Major Difficulties with Intex Ultra Frame

[razzarez]

Hello!

I hope that I am able to provide enough information to get an answer to my questions, and someone can offer suggestions on what I need to do.

First, my pool. My pool is an Intex Ultra Frame round pool 16*48. It is approximately 1 year old. Purchased May 2010, set up June 2010. Ground was leveled the absolute best we could, but given our yard, we would need to have a contractor come out to do serious work, which was just extremely costly at the time (Three different contractors wanted between $1500-$2000 to do the work, just leveling the ground). Pool is approximately 90% level if I had to guess? I can take pictures if that would help?

Second, my issues. I cannot get this pool clean! I have taken water samples to the local pool center once per week and follow their exact directions. It's not working. They print out what I need to do, and I follow. The water is nasty green, although considerably better, but still, last year it was perfect! My pool also looks like it's stressed, and just not set up right. That would probably be something that pictures can show. Of course, it may related to my inability to have the ground 100% level.

I'm at the point where I want to drain the pool, and start over. Scrub the insides down good, and try to relevel it a little bit. However, everything I have read states that it is not recommended for this pool. So I guess I have no choices, but I don't know what I need to do.

Please, keep in mind, I live in a very, very rural area. It's 1.5 hours to the closest pool supply place, but I can get some stuff at Walmart 45 miles away.

I have even considered taking the pool down and getting a membership to the local country club. As much as I have spent on this pool in the past two months, I could have paid for two memberships. The convenience of having a pool in our backyard is just so much nicer!

Thank you very much, and if I need to provide more information, please let me know!

[Watermom]

Hi and welcome!

I am not a pool installer and cannot comment on the lack of being level bit of your post, but maybe someone else will be able to. It might be a good idea to send some pictures for someone here to take a look at. You can send them to poolforum AT gmail DOT com. Reference the URL of this thread in your email.

Before having you spend money trying to clear up the pool, let's wait and see what the verdict is on how out of level your pool actually is. (If they can tell from pictures that is.) Then, we can talk about pool chemistry with you. In the meantime, do a lot of reading on the forum and also at our sister website www.poolsolutions.com.

If you don't have a good test kit, that is something you can go ahead and be getting. The one we recommend is the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C (same kit, larger bottle of some reagents). If you buy it through the Amazon link in my signature, the Pool Forum makes a little money on the sale which helps us keep this form online. Only buy if the seller is Amato Industries, however. Some other sellers are substituting the K-2005 which you do NOT want.

Again, welcome. Glad you found us!

[razzarez]

I will get pictures first thing in the morning and send them to that email address. Thank you.

I am off to check out the testing kits. I actually read that in the FAQ section (before it wouldn't let me get anywhere else, I had to log back out to read) and made a note. I'll definitely buy to earn a little bit of money for y'all!

[PoolDoc]

Hi Razz;

You could drain it, but you probably want to have a plan in place, and the tools (kit, chems) ready before you do.

It's not too hard to run an Intex pool, but with their tiny filters they are unforgiving of neglect or errors.

On your next run to Walmart, get 10 gallons of plain 6% household bleach, 4 boxes of borax, a 2# (approx) container of stablizer, a cheap OTO / phenol red testkit (you'll use this AND your Taylor), and a container of pH-Down (several pounds). You'll have to order a quart of polyquat and -- if you are filling from a well with metals -- a quart of "Jacks Magic" "Pink Stuff" online.

Also, you'll probably need 3" tabs and a floater. You can use the Walmart blended tabs -- just watch out for copper! -- but it would be better to have plain unmixed tabs, if you end up going that route.

With that stuff, and a Taylor kit, you should be fairly well positioned to either clean up your pool or start a refill. If your pool is not cloudy, I'd recommend staying with the water you've got. Test your pH and chlorine today, and post the results. But, we'll probably tell you to add a gallon of bleach late this evening -- within 2 hours of sunset, so it can work without being destroyed by sunlight.

[razzarez]

I will be going by Walmart actually today. I will pick up the stuff now. I do already have the bleach and I'm pretty sure the tabs I have are 3" and copper free. I will check that when I got out to take pictures of the pool in just a moment.

The Amato Industries did not have any of the kits in stock. I want to know if I need this kit right now, or can I wait a few weeks?

Thanks!

[CarlD]

You can order the K2006 from a lot of places, including Taylor Technology (for MSRP), it's just Amato via the link helps support the forum.
Alternatively you can go to Leslies On-Line and order their Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit, which is a re-badged K2006, at the K2006 MSRP.

If your pool is 10% out of level, that means it's almost 5" out of level...failure and collapse are likely if it's that much.

Carl

[razzarez]

I just took pictures and sent them to the email provided earlier. I tried to get accurate pictures of the actual water, but with the clouds it was not working right.

My water is low right now, and I haven't filled it, because I didn't know what the consensus would be on draining or etc. I didn't want to add water only to drain it later.

