Skip to content

Our new Intex pool

Sharon and I decided to get the kids a pool and ended up buying the Intex® 12' by 30" Metal Frame Pool Set (SKU: 28211EH). I use the term ended up buying because stock was so low everywhere we looked, we were lucky to find anything at all.

While we waited for it to arrive, we knew we had to level an area of our sloped yard, so we decided to dig the high side down instead of building the low side up because we’re I’m cheap and didn’t want to buy the necessary materials. It’s free to dig, I declared, and I could foresee built-up material being washed out by heavy rain, and I ain’t having that.

The whole family got involved and we took photos of most of the process:

An area of our backyard with an orange spray painted circle marking where we’ll dig.
We decided where we wanted the center of the pool to be, put a stake in the ground, tied a six-foot long string to it, and used some orange spray paint to define exactly where we needed to dig.
Enlarge
Our oldest son, holding a shovel, proud of the first bit of digging we did together in the center of the circle.
First, we dug up the sod along the orange line…
Enlarge
Our youngest son, walking in the circle of dirt where we removed the sod layer.
…then we dug up the rest of it.
Enlarge
An in-progress photo of the most laborious part: the removal of a lot of dirt as we work toward leveling and flattening the ground.
Then we started digging down, because this section of the yard is far from level.
Enlarge
Another photo of our digging progress; we’ve removed most of the dirt at this point.
We kept digging…
Enlarge
The big, round hole looks nearly level and flat at this point.
…and digging. When we thought we might be close to having a level surface…
Enlarge
Me, using a string level to determine if the bottom of the hole is level and flat.
…I used a string level to check. We repeated the dig and check routine until, eventually, it was good enough for pool Jazz.
Enlarge
A heavy tamper tool and the flattened dirt surface it helped create.
We then used an 8 x 8 inch tamper to help flatten and compress the small rocks and loose dirt.
Enlarge
The hole’s dirt floor almost entirely covered with interlocking rubber mats.
Once the surface seemed flat and compacted enough, we put interlocking rubber mats down hoping they’d protect the pool from any small rocks we didn’t remove and make it a little more comfortable. This was when it became clear just how uneven the surface still was, which was a little sad, but we pushed on…
Enlarge
The hole’s dirt floor completely covered with interlocking rubber mats.
…and finished after making some basic cuts and running a broom over it a few times.
Enlarge
A green, twelve by sixteen foot tarp in the hole, on top of the interlocking rubber mats, and it looks a little too small on two sides.
Next, we put down a 12 by 16 foot tarp. It’s smaller than I’d prefer, but it was the only one we had on hand and we wanted to keep moving forward. Next spring, before we set the pool up again, we’ll replace it with a larger one.
Enlarge
We put a small three foot wide plastic toddler pool in the hole on top if the green tarp.
We put a toddler’s plastic pool in the center of the hole and said, “The new pool’s ready!” to our kids; their reactions ranged from genuine concern to exaggerated eye-rolling, so I punched a new hole on my Dad Card®
Enlarge
The bright blue pool liner, unboxed and rolled out on the grass so that the sun can warm it up.
With the ground pretty much done, it was time to start building the (real) pool; the instructions suggested rolling it out and letting it warm up in the sun for a while to make it easier to work with, so that’s what we did.
Enlarge
The pool, now standing on its own thanks to the white frame and legs being inserted into its liner.
It was much easier than expected to set up its frame and legs; it probably took us ten minutes at most.
Enlarge
The assembled pool, now placed in the hole that we dug for it.
We carried it over to the hole and plopped it in, then realized the hole was just a little too small; a couple of the legs had to be angled inward and inch or two. That said, once it was filled with water, the liner bulged out and pinned the legs in position, so we didn’t bother to make any corrections. Next spring, before setting it up again, we’ll widen the hole a bit.
Enlarge
The filter-pump and all of its connections, set up and ready to be turned on once there’s water in the pool.
Setting up the connections, hoses, and the filter-pump was relatively easy.
Enlarge
Sharon and two of the boys, in the pool, carefully walking around as it fills up with water.
The instructions suggest walking around in the pool and nudging the liner’s floor outward with your feet as it fills up with water; it worked, because there are no annoying wrinkles.
Enlarge
The pool, with about a foot of water in it, and all five feet of our eight year old who’s already in a bathing suit.
All three boys got their bathing suits on and hopped in … but it was cold. Only the oldest boy stuck with it for more than 10 minutes because, well, he’s part fish.
Enlarge
The pool, full of water for the very first time.
Three and a half hours and 1,720 gallons later, it was full…
Enlarge
All three boys splashing around in the completed pool, looking so incredibly happy.
…so the boys jumped back in and had the time of their lives.
Enlarge
Off to the side of the pool, a large pile of dirt and rocks that came from digging the pool’s hole.
All that remains is getting rid of this pile of dirt and rocks.
Enlarge

It’s been about a month since we set the pool up and there are a few things we’ve learned along the way, and plenty of things we still need to figure out:

Also, the chemicals … ugh, we’re still figuring that out, too. For example:

The instructions on these things are very hand-wavy with specifics—just like the pump’s manual, it all depends on weather, usage level, etc. So, we picked up a water testing kit and our first test showed that our water was a little too acidic; a quick search told us we could add baking soda to move the needle closer to alkaline, so that’s what we did and a few hours later the water looked much better.