After a summer of nagging last year from the children I caved in and made a promise that after we moved house to somewhere with a bigger garden (that autumn) we could get a big swimming pool thing instead of a pathetic little paddling pool now they're all too big for just a bit of splashing.
Now we've done that I've run out of excuses and apparently children never forget!
Pre-empting the lack of stock as soon as it warms up a bit I've just taken delivery of this:
Intex 3x2m pool
Not offensively big, but still holds 3,800 litres of water (about £12 to fill by my very rough estimates - sadly we're metered).
So, what's the minimum I need to do to keep it clean and safe for 3 children to use all summer?
Current plan is to get a filter pump, cholrine tablets in a floating dispenser, (daily?) dip tests to monitor and a cover over the top of it whenever it's not in use.
I'm also thinking a bowl of water that's replaced regularly to dip feet in before getting in.
Does the filter need to run 24/7 or just when they're using it?
Underneath - will it be OK just sat on the lawn (accepting the grass will die) or am I now going to also need to buy some foam mats to put it on?
Finally - heating it. I'm far too tight to consider getting a heater put in line for it (it's not a hot tub), so it's going to be positioned in the sunniest part of the garden. I've seen things about floating bin bags on top to get some solar heat in - has anyone tried this?
Or, there's these solar panels that go in line with the filter pump that have some mixed reviews - seem to work but not be very durable. LINK
My general worry is that either I'll be emptying and refilling it every couple of weeks and costing a fortune in water, or it'll be too cold and won't get used.
If you have a pump, filters, chlorine, ph+ or ph- and algicide you should be set and if you keep on top of it never need to refill.
Is the ground pan flat underneath it. It will be cold unless you heat it.
We have a 10ft one, best garden thing we have ever bought
Our boy loves being in the pool, yes sometimes the water freezing and he only last 10 minute in there but he loves it, on hot days its great to come home from work and cool off in the pool and have water fights
Yes the grass will die, if your lawn even has the slightest bumps then mats underneath will make a big difference and will help protect the bottom of the pool
We just have a filter pump that i put on just before we use the pool and leave it on for a few hours after the pool has been used, i clean the filter every couple times the pool is used
Chlorine tablets in a floating dispenser, remove dispenser from pool when being used, once the tablets have dissolved just put some more in (they seem to last ages)
For heating a solar cover helps but only really warms up the first foot of water, the bottom of the pool will be cold
We keep ours covered when not in use to stop any bird poo getting in it (we have Swan and Geese behind us so they can be rather large poo's!)
We have never bothered with dip tests
As for filling it, we are on a metered connection also and even filling the pool our water bill is less than when were were unmetered
If you keep the pool clean, covered, filtered and chlorined then there is no reason why the water wont last all summer
One thing you will need is a pool net to get any small bugs, grass and other debris that will find its way into the pool
I used the ghetto bin bag method last summer and in around 3hrs the top inch of water was noticeably warmer than the bottom 11 inches. Would the remaining water have heated if left long enough...I've no idea!
I'd also put something between it and the ground to minimise heat loss.
When the instructions tell you the ground needs to be dead level .... it needs to be DEAD level
Check youtube for a couple of good vids to show you how.
Good luck
Why don't themake them black to store more heat?
Sunscreen was an issue for ours, clogged the pump filter and made the pool scummy.
Not compatible with the cat either 🥺
Why don’t themake them black to store more heat?
Cos they'd also radiate more heat back out at night?
Don't think that is a significant factor TBH. Doubt they've thought it through that far.
Same as escrs, best thing we ever brought for the kids. Made lockdown last year pass by when the sun was shining. I even tried working whilst floating on an inflatable chair with the laptop, kinda worked aside from the sun burn.
Pump on for a few hours of an evening and thats it.
Could you use bubble wrap a night to keep the heat in? That's more or less what they do with proper swimming pools to keep the heat in.
