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Please be honest and share your personal experience about EASY SET or QICK SET inflatable 8' or 10' swimming pool care


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I really believe I would love having a pool in my back yard to relax in, however, I have read some things that make me feel it could be more of a headache and ongoing expense than I bargained for. Is this the case? I am only planning to keep it up from March through November - NOT year around. Not sure this makes a difference as far as someone's response to this post goes but it may.

Anyways, some things I have heard cause concern. Many contradict each other so I do not know what is true. For example:

"You need to shock your pool every week and wait at least 24 hrs. before swimming in it" Is this true? or excessive? 

"For a pool that size - all you need is the pump it came with and a chlorine floater" Is this true? Maybe I am reading stuff from people with larger pools?

"The pumps they come with are junk so you will need to purchase a better system" Is this true? If so, what type is best? and how costly are they?

"You need to change cartridges every 2 weeks" Again, is this true? Because I have also read where it is done every few months.

"You need to brush the bottom of the pool every day" Is this true?

 

In addition to the above questions I REALLY WANT TO KNOW the following:

Is having and maintaining a pool that it is both safe to swim in and has clean/clear water easy to do? or a daily task that is time consuming, expensive and a pain?

What is really required to have a pool that it is both safe to swim in and has clean/clear water? and how much money are we realistically talking about? and how much time commitment do I need to plan on and how often?

Are these pools prone to leaking/collapsing and flooding your yard? 

Do I need to be a chemist to avoid mistakes and problems? I am not by the way...LOL. I am not science/math inclined. I need easy - PLEASE!!!

How far from my home does this type of pool need to be? or does it even matter?

Does it have to be on a perfectly level surface? I am planning to set it up on a smooth surface (my 12 x 14 concrete patio) but it does have a slight gradual slope away from the foundation of my house. Would this be okay?

I'm sure I will have other questions but these are the ones I can think of at the moment. Feel free to interject anything you feel I should know or consider. 

THANK YOU!!!

 

 

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I know nothing about inflatables. Does it have a pump and filter? If so, it probably is junk, like the one that came with my Walmart special above ground pool. But it is still working in the second year of use. It is a pain, as you can't vacuum with it, but I didn't expect much for $600.

A pool, like many other things, is an individual thing. My pool will have a different volume, amount of use, environmental contaminants, etc., than yours or anyone else's. So how often you shock, clean, or otherwise, is a factor of YOUR circumstances. There is no one-size-fits-all maintenance plan, in spite of the multitudes of "systems" that claim they are just that. 

There are certain guidelines that should be followed regarding chemical balance and sanitation that will require a good test kit. At first it will be a chore, like anything new, but once you are used to it you won't spend 15 minutes a week on chemicals. 

The cost depends on too many variables to pin down, but probably won't be more than $50 or $60 a year once you have your test kit. But don't skimp on the test kit, get a good Taylor k2005 or k2006 and it will save you time, money, and frustration.

Do a little research on chlorine maintenance online. 

@waterbear, anything to add?

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9 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

You need to shock your pool every week and wait at least 24 hrs. before swimming in it" Is this true? or excessive? 

You shock (super-chlorinate) when combined chlorine tests at .5 ppm or higher when using a good drop based test kit (NOT strips)

9 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

For a pool that size - all you need is the pump it came with and a chlorine floater" Is this true? Maybe I am reading stuff from people with larger pools?

A pool is a pool is a pool. If you are using chlorine then you need to test the water with a good kit (I recommend the Taylor K 2006) and adjust your chemical levels accordingly. It doesn't matter if the pool is a 60,000 gallon plaster surface pool, a 20,000 gallon fiberglass, or a 6000 gallon inflatable. The water chemistry is the same and, in fact, is a bit more difficult to maintain in a smaller pool.

9 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

The pumps they come with are junk so you will need to purchase a better system" Is this true?

Usually but some will get you by for a year or two if you don't mind long pump runs and frequent filter cleaning.

9 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

"You need to change cartridges every 2 weeks" Again, is this true? Because I have also read where it is done every few months.

Depends, many inflatable and above ground pools come with very undersized pump and filter combos that require constant cleaning and attention. It also depends on whether you get a sand, cartrigde or DE filter since the maintenance is different for each.

 

9 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

You need to brush the bottom of the pool every day" Is this true?

It's not the bottom that is usually brushed, it's the sidewalls. Last time I brushed my pool was prbably some time last year (and mine is open year round since I'm in Florida). It depends on what falls into the pool, how well you maintain your chemical levels, and many other factors.

9 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

What is really required to have a pool that it is both safe to swim in and has clean/clear water? and how much money are we realistically talking about? and how much time commitment do I need to plan on and how often?

