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spacewalker

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  1. Hi, You have to maintain those types of pools just like you would any in-ground or above ground pool. I have used household bleach in a kiddie pool just to keep the same water a couple more days. It not really a good idea though. The filter itself should have a small basket inside to hold chlorine tablets. It may be hard to find 1 inch tables so if you dont find any break up a 3 inch and drop in the pieces. Make sure the top is on the pump and turn it on. let it run all the time for now. You may check the pump in about 8 hrs to add more chlorine if needed. But thats not all there is to it. You will need various products to keep your pool water clear and clean. I would recommend going to a pool store and they will tell you what to. The water in your area may be different than mine but heres what I have to add to tap water. Chlorine, Alkalinity, Stablizer (helps keep the sun from drawing the chlorine out), Calcium Hardness increaser and Algecide. Everything should have the directions on the container telling how much to add to certain amounts of water. You may have to do a little math. Be sure you check your pool water with something that works or you will just be chasing your tail like I did the first year. I found that the test strips work better for me than the test drops. I could go on and on. The weak point of these pools are the pump so you may have to run it constantly. I hope this helps!
  2. Has anybody used the saltwater system with the 4000gph pump? Is the Intex saltwater system pretty much a straight through design? I'm afraid of restricting the pump too much. I haven't looked at one up close yet. Thanks
  3. If you have much luck with repairing vinyl, you can cut the holes larger to except the fittings for the larger size pools and cut rings of the same pool material (I'm not sure if the patch kit that the pool comes with is large enough or not) and glue them around the holes you cut. This should be good enough to work for some time. I repaired a 12 slash in an 18ft Easy Set Pool 2 yeays ago and its still holding. The slash was right where the bottom meets the side. Right where the pressure is the greatest.
  4. I was just wondering if you got the Lil Shark working? I got mine and it works good. I had to play around with the settings a little and hose length as well but I got it. The Pentair water is the same as the Sta-Rite. Both are now the same company. I ended up with the little slide adjuster on about 3.5 or 4 and 25ft of hose for my 18ft round pool. You may need to add more hose according to your pool size. I did have the problem with mine hanging around the skimmer. At the time, I had the hose connected into the side of the skimmer. After I connected it to the top of the skimmer, it worked well and had my pool clean in about an hour. Hope this helps!
  5. I finally got my Lil Shark pool cleaner and it works well. I have went overboard on my whole pool but its what I like to do. My pool still looks just like it use to. An Intex Easy Set, but its very little trouble to maintain now. I recommend the Lil Shark from Pentair Water. Use to be Sta-Rite. It works well and will work with low flow pumps. Just throw it in about once a week for a couple of hours and your done!!! Very little manual vacuuming is needed. If you do, a pole will conect right to it. And it scrubs too!!!
  6. Hi Ronald, Email me at spacewalker_L@yahoo.com and I'll send you some pictures. I'm new here havent took the time to try and post some.
  7. Hi, I may have experienced the same thing which no one around here (pool stores included) was able to tell me what was going on. The water was clear and didnt use a bunch of chlorine and everything was in balance but I had this stuff on the bottom like you said which settled in the dips and irregularites on the bottom. Mine was the same color as red dirt which we have plenty of down south. You could try and capture some and it would just vanish. I did get some in a plastic drink bottle by going down with the bottle full of water but with the sides squished in and then letting the sides go sucking it in there. You couldn't tell right away but after a few mins its started settling just like it was in the pool. I came up with the conclusion that is was just dust from the air. My pool at the time had very poor circulation (a common problem with the type of pool I have). You may not have as much a low circulation problem as there may be a lot of developing going on around your area. However, I would check the pumps output to see if its doing what it supposed to do if you haven't already. Since I got my new pump and made the modifications to my pool, the problem dissapeared. The way it all was happening to me, it just made perfect sense. If I kept the solar cover on, there would be less. Also, less we used the pool more of the stuff showed up. The only way I could get rid of it was to vacuume the bottom by siphoning it over the side and being very carefull not to stir it up. It would usually take about 3 times vacuumeing to get it all. When I changed to the 635 pump, it cleaned my pool right up. I did modify it slightly and got rid of the very non-efficient plunger valves which I cant mention enough. Maybe Intex will come up with something else soon. I have the 18ft round pool. An oval pool may be more difficult to get the circulation at the right places. Another way of getting rid of the plunger valves would be to place the pump on a table so the top of the filter would be at the same height as the water in the pool and scew the hoses right onto the pool. They wont screw on the blue fittings but they will on the new gray ones that come with the 635 pump. I havent tried this but I see no problem with it working. You will see a great improvement in water flow!!!!! Tim.
