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View Full Version : Proper draining and storage of 16' AG Intex Pool



bam_man13
09-29-2007, 03:25 PM
I have read where some owners have left their Intex Metal Frame AG pools up over the winter but where I live (Central PA) that doesn't seem like a good idea.
Gets pretty cold and snowy/icy over winter months...

I do not have a sump to speed things along at this time so just using the drain plug with garden hose supplied by intex kit. (very slow going)

Anyone that can share their success at storing one of these guys so that it doesn't get ruined?

Thanks a bunch.
Brian

thebumble
10-01-2007, 09:23 AM
I live in Central NJ and we've left our 18' Intex Metal Frame pool up all last winter. It was fine! We drained below the filter holes, left the plunger valves on in the closed position, cleaned the filter and hoses and stored them in the basement. We put a mesh cover on with the air pillow in the center of the pool under the cover. The water did freeze, but the frame held up fine.

If you do plan to take it down, I would hose it all off, dry it and pack it up for the winter. Just clean out the filter and hoses before you put them away.

The pool will/should hold up in the snow and ice if you cover it properly and put the air pillow in the center to evenly distribute the snow/ice around the pool instead of in the center.

:) I hope this helps!

CarlD
10-01-2007, 11:19 AM
We had a donut and I took it down every year. I'd wash both sides of the pool with a chlorine solution (especially the outside) rinse and dry it, then fold it up for the winter and store it.

Are they cheap enough so if it collapses you don't mind replacing it? Up to you!

bam_man13
10-02-2007, 02:48 PM
Thank you for the responses.

In the grand scheme of things 300 bucks for a new one with all the gear is not horrible... however I purchased it with the intent to use it at least 3 seasons as I've heard other owners claim to do without a problem.

I made some mistakes last year and ended up with many 1/2 inch holes all over the liner and ended up just buying a whole new pool set this past year. Hoping not to have the same results this time round.

I believe my mistakes were:


Put it away myself
When drying, hung pool over fence
Folded up as smoothly as I could but nothing like it was when brand new
Stored in garage (un-heated) which may have helped make vinyl more brittle which turned small creases into small holes in liner


The pool is almost drained completely, took 3 days, going to clean inside/out with fresh water, pump out remaining water and let pool sit empty till it's dry as possible. Then will carefully fold where pool sits now and then put right back into the box it was bought in. Down in the basement it goes till next season.

NWMNMom
10-05-2007, 10:35 PM
We always cleaned ours with bleach inside and out, dried, folded in sides and rolled up. We stored it in an empty sealed grain bin for the winter so no mice, but it was never heated and our temps do get down to 35 below. We never had holes or cracks. I would say that putting it over the fence was your culprit, not the cold, or that you maybe didn't get it completely dry first.