We started my birthday back in May with donuts.
It's tradition at our house.
My favorite are the lemon filled.
Yummy.
Bill wanted to know what we could do for my birthday.
I wanted to set up our pool.
It really is my pool because Bill rarely gets in it.
I love it, however.
I love it slightly more than handbags and you know how much I love a good handbag.
The pad where we place the pool needed some leveling this year.
The sides are made out of railroad ties.
Three years ago we put a layer of decomposed granite on top of the soil to prevent any erosion over the top of the railroad ties.
This is our 4th season with the pool, it was time to do a little re-leveling.
We store the stock tank behind our fence during the off seasons.
Bill can easily maneuver it by himself.
I'm no help because I have to take the pictures.
Duh!
We have a 6 foot round stock tank but it actually measures slightly less than 6 ft.
This image gives you an idea of how big it is.
Once the pool was cleaned out and put into place, we started to fill it and assemble the parts of the pump.
The pump didn't work. It would make noise but it wouldn't pump water.
We had the Intex Krystal Clear Cartridge Filter Pump.
Leslie's Pool Supplies didn't have it in stock anymore so we decided to upgrade.
We got the Intex Krystal Clear Sand Filter For Above Ground Pools.
Bill ordered it from Amazon. Currently it is $138.99.
It was a little more difficult to set up than the old pump but it came with a DVD.
The DVD was very helpful.
The intake and outflow hoses needed to be separated.
We have never wanted to drill holes into our tank so we drape the hoses over the side of the pool.
They are kept in place because they are threaded through cinderblocks.
The cinderblock are also nice for sitting on. Haha.
The new pump is working great.
It circulates 1,600 gallons per hour. It rained 6 inches during the first weekend of June.
The pool looked clear again after a day or two.
The pump runs on electricity.
Ours is plugged into an extension cord which runs to our exterior outlet.
We have never tripped a breaker with the pump.
Here are links to my other blog posts about the pool.
Here are links to my other blog posts about the pool.
The question that gets asked most often involves mosquitos.
We do not have mosquitos breeding in our pool.
The pump circulates the water which prevents mosquitos from breeding.
Unless you do not want to keep the pool filled all the time, there must be a pump.
I added the IKEA mosquito net around the pool last year so I wouldn't get bit.
They don't breed in the pool but that doesn't mean they aren't attracted to the water or to me.
The city has been spraying so the mosquitos haven't been as much of a problem.
We didn't put the net back up this year.
Two or three times a season I'll drain some of the water out and add new water.
Our water is pretty chlorinated so we do not have to add chemicals to the water.
Bill made a water shut off valve out of PVC.
It is what we use to drain the pool.
I added some rocks to the pad. Stepping on them is much better than stepping on the decomposed granite.
Neither of these is necessary. The stock tank is meant to hold water. It hasn't rusted at all.
It could be set directly on the ground as long as the ground is pretty level.
It could also be partially buried.
People have asked if the metal is hot to the touch.
My pool is pretty shaded and I do not like sitting in the sun. I was the only person in Hawaii sitting under the shade of the banyan trees. I felt like I was on the set of "Lost".
The sun will warm up the metal but it has never been too hot to touch.
I live in DFW, Texas. Our temperatures can climb up to 105 degrees in August.
I can't speak for what would happen in full sun or in a hotter climate.
I've seen people cover the edges of their stock tank with pool noodles.
That would be perfect for kids.
There are also plastic stock tanks.
The bottom of our tank is not slippery.
I'm not the most graceful dancer in the troupe and I've never slipped.
Children do not use this pool. If they did, I think I'd get some rubber mats for the bottom.
The stock tank is not sharp. The metal edges are very well finished.
I thought that we could use our new little green house to store pool supplies.
Nope!
The wasps and hornets seem to think that the green house is a perfect habitat.
They are misinformed.
I went to war with them about it.
I'm on my second little float this summer.
The first one got a blow out after just a few uses.
This new one is perfect for my little Stock Tank Pool.
I love it.
How are you keeping cool?
Why did we get this instead of another type of pool?
It was cheaper and cuter!
Why did we get this instead of another type of pool?
It was cheaper and cuter!
Get your own stock tank at Tractor Supply. It is only $259.99.
It's worth every penny.
Have a wonderful day.
Keep Cool!
Keep Cool!
