The sizes of the two pools are comparable; the Summer Waves pool is only 3 inches deeper. At under $200, this above-ground pool is a steal, and it can often be found at a discount. The construction is solid, and the pump system works like a charm to combat the dirt, grime, and gunk that comes with having kids jump in and out of a pool. The flat surface we found intex baby float in our yard was pretty far from the side of our house, but we were able to connect the pool pump to a power source via an extension cord. As for water, we had to run a hose from a spigot on a second-story patio down to the pool. It took between six and eight hours to fill the pool to the fill line, which is about 90 percent of the 1,718-gallon capacity.
I also cannot stress enough that Intex metal-frame pools must be set-up on ground that is extremely level and that attaining this may require extra work and costs. To test the pool’s resilience, we let a line of rambunctious kids hop in and out and back in again, day after day. A 70-pound child who wasn’t quite tall enough to step over the side to get into the water kept hurling herself up and over, often catching a piece of the frame on her foot. She even bounced while sitting on the side at one point—which, looking back was perhaps not the safest move, and we wouldn’t recommend—but still, she didn’t warp or damage any of the pieces. Intended to be assembled and then maintained in place for extended periods of time, Intex metal-frame pools lend themselves to the concept that you can obtain the benefits of an installed swimming pool without the pricey expense of one.
A pool ring inflated on a hot summer day may also cause the ring to appear deflated in the evening because the air inside the ring is at a lower pressure than the ambient air when the temperature drops. Some customers complain that the Easy Set pools develop a slimy film on the underside of the inflated ring and that the overall diameter of the pool is less than stated on the packaging . A day trip to the water park with a couple intex baby float of kids in tow can easily top $100, so we love that you can buy the Intex 12ft x 30in Metal Frame Pool Set and get a summer’s worth of entertainment for around the same price. This durable above-ground pool is a solid investment, especially if you’re looking for ways to coax the kids into being active under the summer sun. I agree, Jen- we actually looked at a solar heater , but the cheapest system cost more than the pool…
The same goes for the liner—we needed one person to hold the heavy-duty pool liner up while the other person slid the metal beams through the liner sleeves. As expected given the minimal amount of parts in the box, setup was essentially snap-and-go. All it took was two people, some patience, and some elbow grease—we didn’t even need the DVD to get intex baby float the frame built. I spent the first hours that the kids were in the pool, yelling at them not to bump into the pool walls or create too many waves; I was sure it was going to explode and wash them out into the yard. This 12-foot by 30-inch round Intex pool was the perfect fit for this family. Owning a swimming pool has always been a dream of mine.
Once the ground is leveled, it is wise to lay a weed-preventing cloth over the dirt. This will prevent any grass from growing into the pool liner. Some types of grass (specifically, St. Augustine and Bermuda) have been known to puncture the pool liners of Intex pools. The Easy Set pools come in sizes ranging from 8′ across x 30″ deep to a rather large 18′ across x 48″ deep. These pools require an absolutely level surface prior to set up, or the pool may collapse and cause injury or property damage. The Easy-Set pools may also fail due to a puncture of the top inflatable ring.
This pool arrived on our doorstep in one large box, which contained everything we needed to get started. The box contained a pump, the laminated sidewalls, a DVD with video instructions, a couple of odds and ends to help hold the frame together, and the pieces to build the hard plastic and metal frame. “Ready for water in just 30 minutes” the Intex website claims and although this seems like a bit of a reach for two novices , once we got a good look at the box’s simple contents the idea didn’t seem that far-fetched. Requiring zero tools, we followed the instructions to snap the pieces together, twist in the two filter pieces, push in the drain plug, and in under 20-minutes we had ourselves an 11-foot pool.