Anyone want to discuss kiddie pools?

[livinlovinlaughin]

I am not sure if this is the right place for this. I apologize in advance for that.

This is our first summer owning a blowup pool. It is one of the rectangle ones with 3 rings to inflate. We use the air compressor to make easy work of setup. I find that we have to strategically place the pool in the most level area possible which is a challange in our yard. If the pool is the least bit unlevel, the water makes the sides bow. My main complaint is that this pool has no drain plug We have to deflate it to drain it. I did not think this would be a big deal at first. I would prefer to attach a hose to the drain (if there were one) and run the water to the garden. The major problem with this is that I would like to clean the pool while inflated before storing it for the next use AND let it dry out! The only solution I think of is to inflate the pool after it is drained before deflating it again to put it away. What a pain! Any ideas? Another question I have is about keeping the water clean. Any ideas on how to keep the water clean over a couple days? It seems that the water and pool get a little slimy by the next day, I assume this is from sunscreen. I read somewhere about putting a couple drops of grape seed extract in the water. I don't really know what this would do. How do you all accomplish setup, caring for and take down of kiddie pools. I know it shouldn't be hard but there seems to be a science. All I am asking for is a nice safe cool place for the family to play together. Maybe some others would like to discuss  the "kiddie pool"

[LaughingHyena]

Our is only a little pool and we generally don't fill it that far, it gets pretty grim after an afternoon of the kids getting in and out. I don't think I would want to reuse the water next day.

I usually bail out the water with a bucket and use it to water the plants. If the plants can't cope with a bucket load then I'll pour it into the watering can. I can usually get it empty enough just to tip the last bit out, then stick the pool upside down to dry out. If I;m organised and do this early in the evening then, a the kids will do most of the emptying for me and b the pool has time to dry out enough that I can put it away before bed. Or course I'm not usually that organised.

It does have a drain in the bottom but I've never managed to use it without getting my feet wet when the water pours out.

I have seen pumps designed to go in a water butt to put collected water through a hose. Maybe something like that would work for a larger pool

[karne]

Are you using a filter and pool chemicals?  I know there is also a salt water system, but we don't have that ourselves.  Our water would not be Ok to swim in if we didn't filter and treat.  Draining and re-filling isn't an option for us as we're on a well, and I don't want to stress our aging pump.

[dbsam]

We use the blow-up type pools - less than two feet deep...is this what you are talking about?  Our current pool is 10'x6'x2' but we have used slightly smaller pools in the past.

I usually set it up on the deck instead of the yard.  It is level, less grass gets in the water, it is easy for me to watch them, and they can step out and sit and snack at a table.  Sometimes we set it up on the yard at the base of the slide.  If there are a lot of kids over, we put it in the yard.

We do not use the water more than one day.

I do not let the pool dump off the deck because there is too much water that runs under the deck or onto the landscaping all at once.  We have a small pump (like a sump pump) and we put it into the pool with a hose attached.  We use the hose/pump to water whatever needs watering.  We've been using the same pump for years so it comes in handy.  Before we had the pump, we siphoned the water with a hose and gravity to water the grass or plants.

If the pool needs to be deflated to drain, I do not re-inflate to dry.  I drape it over the playset or fence to dry.  It dries before nightfall and can be put away.  If it is late we hang it in the garage to dry.  We've had pools in the past that can be emptied while inflated.  For those, I left them inflated and my husband put up a bracket in the garage.  The pool can be hung inflated to dry and to be stored until used again.

[Baby_Cakes]

Hmm.  We have a blow up pool and fill it when we want to use it.  I keep it inflated, but off to the side of yard, on its side.  If weather is bad, it gets thrown in the garage.  I would never try to save the water for a few days.  Once we are done with it for the day, I step on the sides and let most of the water run out, and then either myself or DH will pick it up and dump the rest.  It waters the grass, lol!

If the pool looks a little slimy on the bottom, we just take some Simple Green and a scrub brush and give it a good once over before filling it.

The biggest challenge we have is getting the water warm enough to swim!  If we fill it and get it out in the sun by noon or so, it might be tolerable by 3 or 4 pm.  Not much time to splash at all!  But before noon, we don't have direct sun in our backyard.  

[dbsam]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes 

The biggest challenge we have is getting the water warm enough to swim!  If we fill it and get it out in the sun by noon or so, it might be tolerable by 3 or 4 pm.  Not much time to splash at all!  But before noon, we don't have direct sun in our backyard.  

My kids are a little spoiled...we have hot and cold spigots in the garage hooked to the hose so we fill our pool with warm water!  I thought my husband was crazy years ago when he ran the hot water spigot (he liked warm water to wash the cars) but it has come in handy for washing the cars, the dogs and filling the pool.
 

[livinlovinlaughin]

I had no idea so many people fill these pools eash day for use. I have to say that I am so proud of myself for figuring out how to siphon the water successfully to the garden from the pool with an extra garden hose we have Yay!. Now that I ahve figured this out I will start filling the pool each time we use it too.

(The pool we have is a small kid rectangle inflatable. I don't know the size.)

[CariOfOz]

We used to have one of that type but have graduated up to the 'easy set' pools now.  We have an 8foot one, and it has the inflatable top ring and the sides are self supporting once you get enough water in it.  We actually found it was worth it financially to run a pool filter for ours (water is pricey here in Australia! and you get 'dinged' if you use too much).  The same company that makes the pool, makes a filter to go with it (the 8+ ft pools have the connectors to attach the pump hoses to).  Ours was about 70bucks  I think (bt things are $ here)  and if we ran the filter a few hours a day, AND if we put the cover on when not in use, we could keep the water clean enough to last for weeks on end.   We also picked up some sort of 'eco' algaecide  and put a teeny bit in once a month or so?