Hello there! Found your forum via post link from Waterbear on Pool & Spa Forum. He has helped me immensely with hot water chemistry, and now you've helped me with the simple Intex care plan!

We had a larger Intex pool the past couple of years, and I swore I was never going to have another. Not because I don't like the Intex name; but because of the hard work (and money) I put into balancing the water only to have an imbalance that drove me NUTS!! I grew more and more frustrated as I dumped various "recommended" products into my pool and saw that they did nothing to solve the problem(s). Oh, what headaches I would have avoided had I known about this forum!

Being that the heat is so bad this year, and I hate being stuck inside the house, I broke down and purchased another pool. Very small, but just the right size in my mind -- less water, less to maintain. Of course, it was only after I had set up and filled my pool (with city water ... whew!) that I saw your Simple Intex Pool Recipe! So, along with vacuuming and regular filter rinsing, this is what I've done for the last two weeks since the pool has been up:

1) Dichlor granules (mixed with water before adding to pool) on a nightly basis
2) Testing chlorine and pH in a.m.; adjusting chlorine (pH has been stable)
3) Added the trichlor tabs in floater today, because I just cannot seem to keep chlorine levels stable
4) Purchased a GOOD pump filter ... I cannot believe the difference that makes in water clarity. PLUS the better filters do not cost much more than the "cheap" filters.

Hopefully the trichlor will help stabilize the chlorine (for at least a day or two!) and won't drive the pH down too fast. I will keep my eye on it and add borax if need be. Any other tips or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thank you again for your wonderful forum!