We just recently purchased a small Intex blow up pool...it's about 8 feet around and about 2 1/2 ft high. My question for moms...does anyone have one this small and do we need chemicals, salt or is it good by itself. the instruction don't say anything - and I'm afraid if i go to a pool store - they will have me buying a lot of unnecessary items.
Hi S.!
We have had the same pool for about three years now. We usually pour a cup or two of laundry bleach into the pool with the little pump running every day. Usually, we have to drain and scrub it once or twice during the summer if we get a lot of rain and it turns green.
We had an intex pool for a few years and ours did turn green from not using enough chlorine,so I ended up buying one of the chlorine floaters and a small container of chlorine tablets and I never had a problem again.
We had the same issue, and to make a long story short, yes, you need chemicals. We bought a 10x30 pool by Intex. We use chlorine and this stuff called Shock. We also use test strips to make sure all is balanced. That's too much water to be dumping and refilling-as well as it would be wasteful with that many gallons!
Since it is an inflatable, chemicals are not suggested. You would want to empty it every few days. If you plan on keeping it up, a friend of mine puts a capful of chlorine bleach in hers overnight every few days.
You are also going to want to keep it covered when not in use so that it doesn't breed mosquitoes. Mosquito larva don't seem to mind chlorine.
For smaller pools the hottub floats work well.
For larger filtered pools (intex inflatable) we just buy pool chemicals (because they're cheaper). Out 4'x15' pool has lasted 3 years so far.
For either, test strips cost $5 and will keep the chems at the right level. Or rather, let you know the right level to keep them at.
if it has a filtering system with it you need chemicals.
