Inflatable vs. Metal Frame

[BlueBlobTX]

I don't have experience with the metal frame... we have an 18' x 48" intex easy set. This is our 2nd year with the pool and we've had no problems and absolutely love it. I believe several years ago there were problems with seams bursting and inadequate pumps. I think all of that has been resolved. For the price (and they should be going on sale by now), you get a lot of stuff. The 18' pools usually come with the cover, ladder, pump, filter, skimmer, and a cleaning kit that includes a vacuum that hooks to the skimmer. Ours last year also came with a sprayer head to go on the return which is great for aerating when you need to drop the alk or cool the water down. You will need a level site, but that's necessary for any pool holding that much water (5500 gallons). My cat jumps on the ring as well as racoons in the night and I've never had a leak. We even left it up through the winter with no problems (but it doesn't freeze much in our area).

The kids need to be taught to respect the pool and its limits. I'd say big kids playing too rough would be the biggest risk pool failure, and that would probably apply to the metal frame pool as well. That water weighs a lot and has a lot of force.

This pool has been a great learning experience for me. I found this forum before we filled it and have followed the methods here with perfect results. We'll be ready for a bigger, more permanent pool in the next year or so and I'm confident I can maintain it well from what I've learned here. If the Intex had only been good for one season, it was worth it. We've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it, with a very small investment. In my opinion, its a great starter pool.

Sidenote: These pools are literally "popping up" all over the place here in S. Texas. I've told my DH that we need to figure out a good use for all the pools that will be discarded in the next few years. We have a large, leaky stock-pond on our place and I'm thinking of lining it with cut up Intex pools. DH thinks I'm nuts...

Lori

[gpshemi]

Hey playing devils advacate here, but I will say that if you're at all on the fence about a pool, it's a great learning experience and you're not out much if you decide to hang it up.....

gpshemi

[amyinraleigh]

We dug ours on one side and built up the other too! Has worked just fine, also ended up using a laser level and double checking with a water level - there's a great thread with great tips and help from wonderful people here on my whole leveling experience. We used those edging blocks you see everywhere to hold in the built-up side. I can take a pic too if you want.

Amy

D1Dave - ours ended up settling with about a 3/4" difference too!

[Styx555]

Amy, pictures would be great.

thanks

[Mom2Czars]

We started out years ago with one of those 10x6 foot rectangular blow up pools...graduated to the 12' foot Intex, then the 14'. We only ditched the 12 footer because we had a leak in the donut ring that we couldn't be bothered to find, and the prices on them were dropping rapidly at that point. We used our 14' Intex for a couple years with great results. It came with a slightly better pump/filter that always worked well, and I figured out how to rig a more 'real' vacuum with some left over hose and the return basket cover. I'd say it was well worth what we paid for it, but my kids just outgrew it. It's a great way to learn how to deal with pool chemistry while having a great place to splash around.

I will say though that our site wasn't perfectly level and our pool did take on a more oval shape as a result. Because of that I tended not to keep it at full fill level, so I didn't overtax the walls. It never did fail though.

[Karen_in_TN]

We've had both the inflatable ring and metal frame pools. We liked the metal frame pool better. The kids could hang on the sides and not cause a flood. LOL The Metal frame definately felt sturdier. We would still be using the metal frame pool if we hadn't moved to where we could install a AG pool. They are a good pool to figure out if you want to go through the expense of a larger pool. Here's a link to a couple of pics of the ones we had.

http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/A...28/t_=35664128

http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/A...28/t_=35664128

[ssweaser]

I've owned both types, too. I prefer the metal frame pool over the blow up one for several reasons.

1. You have a little more swim area in the frame pool since the sides install straight up instead of at an angle.

2. It's easier to clean also due to the straight sides.

3. The skimmer stays in place, unlike the one on the blow up pool.

I had my blow up pool up for 2 going on 3 seasons here in TX. The cover would not stay on at all. The ring kept losing air and the skimmer kept popping out of the water.

This is my first winter with the metal frame pool. We'll see how it goes with the cover. I don't plan to take the pool down over the winter.