swg if u can (the intex ones have almost doubled in price but they are still worth the $) my 1st intex swg lasted 4 seasons on the little pools & i have run the last 2 seasons on 2 of them (in parallel) for my big pool.
4) no matter the brand pool you can likely use an intex sand filter/pump & an intex swg ( btw - it’s suggested to purchase the filter/pump separately from the swg so if one breaks the other still works)
5) LEVEL, LEVEL, LEVEL!
6) Get a good test kit! The Tf-100 is the best value.Test Kits Compared
Include this in your budget as it’s a must even if u get a tiny pool. Start off on the right foot. When u find what u want feel free to post & we can help u size the filter etc.

 

[Teald024]

Ok, I haven’t read the whole thread but I wanted to share some info.
When we installed the pool, we had 3, 6, 8 year olds. None swam much except at a beach. Guess which one was able to swim the best, first? It was the 3 year old. The older one could touch and cheated his way bobbing & walking around the pool. The middle one bounced like a pogo stick around, and to and from the wall. The only way the youngest could get off the ladder was to swim. He had a lot of incentive. Jump off the ladder to Dad and then Dad made him swim back. Repeat... Playfully toss them in the air and let them swim back to you. Don't get me wrong, I gave my wife a heart attack a couple of times, but the kids came up laughing. Teach them to blow bubbles with their face under water. Teach them to lay prone on their back and how to roll over to get on their back. Make it fun to learn these. Practice in the bath tub.
Whatever water depth you choose, it really won’t make a difference in how they learn to swim. The kiddos will need a reason to want to learn to swim.

 

[2Rebecca]

I have an 18' round Intex with sand filter. I thought the filter worked very well and it was minimal work. I have also left it up this winter. I don't plan on ever taking it down until I get rid of it.

The size depends on the age of your children I would think. If they are 10 or older, I would say 18' would be a minimum size for actual swimming.

Thank you for the minimum size recommendation. Two of my kids will be 10+ this summer & the third is not far behind. It sounds like I might have regretted the less expensive 14’ x 48” that I started to buy. I ended up getting the 32’x16’ Intex.

Ok, I haven’t read the whole thread but I wanted to share some info.
When we installed the pool, we had 3, 6, 8 year olds. None swam much except at a beach. Guess which one was able to swim the best, first? It was the 3 year old. The older one could touch and cheated his way bobbing & walking around the pool. The middle one bounced like a pogo stick around, and to and from the wall. The only way the youngest could get off the ladder was to swim. He had a lot of incentive. Jump off the ladder to Dad and then Dad made him swim back. Repeat... Playfully toss them in the air and let them swim back to you. Don't get me wrong, I gave my wife a heart attack a couple of times, but the kids came up laughing. Teach them to blow bubbles with their face under water. Teach them to lay prone on their back and how to roll over to get on their back. Make it fun to learn these. Practice in the bath tub.
Whatever water depth you choose, it really won’t make a difference in how they learn to swim. The kiddos will need a reason to want to learn to swim.

You bring up a good point out the bobbing/walking! We didn’t go swimming at all last year, so I forgot about my oldest doing that! I’m feeling better about the deeper pool now. Thank you!

 

[2Rebecca]

I have had various pools of increasing sizes over the years as my kids have grown as I wanted them to be able to touch as they learned to swim. I live near Memphis & winterized all of them & left them up. If you go with a soft sided pool my advice is:
1) to try to find one with a skimmer already (so u don’t have to cut your new pool to install one) all of mine have had them & it makes a huge difference. The little one was a Bestway. The 16x48 was a summer waves. They both went through 3 seasons.
2) upgrade the pump/filter - those paper filters are horrible & the pumps are horribly undersized. The pump I bought for the little one still works & is in my shed as a back up.
3) oversize your swg if u can (the intex ones have almost doubled in price but they are still worth the $) my 1st intex swg lasted 4 seasons on the little pools & i have run the last 2 seasons on 2 of them (in parallel) for my big pool.
4) no matter the brand pool you can likely use an intex sand filter/pump & an intex swg ( btw - it’s suggested to purchase the filter/pump separately from the swg so if one breaks the other still works)
5) LEVEL, LEVEL, LEVEL!
6) Get a good test kit! The Tf-100 is the best value.Test Kits Compared
Include this in your budget as it’s a must even if u get a tiny pool. Start off on the right foot. When u find what u want feel free to post & we can help u size the filter etc.
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I haven’t seen any soft sided above ground pools that come with thru the wall skimmers. It could be I overlooked them or they’re just not available due to supply shortages and off-season. I purchased the 32x16 rectangular Intex. It comes with a sand filter pump with a flow rate of 2,800 gallons per hour. I’m hoping it is sufficient for this size pool. (I’m still researching everything. I just decided to go ahead and purchase in case they sell out again this year! I have 90 days to return it if I find something I like better.). I don’t believe this one comes with a SWG, which is what I really want, but the price was right and I figure I can always convert to SWG in the future.

 

[Mdragger88]

You can always add a through the wall skimmer - they’re only about $30 . There are several threads here that show exactly how to do it. The intex swg is also an easy add although they have increased in price. You would want the larger 15k gallon version. For me price was a factor every time also so as our income increased i was able to upgrade my pool & equipment over time. We were saving for the big pool in future years & then I received some $$ so i took the plunge! Enjoy your pool!!

 

[samanthasummner]

I have a small (1500 gallon) fish pond in my backyard and a stream in my backyard. After some thinking (and the recent trend of natural swimming pond/pool), I was wondering if i can create a natural (or chlorinated, i don't need plants) swimming pool easily in my backyard. Any experience with using pond liners like https://www.backyardstyle.com/best-pond-lіner/ ? Seem to be something decent