Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Exciting News About Our Stock Tank Pool


It has finally hit 100 degrees here in our part of Texas. 
Our little stock tank pool from Tractor Supply is just the ticket for keeping cool.


I linked it to my Home talk profile last summer. 
They posted it to Pinterest. 
I've answered a lot of questions on Hometalk but I thought I'd answer some of them here. 
Then, I have some fun news to share with you. 


1. How does it stay clean? Arlington water is pretty high in chlorine. It keeps the water just fine to the extent that we have never had to put any chemicals in the pool.
We do have a little pump. 
It is the Intex, Krystal Clear Pump, model 603. 
It is currently $65.00. The pump from last year didn't survive the winter. We got ours at the pool supply store.
The hoses are just flopped over the side. The ends thread through the hole in half of a cinder block so they don't flop out of the pool. 



Last year the pool got a little gross two times. 
We drained it and refilled it. 
There are trees beneath the pool area in the lower level of the yard. The water drains into the trees and shrubs. I used a bucket to water flowers in the yard. We were in a pretty severe drought last summer and I didn't want any water to go to waste. 


2. How do you drain the pool? There is a plug that comes with the stock tank but Bill took that out and installed little spigot. 




3. How does the water stay cool? This summer hasn't been as hot as last summer. I think that yesterday was the hottest day so far. 
The metal conducts the cold and heat. 
The pool is not in the sun therefore it isn't getting hot during the day. In fact, I'm a little frustrated because I like the temperature to be around 85 degrees and it can't seem to get there. 
We have had rain which cools it down as well. 



4. Does the metal side get hot? It was a little warm to the touch last August in direct sunlight but a dribble of water cooled it down.
I would recommend running the hose over the sides if your pool has to be in the sun.


5. Is it slippery? No. I am not the most graceful dancer in the troupe and I have not had any problems. Rubber door mats lining the bottom would be a good idea if you are worried about slipping. I would do this if we had children in the pool. 





6. Why did you choose decomposed granite for the surround? No reason except that it is affordable and Bill loves it. It coordinates with the other surfaces in the yard. Quite a bit of it got in the pool last year. This year it has compacted and hardly anything is getting in the pool.



7. Where did you steal the park store sign? We did not steal the sign. It did come from one of the Texas state parks but we got it at the Old Home Supply in Fort Worth. 
It's a fabulous architectural salvage store. 
The sign was only $25.00. 
I love this sign. It reminds me of camping with my family.
Some of the state parks flooded this spring. 
There may be more signs of this nature on the market.

8. How many people can fit in it? I think 4 could sit comfortably. Two of us have ample room. One person can float with creative use of pool noodles, one across the shoulders and one under the knees. 
No, we can't swim. I wish our yard was a little more level so we could have gotten the 8 foot pool. 
They are only $329.00 at Tractor Supply. 




  8. What do your friends think of your pool? I really thought that everyone thought I'd lost my mind except for my new friend. He loves it!



I don't know how he can squeeze himself under there but he pops his head out almost every day. He's a plump fellow.
 Bill thought I was a little out of my mind when I asked if we could get a stock tank but he agreed to give it a try. 
It was cheaper than a lap pool or a hot tub. 

 

 I was a little shy about telling people that we had done this. I was equally shy about revealing it on the blog but I uploaded the post.




The other day a friend of mine texted me and said congrats on the magazine feature. 
I had no idea what she was talking about. 
She said that she had been reading the new Aug./Sept. Mary Jane's Farm Magazine with an article about outdoor galvanized bathtubs. 
She was a little surprised to see our names.


They summarized my blog post in a well written article.  They wrapped it up by saying that I am a "trailblazer" and that our stock tank pool is "farm girl fabulous".
I'm thrilled and a little chagrined
I thought this idea was so out there that I was a little embarrassed to even let anybody know about it. 
The magazine is available at Barnes and Noble and grocery stores that carry magazines about organic gardening. 
It should be out today.  




Have a great day. 
It's going to be a hot one, so you know where I will be.
Doesn't the shed look great?
Katie   

Linking with,
A Stroll Thru Life   
Savvy Southern Style 
The Essence of Home  
Fridays Unfolded Link Party   
Lehman Lane

27 comments :

  1. Almost bought a copy of that magazine at Stonebrier Mall in Frisco yesterday. If I'd known you were in it, I would've bought it. It's a hot one today here in our area of Texas. This is when I wish I was still in coastal California.

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  2. I absolutely want one so bad, this is just amazing. I love it

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  3. How cool!! I think I told you that my girlfriend did the same thing when our kids were little. It lasted for years upon years. Don't be embarrassed - be proud!!

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  4. I love your stock pool Katie. I remember when you put it in last year. Love your little frog friend is loving the coolness under the pool. On a hot day I bet it feels wonderful. Happy Summer Pool time!
    Kris

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  5. Congrats on the article, Katie! You are going to start a trend, just wait and see. I love your pool. I have a perfect spot for it in my backyard - who knows? Maybe I'll get one!

