Over the weekend the heat finally got to our family and we made the pool plunge. The family is normally on vacation this time of year, so we are trying to make a vacation at home. We started out thinking we’d buy an above ground pool for the backyard. We wanted to have at least a 4′ deep pool as we’re all over 5′ tall.

We checked out the local pool and spa store but the most inexpensive pool they sold was around $4,000 with everything included. That was out of the price range we were interested in and decided to check the discount stores. Our oldest son found one of those three step pools by Intex for $499 at Target (link to product). There was only one left in the area and located in Gig Harbor across HWY 16 about 50 minutes away, so we got in the car Friday night and made the drive.

The pool came wrapped neatly in a box, weighing some 200+ pounds. A DVD video was included which we didn’t watch until after we assembled the pool — doh!

The first step involved surveying where the pool would go down, laying down the ground cloth and then spreading out the liner.

Next the metal beams are assembled in a T shape around the pool one at a time. As pictured, the shovel was necessary to level out part of the backyard. On sight it looked like fairly level land but when the pool was actually constructed it became obvious that our backyard has a slope to it of about a half foot downward. We tried to compensate by doing a little shovel based excavation.

Already had respect for people who work outside in the elements, but gained even more this weekend. Once the pool was assembled we started the fill stage. It took over 6 hours to fill the pool with 65 degree water. We started assembly around 10am Saturday morning and the pool was assembled and filled by nightfall. The pool came with a filter pump, volleyball net (we didn’t assemble) and cover.

It was missing one vital component: chemicals.

I’m no chemis. This part of the pool is the least enjoyable. Mix and try to get the right PH balance. We have algae remover, PH+, PH-, chlorine tablets. It’s like a smorgasbord of pool chemicals. Today’s Hmmcast should have more on the conundrum.

We went back to the store to buy some toys including various floating toys, a mini fish that swims around in the pool on two AAA batteries (about $8, but the batteries go fast) and a floating basketball net (my personal favorite). To warm up the water and stay green we purchased a solar pool heater ($277) that we still don’t have the right hose fittings and I need to use a bucket to transfer the leaking filtered water back into the pool. Spent most of Sunday trying to get the right hose fittings and thus missed some good swimming time.

The solar heater and sun have warmed the pool to 75 degrees. Nice blue sky day, I might take the laptop outside later. After all the supplies, the pool, we still spent almost $1,300 after tax. I’m curious how many readers have pools? Anybody have a below ground pool? Those are the best, but you need to need to do some serious excavation for that action as well as be prepared to spend $15-50,000. We’ll see how it goes with the family and whether or not the novelty of having a pool wears off, before making that kind of investment.

Besides baby pools this is our family’s first pool. We had a pool like this when I was eight years old. Swam every day the first few days, then once or twice a week and then tapered off after that.

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