Major Difficulties with Intex Ultra Frame

[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.