Right before Magnus turned two, we initiated the purchase of a pool for his gift. All purchasing links would be compiled at the end and all over the post for easy access.
We eventually went with the Intex Steel Pro that is 2.6m x 1.6m x 0.65m, not one of those inflatables as we wanted to be able to guide Magnus into learning how to swim and being comfortable in the water. There are about 4 configurations and we chose this one to fit the space that we are working with. We installed it towards the end of March 2021.
No sooner than the day that we put the pool up did we learn about a filter attachment called the Intex Krystal Clear. We did not immediately get one as it was still unclear to us how much mileage we we’re going to get out of the pool.
It turns out that the pool saw constant utilization from Magnus as he almost wanted to swim daily, in the first week even twice in one day. This meant that we needed to keep the pool clean and free from as much impurities as possible. Draining and refilling this takes quite a chunk of time and effort after all, not to mention the many gallons of water it requires everytime the pool needs to be drained and refilled.
How Magnus Used the Pool
We slowly introduced pool depth to him by filling it up just to his knees at first, we showed him how you could sit down and lie down on it and then gradually increased the height of the water letting him feel how much his mobility would be limited by water while it fills up. We think this approach somehow increased his comfort with the water even up until the pool was completely filled to its limit.
Part 1: The Pool Cover
Our first attempt at keeping the pool clean came in the form of a pool cover. We fashioned one from thin plastic material that we’re using for packaging and it somehow works but only against elements that would fall into the pool. We learned then that even with the cover, the water would present problems being kept static. This realization prompted us to get a hold of the Krystal Clear filter ASAP.
Part 2: The Krystal Clear Filter
We were lucky enough that a single unit had been delivered within a couple of days when we made the inquiry and we immediately made a bid to purchase it. What we didn’t know then was that there would be a filter cartridge that is “consumable”… more on this later. So we got the unit, installed it after watching some guides of it online… pretty simple and straightforward really, it’s the instructional booklet that would somehow make the process harder to understand. If you get one, the simplest thing to remember is this: high goes to low and vice versa.
Installing the Pool Filter
Whichever pool it may be, because this filter also supports Bestway pools also, it would have two holes that are different from the drain port. One of these would become the filter intake and the other one would push the water back into the closed system. Filter intake (lower pool hole) connects to the top hole on the filter unit and the water inlet (higher pool hole) connects to the bottom hole on the filter unit. Make absolutely sure that the rubber seals are not pushed out of place when you’re connecting the hose as pressure and efficiency would be affected. And that’s it, you’ll have a working filter.
Filter Issues
After just a few days of using the pool with the filter, we noticed a decline on the efficiency of the filter. We fiddled around with the pump with guidance from other people who have been using their own and it stabilized for a time. Not a long time passed and we we’re no longer seeing any activity from the filter; it was even turning of on its own and would need to cool down before turning on again… we almost sent it in for repair but we waited until we tried one last troubleshooting step which was to change the filter cartridge.
On the instruction booklet it states to use the filter pump until the desired water clarity is achieved… support however would tell you otherwise. You simply can’t run the filter for extended time periods.
Basic Filter Troubleshooting
1. Check if the filter cartridge is dirty and needs cleaning/replacement. It is recommended to CHANGE filters once a week! Just imagine the upkeep on that.
2. Make sure that all the rubber seals are in place and was not dislodged while the hoses are being installed.
3. Remove air from the system by venting it out of the small air release valve on the filter assembly. There shouldn’t be any bubbles on the hose to keep the flow smooth and consistent
Part 3: Introducing Chlorine into the Pool
Now this filter cartridge is not without cost and we needed to wait a bit until we got the one that we ordered. What we did during the interim was to integrate a chlorine solution into the pool to keep algae from forming. When your pool water is turning green that means algae is forming and we don’t want that. You should always be able to see the bottom of the pool, this is the clarity that you’re going for. If you try and search for the correct amount of chlorine to put into your pool, the recommendation would be to measure the alkalinity first before deciding. You do this with a PH Meter which we’ve not gotten yet.
We use a 1 TBSP chlorine granules to 4L of water solution from one of the sellers guides which seemed to work for the amount of water until it rained and the distribution was disturbed. I had wanted instead to purchase a pool ionizer so that I won’t need to do this periodically – we are still thinking about getting it at present time, that or the tablet type of chlorine dispensing so it won’t need additional processing.
Part 4: Replacing the Filter Cartridge
Eventually the filter cartridge replacement came in. We opted to try the foam type instead of the normal paper filter type primarily due to the fact that these are washable and reusable unlike the paper cartridges that needs to be replaced too often too quickly. We purchased two for good measure.
Nowadays the pool cover doesn’t see much use, during the mornings we just run a DIY strainer through the surface of the water to get rid of any large particles or debris that might have fallen onto the top of the pool, everything else should get taken care of by the filter.
We do the chlorination cycle once every week and we turn on the filter for about two hours in the day and a couple more hours in the afternoon, or whenever Magnus wants to swim as the water jet adds to the interesting things he can do while submerged – that along with floaters and water scoopers. In order to extend its use when the sun is at its peak, we’re likely going to get a shading device as well.
Maintaining this moderately sized pool needs an entire system around it to keep it nice and ready for use. We’ve not even arrived to the point of using a meter to check the water PH values itself which is how you would know how much chlorine you’d need to put in and what treatment to take.
Our ideal setup would be a pool ionizer, and tablet type chlorine, along with the filter… we’ll revisit it again when the chlorine runs out.
There’s little information around that compiles these house pool considerations and so here we are after all the testing and routine establishment. Hope this helps especially when you’re thinking of cooling down this summer and beyond towards all the other summers.
Pool – Intex Steel Pro – Ours is the 2.6 x 1.6 x 0.65 variant
Filter – Intex Krystal Clear Water Pump
Foam Filter Cartridge Replacement – Intex Type A
Paper Filter Cartridge Replacement – Intex Type A
Chlorine
PH Meter
Tablet Dispensed Type
Pool Ionizer
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