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  6. Congratulations, Katie!!! I remember being entertained last year when you revealed your stock tank pool. You've landscaped and accessorized the area into a picture perfect setting, and I love the red barn shed!

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  7. Kudos to you for starting a new trend! Thinking outside the box and what is considered "the norm" is amazing and what America is all about. Great job all around!
    Nancy
    wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com

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  8. Perfect, how smart you are. this is just adorable and not much work. We had a pool at our previous home, and I would never do it again. It involved "full time" maintenance. Congrats on your article, I'll have to look for it!

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  9. Congratulations on the magazine! I have never heard of one of these pools until now and I think it's much more
    sensible than a pool especially for 2 people. You can lay in the pool and enjoy your pretty shed! Wonderful post :)

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  10. I actually think there’s nothing to be shy about this, since this is a pretty great idea. Who would’ve thought that stock tanks could serve as a pool? Haha! Thanks for sharing this with us, Katie. Have a great day!


    Bert Aguilar @ Rain Fill Tanks

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  11. Your pool matches your backyard decor, love it!

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  12. Loving your pool- making our own but having some problems with the filter. We purchased one for 800 gal (our pool is 700 gal) and also just "hung" the hoses over the sides like you did (didn't want to put holes in the stock tank)... but the filter is just not pumping water through it. Which one do you use, exactly? Can't wait to get this up and running!
    Thanks!!

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    Replies
    1. i hung the hoses on mine over the sides as well but it wont pump water either did you get your problem fixed Katie?

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  13. LOL that is WONDERFUL that it was featured and I am laughing because when my kids were little, I'd put on a bathing suit and shorts, get into their baby pool ( about half the size of your little pool ) to get wet, then I'd go about weeding or grass mowing or what-have-you, then rinse and repeat to survive the hot and humid days :)

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  14. I just love this Katie and I think there's going to be a huge rush to buy these pretty soon ( you should have bought stocks in them when you came up with your brainstorm !!! )
    Congratulation !!!
    Hugs,

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  15. I just love this Katie and I think there's going to be a huge rush to buy these pretty soon ( you should have bought stocks in them when you came up with your brainstorm !!! )
    Congratulation !!!
    Hugs,

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  16. Katie, I think your little pool fantastic!!! Congrats on being featured. I think farm girl fabulous is the perfect way to describe it!!! I may have to look into getting a bigger version here (def cheaper than our pool membership:). I would love if you could share this tonight at 7 CST at the link party I share with some of my blogging friends! Have a great rest of your week and take care!

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  17. I love your pool! We live in the country and several times have filled our extra 8 foot stock tank just for us. We laughed about what others would think if they were to see us, but after cooling off after an afternoon of yard work on a 100+F summer day in Texas, and we didn't care! LOL! Your pool is lovely!

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  18. I've got one of these pools, and it has been one of the best investments for the garden that I ever made. I made a mistake with positioning and put it in direct sunlight. The best way to use this pool is to put it in the shade so that it just warms up and doesn't get too hot. It fits four people comfortably and is bigger than it looks in the picture.

    Stella Hammond @ Palm City Pools

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  19. any ideas on paint or something to coat the bottom or interior with for kids? We are moving and this is going to be one of the surprises for our girls. Can't wait since summer is almost here in Central Texas and they are going to have a blast!

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  20. Hi,

    Does that specific filter pump work with the hoses just flopped over like that? Does it suck water out of your tank?

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    1. this is a year late, but the pump i used, intec, it needed to be attached to the spout near the bottom of the tank. most pumps can not suck the water out, it needs gravity

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  21. An excellent way to cool off! Hmm, may have to explore that idea. My SIL's best friend lives in Arlington. My daughter and SIL live in McKinney.

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  22. Just installed our stock tank pool last weekend. We were able to get the 8' and we love it! Nice quiet peaceful evenings in the yard enjoying the southern sunset. I appreciate the information given in your post regarding filtering and keeping the water clean.

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  23. this is so cool! I moved to North Dallas last summer and we don't have a pool, and neither does our HOA! :( I love this idea, but so far haven't been able to sell my husband on it. I'll keep trying... :D

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  24. Explore POOLCENTER .com's board "Pool Patio Furniture" on ... Swimming PoolShade for pools of all sizes, from backyard pools to large ... outdoor furniture swimming pool

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  25. Congratulations on being featured in Mary Jane magazine!!! Your stock tank pool is pretty unique. :) Before our built-in pool, we had a Dough Boy pool and burned out the pump that came with it, so if yours ever goes, we ended up with one that was about $249 that worked great and was like a mini big pool pump. Sold it and got our money back when we put in the big pool, so it was a good investment!

    Happy summer!
    Barb :)

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