Intex Portable Pools
Portable Pools - All the Fun with Less Fuss
I can't say I miss the year round maintenance of my big inground pool Sure they look nice, but it's still a bother to keep up the maintenance during the months it isn't being used.
After moving from a big house into a ground floor unit, I started to miss the pool I had as the warm months arrived.
One day I noticed a boxed up portable (or inflatable) pool in a local department store. They were very inexpensive. We all know that inexpensive can mean poor quality. That's the funny thing, if it cost more I may have hesitated because after all, it's a plastic pool.
I eventually thought I have nothing to lose. If it doesn't work, well at least I gave it a go. I was more than pleasantly surprised by my Intex 10'x30" pool!
A Good Position is Important
One thing that portable pools have in their favor is that if you get the position wrong the first time around, it's not too hard to drain the water and move it.
You need to have a relatively level area to set the pool up on. You can't set it up on a space with too big a slope, as it can become in danger of all sorts of things that you don't want to happen.
I set my pool up in one corner of my units L-shaped backyard. Initially, it seemed the most logical place to me.
Although this first position had a lot going for it, I decided to bite the bullet and put it in the actual best spot for it. The reason I hadn't done this in the first place is the big-ass tree that was overhanging my fence from my neighbor's yard.
Hopefully a couple of tarps will help with this.
I've also arranged a few pots of cuttings of ornamental Frangipanis around the edge of the pool.
Although they look scrappy now, I think (hope) it will only take about 6 months or so before these not only start to look fantastic, but will stop a lot of the leaf litter from overhead from falling into the pool area.
Video - Me setting up my 10' x 30" Intex Pool
Have a look at the time-lapse video below that I made while setting up the pool. The video is just over a minute long.
What Care and Maintenance is Required?
In comparison to most normal pools, this pool requires very little maintenance. It comes with a filter/pump which should be run for about 20 to 30 minutes a day, tops.
It also needs to be chlorinated to keep the bad bacteria out and keep it safe for you and your family.
How Much Chlorine to Add?
When you first set up your Intex 10x30 pool, it needs 120g of pool chlorine. You can have your first swim after filling with water, then add this afterwards. Following this initial setup, your pool will need 30g of chlorine a day.
You don't want to put chlorine straight into the pool. It needs to be mixed into a bucket of water first.
I bought quality chlorine from a specialist store the first time around which wasn't cheap. The next time I needed chlorine, I thought I'd save myself some money and bought a cheaper brand from the supermarket. Guess what... I'll be going for the higher priced one next time. I thought chlorine was chlorine. Apparently not.
The cheap chlorine takes a long time to dissolve in water. I have to pour it into a bucket of water, stir and leave for a hour or so. Then I stir again before putting in the pool. It's a bit more tedious in comparison to the more expensive chlorine.
Safety First
You need to follow your local pool safety regulations as kids can drown in these.
I've had a few unexpected drownings of local fauna. It's not nice. I've bought a pool noodle with a seat and that lives permanently in the pool so that any critter that accidently falls in, hopefully finds this as a refuge until I can rescue it in the morning.
A Bit of Extra Fun
Who said this is all about the kids?
There's nothing quite as relaxing as sitting in this pool in the evening once the kids are in bed.
While buying some chlorine, I spied a waterproof speaker on the shelf at my local pool shop.
This 'Game' waterproof pool light is a Bluetooth speaker. It syncs to your phone and can play music and you can answer phone calls while in the pool (if that's your thing).
The lights flash in time to your music.
Click the button below to see the price of the floating Game Waterproof Pool Light/Speaker.
My Recommendation?
If you're on the fence on an Intex Pool, then just do it. The pools are a decent quality for the price.
I picked up an Intex 10x30 pool with a filter and all the fittings for a very reasonable price. I sit in it and the water comes up to my shoulders - I think this is perfect.
It makes great whirlpools too for those of us who are still young at heart.
