Saturday, July 7, 2018

The Pool Is Turning 4!

It is hot, hot, hot! 
I cool off in our stock tank pool from Tractor Supply.
I was in danger of leaving my husband for cooler climates during the summer.
This northerner cannot take the summer heat.
We had the hottest June! The temps have lowered a bit now that we are into July but it was a scorcher there for a while.

In February of 2014, I started researching pool ideas.
I'd love a spool but they are nearly as expensive as a pool. Our yard is not pool friendly.
I began searching the internet for anything that would hold water.
I stumbled upon a few pins featuring stock tanks.
We went and looked at Tractor Supply.


We had our yard guy build a base with small retaining walls because there is nothing level in our back yard.


Bill laid down landscape fabric and leveled the area with a layer of decomposed granite.


We went with galvanized instead of plastic because it was cute.
We got the six foot tank. It fit in the back of our pick up truck. I really wish we had gotten the 8 foot.


Getting the pool perfectly level is a little tricky.
It's been perfectly level only one of the last five seasons.


Bill created a drain nozzle out of PVC from the hardware store.
This is essential for draining the pool. The first year I had a toad friend living under the corner of the pool. I haven't seen him since the first year.



Once the pool was filled we had to be able to keep the water clean.
We took a sample of our water to the pool store.
Our city water is pretty chlorinated so we do not have to add chemicals.
I skim the pool with a pool skimmer which is very relaxing.
A pump gets out smaller debris.
We have had three pumps.


We bought the Intex Krystal Clear Pump, model 603. We paid $65.00.
You can get one on Amazon.  Essentially this is a one year pump. We've had two of these.
 One of them lasted two years but that was a fluke. When the second one broke after a year we moved on to a different pump.


Last year we bought the Intex Above Ground Krystal Clear Sand Filter Pump.
This was harder to set up than the old pump but it is much stronger and does a great job keeping the pool clean.


I put up the IKEA Solig Mosquito Net in 2016. We never got it up in 2017 and I battled mosquitos and wasps.
NO!
We have it up again. this year.


I highly recommend a stock tank pool. We did all of this for under $1000 and that includes the wall and leveling.

IKEA Solig Mosquito Net - $24.99
Intex Sand Filter Pump $139.99
Stock Tank $249.00- Made in Texas, Y'all!
Pool Skimmer $14.99.

You literally could have this set up by this afternoon.
Do it!


I'm no longer in danger of loading up the trunk and camper and heading to Wisconsin.
Ahhh!
Have a great day.
Stay cool.
I will do my best to respond to questions.
Katie

The Boondocks Blog
https://blueskyathome.com/happiness-is-homemade-link-party-229/

8 comments :

  1. Your pool looks so romantic!

    Stay cool!

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  2. Looks like such a great idea. Pools make houses harder to sell, so this would help since it can be taken out if the buyer doesn't want a pool at all. I'm going to Pin this post and use it at the next house. Thanks so much for being so through.

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  3. I would sit n this every single day. Well, till it cooled off too much!

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  4. I remember when you first put this pool in the yard. I thought it was genius and so easy to do.
    I could see painting the tank too!!! You know me and painting things lol! I love the netting from Ikea that is pretty genius. This way you can float at nighttime out there too. I bet with a few candles around it is very romantic. Hmmmm I might have to show this to Terry.
    xoxo

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  6. I think you were so clever in installing this stock tank pool, Katie. It's even better with the netting, and so pretty, too!

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  7. I love this idea!! If my yard was larger, I would surely want on eo these!! Adore the netting around it. I can not take the heat and I has been one hot Summer even here in NEPA!!!!
    Thanks so much for stopping by and thanks for your kind words!!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  8. What a great idea! So simple and yet it does everything a pool needs to do (well I guess it would be difficult to swim laps!) I really loved it.

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