Hmm, not sure if it's 5" out of level as I am in no such way good with that kind of stuff, but I have provided pictures. I will state that the front of the pool (where the alligator is, sorry every time i tried to catch it, it moved!) has gradually sunk more and more. My thought is that if it is possible to drain this pool completely, clean it and try to re-level it, that we would definitely be in much better shape than we currently are. however, I do not know if this will be okay, considering that I have read otherwise. If I do go this route, I need to do it soon, as my "muscle" is leaving soon, and this is definitely not a project I can handle myself.

I must say, that I am not 100% thrilled with this pool frame. We had a very hard time putting it together, and it is something I don't want to do again. We are considering getting an above ground pool (not this kind, but the "real" ones) in the next 2-3 years. This was a means to keep the kids happy and give us time until we decided the logistics of the future pool.

[razzarez]

I am so sorry! I forgot to post my test results.

CL- didn't change color, clear.
PH 6.8 area says add soda ash.

Sorry I forgot to include this information.

[PoolDoc]

Here are your pics. I have to say, I've never seen pool water appear that way before, but I'll comment later.

#1
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TMAIGQenwMg/TgB2vlHYkiI/AAAAAAAAAQo/k-a1cCKSquc/s800/DSCN3276-ed.jpg

#2
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1MNKIjZDQ-Q/TgB2wVS5GYI/AAAAAAAAAQs/MpG5l36m1Ds/s800/DSCN3277-ed.jpg

#3
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N08VpJ2fV5Q/TgB2xe6YyeI/AAAAAAAAAQw/vF3k9aS6cPg/s800/DSCN3278-ed.jpg

#4
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QhnsVJLlXrI/TgB2x4ypXxI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/16Z_inoF5ok/s800/DSCN3280-ed.jpg

#5
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GA9Iuj8bYg4/TgB2y2hWkyI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/0AXj7SCk79I/s800/DSCN3282-ed.jpg

#6
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uhatOwKlpXU/TgB2zwWPwjI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/Kkvl7mkjPHA/s800/DSCN3284-ed.jpg

[PoolDoc]

Razz, looking at the pics, I think I'd recommend draining unless the water is a huge expense.

Also, it looks like the 'Ultra' Intex design is less tolerant of out of level settings, than the prior design. It appears to me that that's the source of your assembly problem.

If you decide to drain and refill, let me know, and I'll give you a recipe. But, first we need to know what you will fill with, and especially, whether it has metals (iron or manganese) in it.

[razzarez]

Thanks! Sorry it took me a while to get back to you, life...

I found out it will only be $50 to fill up the pool (well that's what our water bill was last time).

My issue is, what can I do to try to level this up? Do I get pavers and put it under the uneven legs? This pool is really hard to move and without hiring someone (which I cannot afford) we can't move it. I just don't know what to do.

At this point, I plan on drain and refill. We have city water. I do not know if it has metals. How would I find out?

Now I need to go figure out how to keep the water draining!

[razzarez]

I forgot to ask, is it possible to get the pictures removed? I'm a little leary after an incident a few years ago. Thanks!

[PoolDoc]

I will if you insist.

But then I have to kill the thread as well, because it makes no sense without the pictures. And, it's actually the people who read these threads and do NOT register or ask questions who support the site, via Google ads.

I will point out that they are not in any way associated with your 'real' identity -- it doesn't look like ( I checked ) you've used the user ID "razzerez" elsewhere on the internet; the pics are in MY account, not yours, so there is no connection there.

Bottom line, the only association between the photos and you - in your real life identity - is in my files, which are NOT accessible, even to the moderators. As long as you don't use the 'razz' user ID somewhere else that does connect with your actual ID, there will never be a connection..

Ben

[CarlD]

While I don't know THIS Intex pool, I am familiar with them somewhat. I agree with Ben. It's badly out of level due to an unlevel sight.

Your best bet is to empty the pool, disassemble the structure, and re-level the site. You probably should rent one of the gas-powered tamping machines to pound it down.

If you create a new, level "patio" for the pool out of patio blocks, I suggest you put a sheet of vinyl under the pool to prevent it damaging the liner. Intex used to sell such items, specifically for their pools.

Carl

[razzarez]

Thanks PoolDoc. I tried to privately send a message, but I am unable to figure out how. I wanted to explain a little more. Thank you, because I do feel more at ease now, and I appreciate that!

The pool is currently draining. We have approximately 6 inches of water remaining. I've removed all debris and started scrubbing the walls with a cobweb brush.

We have someone coming over to help us level it and they are bringing the Carl recommended.

What is going to be the proper procedure for refilling the pool? I had our water tested and there is no iron or magnese in the water, so we are okay with that. I have borax, clorox bleach and the other things suggested that I buy earlier in this thread.

I'm anxious for this to be done and get back into a nice clean pool. The kids are begging me to swim, but, well they have to wait!

Thanks so much!