  8. Mike, I may have experienced the same thing which no one around here (pool stores included) was able to tell me what was going on. The water was clear and didnt use a bunch of chlorine but I had this stuff on the bottom like you said which settled in the dips and irregularites on the bottom. Mine was the same color as red dirt which we have plenty of down south. You could try and capture some and it would just vanish. I did get some in a plastic drink bottle by going down with the bottle full of water but with the sides squished in and then letting the sides go sucking it in there. You couldn't tell right away but after a few mins its started settling just like it was in the pool. I came up with the conclusion that is was just dust from the air. My pool at the time had very poor circulation (a common problem with the type of pool I have). You may not have as much a low circulation problem as there may be a lot of developing going on around your area. However, I would check the pumps output to see if its doing what it supposed to do if you haven't already. Since I got my new pump and made the modifications to my pool, the problem dissapeared. The way it all was happening to me, it just made perfect sense. If I kept the solar cover on, there would be less. Also, less we used the pool more of the stuff showed up. The only way I could get rid of it was to vacuume the bottom by siphoning it over the side and being very carefull not to stir it up. It would usually take about 3 times vacuumeing to get it all. Tim.
  9. Yeah, I wouldn't go through all that just for winter storage. A shop Vac and towels or I use a mop myself to get some extra grit and trash out. The plastic drum dont sound too bad if you have pest that might chew on the vinyl. But, if its not completly dry or if moisture gets in the drum it could be very bad.
  10. I just recently purchased a Lil Shark Pool Cleaner but have not received it yet. I have been reading all I can about it to gather some usefull information. Most say it will operate on 1500gph so low water flow shouldn't be a factor. The length of hose might have something to do with it. They say use just enough hose to reach the far side of the pools bottom and then add 2 more sections. One reason I got one is because A friend or mine has one and it works great. Kids are all the time running and jumping in and out and it keeps his clean and clear. I have noticed that the Lil Shark is sold under 2 different name brands. Sta-Rite is the one I bought and is the one I seen working. There is another one that starts with a "P" ( cant think of the name right now) and it looks simular but I'm not sure if its the same.
  11. The 4000gph Intex pump is a cartridge type filter. I got one and love it! However, for it to be worth upgrading to anything above 2000gph you need to get rid of the plunger valves and install PVC ball valves (1.5 inch). I had to modify some PVC fittings for it to work. You may check with your pool supplier to see if there is anything readily avaiable but I couldn't find anything. After I changed mine, It made a world of difference. Its a lot eaiser to maintain. Even the chlorine last longer.
  12. Vinyl will absorb odors like crazy. I know what you mean. It smells awfull! After a good washing with some soap and a pressure washer or broom, let the good ole sun shine do the rest. Since its a 12ft pool, you can put it over some chairs and the ladder if you have one and let it set in the sun for a few days. If that dont work, Toss it. I usually turn my 18ft upside down for a couple of days then rinse the inside and dry it for winter storage. Yes, its a pain!