Basic chemicals needed for a chlorine pool are liquid chlorine laundry bleach, baking soda (TA increaser), Muriatic acid or dry acid for lowering pH, and chlorine stabilizer (cyanuric acid) . You can get everything you need at the grocery store except for the stabilizer. You will need to go to a pool store, Walmart or big box store to get that. I would not recommend using chlorine tabs in a floater because they add stabilizer with use and a small pool will quickly become overstabilized and you will start having problems with algae and other problems. The only way to lower stabilizer is by doing a series of partial drains and refills. Using bleach or liquid pool chlorine (both are the same except for the strength) will eliminate this problem but you will have to add a small amount of liquid chlorine daily. You will also need a good test kit. Get a Taylor K-2006. It will probably be the most expensive item you will need but will save you a lot of money and headaches. Here are some videos from the Taylor Technology website that show the kit and how to use it. It's not hard.

https://www.taylortechnologies.com/en/page/231/k-2006-complete-kit-with-fas-dpd

You will probably need to order it from Amazon or an online pool supply since most local pool stores only stock the K-2005 if they carry Taylor kits. The K 2005 is a bit less expensive but it uses the DPD chlorine testing method that is not as easy as the FAS-DPD testing method used in the K-2006. and can be prone to bleachout and some other limitations. All other tests in both kits are identical.  It is well worth getting the k 2006 since it makes the testing so much easier with less chance of errors or interference from too high sanitizer levels.

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10 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

Are these pools prone to leaking/collapsing and flooding your yard? 

any pool can leak or collapse if not set up or maintained properly. For that matter both fiberglass and gunnite (concrete) inground pools have been known to pop out of the ground! and both ingound and above ground vinyl liner pools can suffer from tears or leaks in the liner.

10 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

Do I need to be a chemist to avoid mistakes and problems?

No but you do need to learn some basics. Search the internet for the BBB (Bleach, Borax, and Baking Soda) method of pool water care, The PoolForum is a good place to start since it has special sections for inflatable and Intex pools.

10 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

How far from my home does this type of pool need to be? or does it even matter?

Depends on local zoning.

 

10 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

Does it have to be on a perfectly level surface? I am planning to set it up on a smooth surface (my 12 x 14 concrete patio) but it does have a slight gradual slope away from the foundation of my house. Would this be okay?

Depends on the slope. Contact the manufacturer of the pool and ask.

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Thanks to everyone who contributed their help, advice and experience. I truly appreciate it. I was thrilled to learn of BBB because I was clueless as to where I would store pool chemicals. I have read most should be in a dark, cool, well ventilated area and in separate locations (not on a shelf together in case of off-gassing, spills, etc.) and something like that does not exist at my house. Texas heat is well over 100 heat index at times. Garage is hot and not ventilated and inside the house is NOT gonna happen. We do not have a shop and if we did it too would be too hot apparently. Therefore, the BBB may be my only hope for a pool.

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4 hours ago, HoustonHobbit said:

Therefore, the BBB may be my only hope for a pool.

It is also easy, inexpensive, and is basically how many commercial pools are maintained (except they use peistaltic pumps to dose the liquid pool chlorine (still bleach but just double strength) and the muriatic acid. When you are ready check back and I will give you some tips. Once again, the test kit is the most important part and the one that I recommended is easy and accurate (and it's sort of fun too).

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I would much rather test water than brush and tiles soap the waterline of a 60k gallon commercial  pool, clean out and recharge a pit DE filter, or get a peristaltic acid pump adjusted (all of which I've had to do in the past). By comparison, water testing IS fun! ;)

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2 hours ago, RDspaguy said:

'll see your 60k gallon pool and raise you a million gallon wave pool and 500k lazy river WITH LEAKS.

YOU WIN!!!!! (Even though the 60k was just one pool at the facility. There was also a 55K 'family pool' -swim diaper leak and fecal shutdown almost daily, 2 1K hot tubs with cart filters in pits, and a 1K kids 'splash area' with deck jets, overhead water features, and deck drains to an underground water tank, also with a cart in a pit! A haven for fecal closedowns ! Even with all that you STILL win! ) 😎

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I've had a 15-foot non-inflatable above-ground pool for 21 years now.  Mine came with a real pump and real sand filter.  I've had the liner replaced twice in that span, once by the original installer and then in April with the help of my daughter. 

No, I only brush or vacuum it every few weeks.  Vacuuming such a small pool takes under 15 minutes.  I use a floater/chlorine dispenser.  I superchlorinate every few weeks, or use monopersulfate shock.

DSC08217.JPG

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