Also set rules about not using it alone. It may seem over cautious but I remember a kid being pulled out of paddling pool after he tripped and banged his head (fortunately people saw it happen but he would have drowned as he was knocked out). Don't underestimate the risk of drowning! Don't get me wrong I'm sort of jealous (although not enough to buy one as we ate 15 mins walk from the beach) but it's one to know and manage.
The filter run time isn’t as important as making sure the water is properly chlorinated. The filter will take out debris but what you’re worried about is cryptosporidium and his buddies and algae both of which the filter won’t help with but chlorine will keep at bay
Running the pump will keep the water mixed and so help ensure even distribution of chlorine but if you’re swimming you’ll agitate the water too.
The secret of a happy pool experience is having a reliable test kit but they aren’t cheap. You might be able to manage with test strips but they are pretty hit and miss I believe.
The pucks are very acidic so you’ll want to be careful not to let the ph drop too much if you use them regularly; I have seen a report of dissolved teeth if ph gets too low.
Calcium hypochlorite or simply liquid chlorine(thin bleach) are other means of adding chlorine.
We have had one of the circular 10 foot ones for the last 7 years. As others have said it is the best money we have ever spent.
A few tips:
1)The black Intex pool cover makes an excellent solar heater. It sits on top of the water. Put the pump on during the day and it circulates the warm water at the top through the pool. Turn it off at night to reduce heat loss. Also keeps leaves out and reduces the number of drowned bees.
2) Second tip is to get the whole family in. Walk/run in a circle as fast as you can for a couple of minutes. Then stop and relax as the whirlpool carries you round. Good fun for simple minds such as mine. Sometimes I chase the children round shouting SHARK ATTACK, SHARK ATTACK!
3) For children's birthdays at the start of the year, fill it with water from the hot tap. A bit expensive but worth it.
4) You can create a poor man's endless pool by tying a bodyboard leash at one end to the pool and putting your foot in other end. Surprisingly good. Careful you don't drown though.
Can the pump run water through a loop of hose? In a sunny spot might help to heat the water.
Yes it could. However my experience is that the black cover sitting on top of the water is effectively a 3m diameter solar panel. The circulation of the water under it makes it very efficient.
Thanks all. Some good advice and reassurance there.
Safety wise - agree with the never being on their own in there. It will be in pairs only or with an adult in the garden.
I was debating the intex black cover as it looks like there's some issue with durability but could be worth it combined with the pump to shift the water around.
Our kids loved ours as they were growing up and for the first few years could swim properly around it. With shorty wet suits the boys would be out in it in all weathers.
Sounds like you've got it covered regards treating the water, we did exactly the same and didn't have any problems, floating chlorine dispenser and some other chemicals I can't recall along with litmus paper to check the ph levels. We left our pump running constantly.
It was surprising how warm the water was after a few days of sunshine. It was also very refreshing after a ride.
Seems my family are a bunch of softies then!
We got the 10' round pool, and TBH we found it too cold except on the hottest days, and even then couldn't last long. We had a big problem with algae despite using chlorine tablets and running the pump. I think the pump that came with ours was a bit under powered TBH, and anything decent cost more than the pool itslef. I bought the solar heater panels and the bubblewrap cove, neither made much difference to the heat but I expect all of the issues may have been reduced with a decent pump.
We've got a 10ft fast set Intex pool. We had it up most of last summer. Even on hot days it could get pretty cold. We had the filter which we ran for a couple hours either side of using it. Tried the bin bag trick but it was useless. Should have got a chlorine dispenser as well as we had to drop the water far too often for my liking and it takes quite a while to put 3500 litres of water in it.
We bought an 18x12 pool in a sale about 5 years ago and can only echo all of the points made above.
Easily the best money ever spent on our garden.
Only thing is that it takes about 2 days to fill up and required a proper sand filter pump as the one that came with was essentially a token gesture to get us going... (get what you pay for I guess) even so, I'd happily suggest to get the largest one you can afford/fit... Ours takes all 6 of us with ease.
Foam mats are essential imo as well.
Also siting it in the part of your garden that has most direct sunlight at all times goes a long way to making the water temp bearable later in the days.