GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Back Room => : SDale May 16, 2010, 12:52:17 PM
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I'm thinking of getting one for me and the kids to flop around in this summer. I don't have AC in the house and we all LOVE the water.
I was thinking of getting this guy here : http://www.biglots.com/Outdoorlife/item.aspx?cid=62&scid=222&iid=7803
My local Big Lots has it cheaper that what the website lists. About a hundred bucks cheaper!!!
I've read that the ground has to be perfectly level, which I have no problems doing. Any other things to keep in mind???
I also know about the chemicals and what not needed.
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i would get it ur up north so u know about the june,july,aug,sept heat waves california gets it would be a wise investment brother
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maybe just some sand under it is all I can think of? an don't let anybody dive into it.
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My neighbor have one of that over ground pools like that..... the only you have to buy in addition is a better motor - filter.... after that
a lot of fun!!!
/Gerald
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Remove all grass and weeds where the pool will sit. We didn't with our first small pool for the kids. The near constant splash of water over the sides caused the grass to rot under the pool and after about a week, the stick of rotting grass was over-powering !!!!
level the area, pick out all sticks, stones and anything else that could harm the pool plastic. Rake it loose to make sure there's nothing hard or sharp just below the surface that could work it's way up.
Like Jay said, lay down a bed of about an inch or two of sand. Around here, "Mason's sand" trucked in from a local concret supplier is the cheapest and cleanest in the quantity needed for a pool bed. Much cheaper than buying sand by the bag.
Don't let ANYONE climb, sit, or push on the edge !!!! Once a side starts to lean past a certain point the water moves offcenter and the walls can't push back with even pressure. If that goes too far... then everybody in the pool is going body surfing !!!!
Some areas require a fence around a pool by law. You may want to check with your local authority if that aplies in your area ... and a call to your home owner's insurance company to make sure your covered.
Don't forget to buy one of those floating thingys to hold your beer !!!:D
Paul.
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Might think of it as a rather small skating rink in the winter. .... ;) ... I've never owned one, intentionally, my ex-brother-in-law had a good sized above ground pool, and truth is he spent as much time (probably more) "taking care if it" than he did in it.
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I had one for many years in my backyard. The one I had was very large so I had it installed by the dealer, but during installation they did exactly what Paul said...... they removed all the grass and then made sure the ground was perfectly level and cleaned of all roots, rocks, etc. Then they evenly spread out a thick layer of very fine sand and installed the pool on top of that. We bought the pool for the same reason you mentioned... at the time we didn't have central A/C and we were looking for a way for us and our 2 small daughters to cool off and enjoy the summer.
We used that pool every day for years and years. My kids had their friends over all the time and they had pool parties. My kids and wife had a blast with that pool for many years. As the kids got older they used it less and less. The final death knoll for the pool was when we got central A/C installed in the house. After that noone wanted to leave the house and the pool just sat there, but of course even though noone was using it I still had to do all the maintenance on it. One day a few years ago I decided enough was enough and I just drained it, pulled it down and reclaimed a large part of my yard :)
You will have to maintain the pool, but it's pretty basic so it's not that bad. The thing I hated the worst was having to vacuum the pool every week. That was a pain in the butt !! One thing about the chemicals for the water..... Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on cheap chlorine. A lot of places, like the larger pool chain stores, sell cheap chlorine that is really a waste of money. Do yourself a favor and go to a local, smaller family run pool store and buy the best chlorine they sell. I started out using the cheap chlorine that the dealer was selling and I couldn't believe how much chlorine I was going through. When I finally switched over to the better chlorine it was amazing... my chlorine consumption went down about 80 % and the pool water was the cleanest it had ever been. They also sell a myriad of other chemicals that people will tell you are "essential" for the pool.. things like water clarifier, anti algea stuff, but you really don't need them. If the ph in your pool is correct and you are using good chlorine your pool water will be just fine without all those other chemicals they sell. The key to clean water is really correct water "ph" levels and good chlorine levels. You will probably have to adjust your ph when you first fill the pool, but after that it should be set, then you'll just be dealing with chlorine.
