Jim's AGP Journey

[bjmsam]

This weekend I broke ground for the new Intex 32ft X 16ft X 52in Ultra XTR Frame Pool Set that is boxed up on a pallet in my garage. The site I am preparing is 40ft x 20ft that slopes 22" between the highest and lowest corners. I used the front end loader and back blade on my tractor to get almost all of it within 1" (one section is 2-3" low, not feasible to lower the rest to that level) according to my laser level. I plan to order a load of stone dust screenings and rent a plate compactor to get it perfect, but as some areas may need 4-5", would it be worthwhile to start with a layer of "dense-graded base coarse?"

 

[cowboycasey]

Welcome to TFP

You really want to go down to the lowest spot... if you can't then your "dense-graded base coarse?" should do just fine with the load of stone dust screening above it...

Also, I used 3/4 inch dense foam on top of the compact stone and it has worked perfect for 6 years now.. I think the 1/4 inch foam will work also... The 2 inch blocks you see there DO NOT work, use the 4 inch blocks as they will work...

https://www.lowes.com/pl/Foam-board-insulation-Insulation-accessories-Building-supplies/4294858106

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cap-Concrete-Block-Common-4-in-x-8-in-x-16-in-Actual-3-625-in-x-7-625-in-x-15-625-in/3608974

 

[bjmsam]

Thanks! As the ground is clay with poor drainage, would it be better to go with 1"-minus crusher run (like you did), either instead of the stone dust or as a layer beneath the stone dust (or sand)? I'll look into those concrete blocks! Thanks again.

ground, fabric, gravel, foam, pool
vs.
ground, fabric, gravel, fabric, dust or sand, foam, pool

 

[bjmsam]

Progress... yesterday I spread 22 tons / 15 yards of crusher run. Final leveling and compacting next!

 

[bjmsam]

More progress... this week I spread an additional 22 tons / 15 yards of stone dust and have the area level within 1". Foam board and pavers next!

 

[kellyfair]

Beautiful property... can‘t wait to see your finished pool!

 

[bjmsam]

Thank you! I can't, either!

Today I managed to free my seized 3/4-hp pond jet pump and ordered some polypropylene sock filters in various micron sizes for the creek water. It filled a 15-gal livestock trough in ~10 seconds so should take only a few hours to fill the 14,364-gal pool.

Encouraged by this post (and not discouraged by this post or this post or myriad other posts), I also built a 4-ft x 8-ft solar water heater panel using most of a 500-ft roll of 1/2-in polyethylene irrigation distribution tubing and spare wood that was taking up room in my barn.

A spare photovoltaic panel stepped down to 12V powers a small diaphragm pump to circulate water through the thermal panel. Fun project!

Note for anyone interested: The water in my solar heater is circulated by a DC pump powered directly from a PV solar panel. A 360W transformer is used to convert the 48VDC panel output to the 12VDC pump input, but when the panel is shaded or the sun is setting, the pump pulls down the voltage until the transformer switches off, the panel recovers, the transformer switches back on, and the cycle repeats about once every second or two, which is undesirable. A cheap Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD) in discharge mode connected between the panel (battery) and transformer (load) eliminates the problem by activating the pump when the panel generates more than 46VDC (near rated output in sun), deactivating the pump when the panel generates less than 40VDC (shading or sun angle), and waiting five minutes before attempting to reactivate.

 

[8elle]

Please update us with any completed pool pics! I need more inspiration/motivation. I have the same pool sitting on a pallet in my driveway waiting for me to break ground on building. I hear you on the clay/drainage issues - I’m about 1.5 hours from Baltimore and it’s the same here.

Dare I say it looks fun leveling it with that tractor, but I’m definitely hiring a landscaper to level and dig the trench for my electric. Me + my riding mower barely get along, I couldn’t see me doing that (successfully).

 

[bjmsam]

Will do! Leveling with the tractor was fun, but a professional with the proper equipment would have done a better job far more quickly. Yesterday I bought the 4-ft x 8-ft x 3/4-in Unfaced Polystyrene Foam Board Insulation so now need only time and temperature to proceed with installation. Exciting!

 

[detlion1643]

Make sure you buy Gorilla Tape and not Duct Tape. Duct Tape will not hold the seams well. I triple taped with Gorilla Tape and ran out, had 2 small seams with Duct Tape and it was starting to lift off the boards while pulling the liner up. Get a lot of rolls, I went through 4 of the big rolls of Gorilla Tape at least, maybe 5, I can't remember.

Get a lot of helping hands that can hold the wall, as it's quite flimsy that I found out while unrolling it. I used rubber clamps and lots of kite string to tie up around 10 points of the wall so it wouldn't fall in on us. Better yet would be to get those green metal landscaping bars and pound into the ground and clamp the walls to those around (I couldn't find any locally).

If you are using foam cove, make sure to tape those down as well. I have 1 piece that must've flipped over, and now it looks like that 1 section has a "square bulge" in the liner.

 

[bjmsam]

Thanks for your suggestions! The 4" duct tape that I bought was sticky and worked well. Having three others to help was key. No cove for this pool.

Still filling!

 

[kellyfair]

You have to hike to get to it!

 

[bjmsam]

Not if I add a zipline!

The pool is full, the level is close (< 2 liner pattern squares difference across the 37-ft diagonal), the water is reasonably clear (I used a 200 micron filter on the stream intake and a 100 micron filter on the pool discharge), the sand pump is backflushed, rinsed, and filtering, the solar heater is circulating, the pH is 7.2, and now I'm trying to decypher PoolMath to learn how to SLAM.

 

[kellyfair]

Ohhhh a zip line sounds awesome!

 

[bjmsam]

After two gallons of 10% chlorine:

Bring on the warm weather!

 

[cowboycasey]

and there you go

 

[bjmsam]

The cover is a bit tedious, even for two people. If it must go on and off daily to reduce evaporation and retain temperature overnight, then I need to find a quicker and easier way to do it, preferably for one person.

Regardless, I am super impressed. This is a lot of pool for $1,232.49 plus $209.98 shipping!

 

[BoringDamo]

Get a solar cover (it will retain the heat better than the Intex supplied cover. Then get a cover reel. If you don’t want to spend big on it Intex do one that fits onto the side of the pool. I don’t know how good it is at that size pool.

Solar Cover Reel

A leading brand in Above Ground Swimming Pools, Air Mattresses and PVC inflatable products. With over 50-year of history, we work hard to maintain the highest standards for safety, quality and value.

intexcorp.com

 

[cowboycasey]

this is the one I bought and has worked perfect for 7 years..

Amazon.com : GLI Pool Products Whirlwind Above Ground Aluminum Solar Reel (Various Widths) (18 Ft Wide) : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : GLI Pool Products Whirlwind Above Ground Aluminum Solar Reel (Various Widths) (18 Ft Wide) : Garden & Outdoor

smile.amazon.com

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• cowboycasey
• Sep 12, 2020

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• cowboycasey
• Sep 12, 2020

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• cowboycasey
• Sep 12, 2020

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• cowboycasey
• Sep 12, 2020

 

[kellyfair]

Are you still SLAMming? It’s looking great but still a hint of green (is it same in person?)