  13. Hello Everyone, All the modifications I'm about to mention was done to an Easy Set 18 X 48 pool and filter system. Any modifications done to any other brand or size may have undisired results and have not been proven. My wife and I has had an Easy Set 18 X 48 round pool since the year 2000. They are good pools except for the filter system which is just not enough flow to clean the water. Our first pool had a 3000gph pump and done well but a surface skimmer was not available at the time so I made one that looked pretty good with outstanding results. Then the next year, Intex made one available. I came accross a new pool cheap so I gave out old one to my in-laws. The newer pools had pumps with lower flow which is a problem. So, Heres what I done this year. Bought a 4000gph pump. Sharpened the grate in the intake with a smalll file. It is really thick and will greatly reduce the flow. Bought the Deluxe Skimmer. Cut the flower looking strainer from the inside as it redices the flow also. I hard piped the skimmer to the fitting inside the pool using two 45s to get the right angle, a straight section of 1.5 PVC about 9 inches long for the deluxe skimmer. 8 for the old style. One 90 and one 1.5 to 1.25 bushing. That along with the strap that goes over the ring will provide a pretty solid mounted skimmer. I have the drawing if anyone wants to build one. just send me an Email. Got rid of the Plunger Valves. I have always wanted to do this but couldn't find an easy way untill I got the 4000ghp pump. The fittings that go through the pool are slightly smaller. They are the same size as the hoses as they will screw straight on the pool. I was able to buy a 1.25 inch PVC compression coupler, cut it in half, modify its square threads to "V" threads and the hoses will screw right on it. I made the peices fit into one end of the 1.5 PVC ball valve. The other end of the valve got a long turn street 90 that was mofified to accept the screw collars that are on the plunger valves. The design has been working for over a week now with great results. I can tell a bunch of difference in just one week. Dirt was settling at the bottom before but not now. If you live in the south, You know what I mean. Red Mud!!!! I'm waiting on my automatic cleaner that should work well. ( If there is anything left on the bottom) I bought a Lil Shark cleaner. I have seen one in action that a freind of mine has. Its not a wall climber it keeps the bottom scrubbed clean. I dont see any use in upgrading the pump unless you get rid of the plunger valves. They reduce the flow by far. I dont know how much but before I put my pool away for the winter, I will see. Anyone may email me if they need any assistiance. I have tried much more than I described here. If anyone wants the ball valve conversion, I will make them and ship them for a fee. It wont be very cheap because it takes a while to do it. You will have to let me know if you have the blue or gray fittings. Hope everyone finds this usefull!!!!
  14. Hey papa john, I ran into this problem last year with my Mom and Dads pool. I was using clear vinyl hose for both suction and discharge as I done before on my pool but this time the hose was softer I reckon. Anyway, to help the problem I cut the strainer out of the skimmer. The flower looking thing (not the basket) in the very bottom where the hose goes on it. That thing slows the flow down. Just be careful not to drop anything down in it. The pump should still have a grate in the input. It will catch anything thats big enought to damage the pump. If you remove the hose you will see it. Hope this helps!
  15. Hello, I upgraded to the 4000GPH pump and changed my plunger valves to PVC 1.5 inch ball valves. I modified the valve on one end to accept the screw on Intex hose. I had to use a lathe and remove some material from the PVC fitings. You cant buy anything that will work readily That I know of. I can let you know how I done it if you have access top a lathe. I'm new here so I'm also trying to figure this forum out. uote name='scooby111' date='Aug 15 2008, 11:33 AM' post='59587'] I have an Intex 18' 52" metal above ground pool with a Model 635 pump. I want to connect a solar panel to it. The solar panel has a standard 1.5" connection. I want to use Flexpipe (sometimes known as Tigerflex), which is used in pool and spa installations. But Intex has these threaded connections and kind of a corragated pipe. Has anyone devised a way of connected the Intex pipe to other pipes? I was thinking of cutting into the Intex pipe and getting a solid piece of pipe that will fit into the Intex Pipe on one end and slide the flexpipe on the other end. Then use clamps to hold each pipe in place. Thanks.
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