The Above Ground Outdoor Swimming Pool Thread

[DirktheDaring]

Good job, looks like we’ll be putting ours out next weekend if the weather stays good.

[Wallace12R]

Jobbo said:

Pool up yesterday, filled with water by 10am today - I’m pleased how quickly it was ready to fill considering I’ve moved house. Ready made flat space for it on the patio, though I think I’d have gone 12x20ft rather than 15ft circular if I’d started at this house. If/when I replace it I’ll do that.



One thing I’ve discovered is that it’s worth having a load of new O-rings for the pipe connections. Fortunately only a couple were leaky and I had just enough new O-rings to replace them but I’ll plan ahead next season.

Forgot to add: I treated myself to a new solar cover. I’d forgotten that there was a link in this thread but I’ve found one cheaper at £139 delivered for 15ft diameter: https://poolstore.co.uk/product/summer-covers/supe...
It doesn’t have the silver layer of the previous one linked (£194) but is a massive step up from the bubble wrap in quality.

Edited by Jobbo on Sunday 19th May 16:35

That’s a cracking looking space crying out for a bigger pool!

[Wallace12R]

I’m in the process of sorting our pool out for this year, uncovered it and it was green but a nice dose of Chlorine and Algecide soon sorted that and it’s now blue at least. Gave the sides a brush and hoovered for ages, surprising the amount of crap that gathers at the bottom over winter. I just cannot seem to get the levels right just now, pH and TA are miles off so even though there is Chlorine in the water it’s not showing up on any tests. I’ll get there though, kids want it ready for half term next week!

[Jobbo]

Wallace12R said:

That’s a cracking looking space crying out for a bigger pool!

Thanks - if we hadn't brought the pool from our old house I may well have gone for a bigger one. But I think we'd need a more powerful heater, bigger pump etc too, so I'll see how much use we get out of it this year. After the sun last weekend when I put it up, I got the temperature of the water up to 27C then saw the forecast for the next couple of weeks; it's down to lows of 6C at night. I've turned the heater off again because I'm just fighting against the weather currently

Do you not drain yours over winter?

Oh, and does anyone have any advice about filter pumps? I still use an Intex 1500gph cartridge filter pump which is fine but I think it's a bit noisy for its new location and I have to buy the cartridges in bulk. I imagine a sand filter is the way to go; are they quieter?

[b14]

Wallace12R said:

I’m in the process of sorting our pool out for this year, uncovered it and it was green but a nice dose of Chlorine and Algecide soon sorted that and it’s now blue at least. Gave the sides a brush and hoovered for ages, surprising the amount of crap that gathers at the bottom over winter. I just cannot seem to get the levels right just now, pH and TA are miles off so even though there is Chlorine in the water it’s not showing up on any tests. I’ll get there though, kids want it ready for half term next week!

Test for cyanuric acid levels - it might be too high which makes the chlorine go all weird and not work properly

[Wallace12R]

Jobbo said:

Wallace12R said:

That’s a cracking looking space crying out for a bigger pool!

Thanks - if we hadn't brought the pool from our old house I may well have gone for a bigger one. But I think we'd need a more powerful heater, bigger pump etc too, so I'll see how much use we get out of it this year. After the sun last weekend when I put it up, I got the temperature of the water up to 27C then saw the forecast for the next couple of weeks; it's down to lows of 6C at night. I've turned the heater off again because I'm just fighting against the weather currently

Do you not drain yours over winter?

Oh, and does anyone have any advice about filter pumps? I still use an Intex 1500gph cartridge filter pump which is fine but I think it's a bit noisy for its new location and I have to buy the cartridges in bulk. I imagine a sand filter is the way to go; are they quieter?

No I don’t drain it, I put the heater away in the shed and that’s it. It’s stays covered until around now, usually the water isn’t a problem ( just a shock and some general maintenance ) but this year it’s being a pig. I think I’ve cracked it now though, the pH has come up enough for the Chlorine to show up on tests so fingers crossed it’ll be ready for half term.

We are at around 12-15° overnight in Surrey so my heat pump will be working ok overnight soon enough.

Regards a filter, I’ve now got a Bestway sand filter but I’m not using sand I’m using filter balls instead. It’s much quieter than the cartridge filters, all you can really hear is a low hum which is actually air coming out of an exhaust of the pump. It’s actually sounds like a slightly quieter heat pump whir

[Wallace12R]

b14 said:

Wallace12R said:

I’m in the process of sorting our pool out for this year, uncovered it and it was green but a nice dose of Chlorine and Algecide soon sorted that and it’s now blue at least. Gave the sides a brush and hoovered for ages, surprising the amount of crap that gathers at the bottom over winter. I just cannot seem to get the levels right just now, pH and TA are miles off so even though there is Chlorine in the water it’s not showing up on any tests. I’ll get there though, kids want it ready for half term next week!

Test for cyanuric acid levels - it might be too high which makes the chlorine go all weird and not work properly

As I said above, tests seem ok now and all level bar Chlorine which is very high right now are ok. The pool currently stinks like a public pool

[Jobbo]

Definitely sounds like I need to upgrade my filter - cheers for that. I will still have to live with the combo of 1.5” and 2” hoses which I have now though because the heater only has 1.5” connections.

[Wallace12R]

Well the pool is clear and the heater is on, started at 20.2° yesterday afternoon and currently sitting at 26°. So the pool is ready for half term like I promised the kids, shame the weather isn’t! Good old English weather

[Jobbo]

Outs is at 26C too and due to the weather I’ve not been in it yet. Forecast is for sun and 21C next Sunday here, so maybe in a week

The overnight air temperatures are forecast to dip to 6-7C a few times this week though, so keeping the pool warm is going to be a bit of an expense.

[I_Am_Machine]

Unpacked our pool today, hoping for better weather soon. Still too cold today to get in! I packed it away last year using talc on the lining, there's now an amount of that floating on the water; will the filter eventually get rid of it?

[DirktheDaring]

Yep the talk should get filtered out, if not some floc will help to turn it into clumps and either sink or get caught in the filter.

We still haven’t put ours up, the weather just hasn’t been good enough and the kids won’t use it when it’s cold, plus heating it when outside temps are still at 12-14c overnight is another reason for not bothering.

We’re away for 3 weeks in July so this maybe the first year out of 7 years where we don’t put the pool up.

[-BFG-]

We’ve put ours up today, it’s significantly colder than last year, here’s hoping we have some half decent weather.

I’ve just set up a bestway sand filter pump, do you have to have the pump/filter running 24/7 for the heater ? I’ve not read into the setting too much as I’m waiting for a few bits to arrive.