Advice on Metal Frame Easy-set pool?

[CarlD]

I can appreciate you wanting to get your feet wet before jumping into a major purchase. However buying cheaper pools usually results in more equipment and break fix maintanance. These pools tend to come with very cheap accessories and pump/filter equipment.

I have to take GREAT issue and umbrage at this statement. I personally think it is BS (Barnyard Slush, as Ben calls it).

We bought a 15x3' EasySet inflatable donut and used it with great pleasure for 3 seasons. Without investing thousands of dollars I was able to find out how and if I could handle pool maintenance. Sure, the filter is cheap and barely adequate. Sure, I had to replace the hoses every year (wow, 18 bucks a year--shameful). But if you make a mistake you can DRAIN AND REFILL easily--and I did. By the third season, having found this site, I had no problems at all--and I DID invest in Ben's PS-232 version of his test kit. Even on the little cheapie pool it was worth every penny.

We never planned to have the donut as our final solution, but to learn about pools. After you put in a $50,000 I/G is a lousy time to find out you hate or cannot manage pool maintenance. Some A/Gs get very pricey as well (Like FantaSea--mine, or Splash or Kayak). For another $100 I added a 10'x4' solar panel (including plumbing) and turned it into the biggest back-yard hot tub you ever saw!

Any pool regardless of size will require:
1. Perfectly level ground for installation
2. Regular water chemistry adjustments on a daily sometimes weekly basis
3. Filter and Pump maintenance
4. Frequent Pool cleanup tasks
5. Never ending list of accessories, chemicals and toys to buy

This is right-on! Your level surface is the MOST crucial element. Without it, you WILL have problems. It may cost you a few hundred or more but you have NO CHOICE--a pool--especiallly a ground-standing pool, MUST be level. Each cubic foot of water weighs 62 or 68 lbs (I forgot which). At 62 lbs/sq foot a 20,000 gallon pool has 165,775 LBS of water--that's 82 tons. At 68 lbs/sq foot it's 90 tons! A level surface is crucial.

Most of my neighbors with the Walmart pools throw them away after the 1st year. I don't know about the Easy Set Pools.

They clearly haven't read the info on this site, and they certainly haven't applied it.

When we decided to go for a big pool, I had FULL confidence in being able to handle it, handle solar heating and look FORWARD to opening for the season, rather than dreading it. As I plan for our 4th season with our big pool, I again can barely wait to get it going, fire up the solar panels and get in with my kids! The EasySet donut doesn't owe us a dime!