You have to test the water and add extra chlorine after heavy rains. You have to "shock" the pool with a "shock treatement" kit every 10 days or so or after heavy pool use by a lot of people. You will have vacuum the pool bottom to get rid of all the sand, dirt and debris that is going to get down there no matter what you do and I don't believe the pool comes with a vacuum.
Okay, that's all I can think of........
Jeff
As for the pool in your link,,,,, I had a friend who bought one like that. It worked fine but the pump that comes with pools like that are really cheap and don't really push enough water to maintain the pool to optimum levels.
Jeff
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A guy I worked with several years ago had one in his backyard. During a "heat wave" he & his wife used to avoid it, the water got too warm. Generally in mid-summer after they got out, they sprayed themselves in the garage with a garden hose to cool off. He took it down after a few years, ... guess one size doesn't fit all.
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Like Jeff said get good chemicals (like Bioguard) I have an in-ground and its a money pit LOL I wish I had gotten an above ground ( I could get rid of it easier, daughters grown and the wife wont go in anymore also a very short season here) Hmm maybe stock it with trout? LOL
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That's due to the cheap pumps they use. They don't push enough water to keep the water circulating properly and as a result the water becomes semi stagnant and warms up. It also creates a situation where the water, due to inadequate circulation starts to develop an algae
problem.
Sam......... In all honesty,,,,,, my advice would be don't waste your money. There's and old saying... "you get what you pay for". There's a reason pools like the ones in your link are so inexpensive and the reason isn't good.
I think in the end you will be disappointed with your purchase and I am pretty sure it's not going to perform the way it looks like it does in the beautiful picture that the company took.
If you really want a pool to cool off in I think you'd be better off getting a "real" pool from a good local dealer, one with a "real" pump that is built to handle the pool water volume effectively. It will of course be more money but in the end you'll get what you're looking for.... a good, solid, well built pool that will function properly for years and will enable you and your family to beat the heat. Just my opinion.....
Jeff
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Love it, - dk, if you stock it with trout, let me know!!! ... Truly a great idea.
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We had one similar for a few years, worked great and a ton of fun:) I took extra trouble and recomend and sand bed. A tarp for kids to run on and big foot rinse tub help the filter Keep up:)
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Oh, another thing,...don't set it up anywhere near trees or bushes !!!!
The girl friend thought she had her pool clear of trees. The winds still blew leaves into the pool and she was having to net leaves out every time she wanted to use it.
Then, after several years, there was a high branch that grew to slightly overhang the pool. Since then, twice she's come home after several days away and had to scoup out a dead, blotted squirrel, drain all the water, clean and re-fill the pool.
Find a spot that is at least 45 degree angle away from the highest part of the tree(s).
Paul.
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Just get a net to put over it when not in use and empty before it rains ,my brother had one in puerto rico and it took much care to maintain and a few mixtures to learn .They are worth havin in hot,hot weathercause i feel one coming soon hittin 100,s plus ....
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Okaaaaay... I'm thinkin REALY hard now.
Still leaning towards it though because I can take it apart and store it in the shed for the winter.
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SDale - 5/17/2010 7:02 PM
Okaaaaay... I'm thinkin REALY hard now.
Still leaning towards it though because I can take it apart and store it in the shed for the winter.
Only one way to know if you'll like it....
What may seem like alot of work to some may not to others. Growing up on the water front I'm not as in to pools as the Girl friend is, so I wouldn't even consider owning one much less want to care for one. But, the Girfriend has one of what I call a "soup-kettle" pool - frameless ones with the inflated top ring. She doesn't mind whatever maintainance there is because she realy enjoys the pool and uses it alot. She sets it up every Spring and puts it away every fall. When the weather gets hot, if she has to net leaves out she does that from inside the pool and it gives her something to do while she's cooling off.
I've seen happen what was said about the pump/filter. The pump/filter that came with her $90.00, 12 x 3 foot pool from Walmart was too small and burned out halfway through the first Summer. She's using the larger pump/filter that came with a 15 footer that one of my daughters was getting rid of and it's held up fine now for about five years.
The bucket of water next to the ladder to rinse off feet is a must, especially with kids who are in and out of the pool alot !!!
Paul.
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Make sure that you plug the pump motor into a GFCI receptacle. Wouldn't want anyone getting hurt. As an electrician I have wired like 200 pools over the years.