Intex 16X32 setup plan, need thoughts

[psu927]

Located in an area with a lot of sharp stones (shale) in the soil, looking for help on my plan

What is my best base option;
1" Fomular XPS rigid insulation Est cost $445
Harbor freight 25x25 locking mats Est cost $325
Also considered 5 ton of sand spread 2" thick for a base. Would also make leveling much easier. Est cost $300.
I know Intex says not to setup on sand, but I am assuming they are referring to 100% sand, not just using sand to level a base.

Am ordering a gorilla pad (amazon version) for over top of whatever I end up for as a base.

Then for support under the legs;
Treated 2x8s cut 15" long and set side by side Est cost $85
4" thick 8X16 solid concrete blocks set side by side Est cost $85
Really not sure on this one, Intex says 15"x15" so it will need to be something stacked side by side that can handle the weight. I doubt 2" pavers would withstand the pressure without cracking.

Other thoughts;
I opted for the Salt system, will be filling with a local clean stream and treating accordingly. Gonna get it setup and fine tune later. Recommendations for other accessories? (Skimmer, vacuum?) should I look into solid PVC piping in the future?

Thanks all!

 

[CT-Steven]

I'm on my second Intex and both are/were on 1" foam boards (Dirt > Sand > HD Tarp from Harbor Freight > Foam boards). My first pool also had about 1-2 inches of sand for leveling. While Intex says no to sand I think it is slightly different when your placing foam pads over it vs just the liner. My second Intex we were able to get within half an inch on virgin ground (guess I got better the second time around). As for the legs I am using (2) 16x16x1.75" pavers stacked. Not ideal but seems to be working (3 months in). Best bet is using blocks that are 4 inches thick. Make sure your pool legs are centered on the block/pads. My first pool used pressure treated wood. Nothing wrong with it but it will deteriorate over time and be exposed to harsher conditions if in direct contact with the ground.

As for hard piping, I have a few posts about this and have 4 Intex projects under my belt (2 being mine). I typically advocate for replacing the pump/filter. In this case larger is better and you just need to make sure you match the pump and filters flow rates if not buying a package. The one thing I personally believe in is with these rectangle pools the walls tend to move much more than round pools. When using PVC I now opt to use a hose linking the pool and PVC allowing it to flex and not putting the pressure on the PVC joints. I am experimenting with a 3-foot Gates Silicone hose on my return (I did post a question about this earlier this year) as opposed to a pool hose as silicone is much more durable than a pool hose which is meant to be replaced ever 4ish seasons as it is meant to live under the hood of a car. They are rated for 30psi so well under the 20ish that I get to prior to back washing.

 

[psu927]

I'm on my second Intex and both are/were on 1" foam boards (Dirt > Sand > HD Tarp from Harbor Freight > Foam boards). My first pool also had about 1-2 inches of sand for leveling. While Intex says no to sand I think it is slightly different when your placing foam pads over it vs just the liner. My second Intex we were able to get within half an inch on virgin ground (guess I got better the second time around). As for the legs I am using (2) 16x16x1.75" pavers stacked. Not ideal but seems to be working (3 months in). Best bet is using blocks that are 4 inches thick. Make sure your pool legs are centered on the block/pads. My first pool used pressure treated wood. Nothing wrong with it but it will deteriorate over time and be exposed to harsher conditions if in direct contact with the ground.

As for hard piping, I have a few posts about this and have 4 Intex projects under my belt (2 being mine). I typically advocate for replacing the pump/filter. In this case larger is better and you just need to make sure you match the pump and filters flow rates if not buying a package. The one thing I personally believe in is with these rectangle pools the walls tend to move much more than round pools. When using PVC I now opt to use a hose linking the pool and PVC allowing it to flex and not putting the pressure on the PVC joints. I am experimenting with a 3-foot Gates Silicone hose on my return (I did post a question about this earlier this year) as opposed to a pool hose as silicone is much more durable than a pool hose which is meant to be replaced ever 4ish seasons as it is meant to live under the hood of a car. They are rated for 30psi so well under the 20ish that I get to prior to back washing.

I am assuming I can get by for a season or 2 with the pump and filter that is supplied with the pool? Just convenient for not since it all comes as a kit. Have you considered using flexible PVC pipe like they use in hot tubs? This seems like a fair option to make up for the flexing.

 

[CT-Steven]

Absolutely you can run the Intex pump and filtration system. While they meet the bare minimum requirements they do work as intended. My current thought is I hard pipe everything and convert the pool fittings to 1.5". The only "flex" pipe I use is the connection from the Intake and Return fittings to the hard pipe coming from the pump/filter. I use these to facilitate the hose connection.

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