Intex 32' x 16' x 52" Ultra XTR Rectangular Outdoor Swimming Pool Set with Pump - Large Above Ground Backyard Pool with Deluxe Maintenance Kit

I bought this pool in April 2020. It lasted us through 6 seasons of Florida hot weather. We just took it down last month. I am very impressed with the quality and strength of the liner. I cannot believe that it lasted this long especially given that it was in full sun the entire time. We kept the pool running year long by keeping up with the cleaning and running the pump and the chlorinator, but reducing the time. The main things that required changing over time, were the hoses, the skimmer, and the titanium electrode in the chlorinator (if you get the pool and pump combo like we did). We ended up upgrading our stairs to something bigger, but that was just a preference. Looking back now, I prefer the stairs that came with the pool since they are much easier to maintain and do not collect algae since they can be accesses easily to be cleaned. I highly recommend putting pavers under the U-shaped legs when installing the pool. We got the large 18 inch paver squares and put one under each leg. It helped tremendously prevent any rusting of the legs. In addition is helps the legs from sinking into the ground. The legs have a lot of pressure when pool is filled so the pavers kept them level and stable. I also kept the pump and chlorinator covered the entire time to protect from the elements and mostly the heat. I put a folding table over it and put a cover on the table. This was a make-shift shelter but it helped keep it covered and at the same time it gave me easy access to the pump and chlorinator. I used the top of the table to store some our floats and other pool items. So I do recommend finding some type of cover to put over the pump to protect it. Lastly I do recommend investing in a robotic type pool cleaner. I tried the manual vacuum that came with the pool and it worked fine, but it takes a while to clean the entire pool that way and it was not easy to reach all spots.

OK so it took a LONG TIME to prep the ground but the pool itself went up in less than an hour with two adults and two little kids assisting by unpacking and handing out the parts. It feels small if you go too crazy with the pool floaties, but with five people using just pool noodles it feels spacious and plenty of room. A couple points that are not super obvious, but might help you: 1) Site prep: Get the ground level. Dig down, don't build up. You need an extra foot or two outside the 12 x 24 dimensions for the legs. We did a lot of research and put down 1.5 inch foam insulation board over the ground for a nice, even surface underfoot, as well as insulation from the cold NH ground. We then put 4 inch think pavers for each of the legs, digging down to make the tops level with the foam board. (Full disclusure, we originally used 1.5 inch think pavers, which cracked after 10 days and caused one of the legs to crumple and required draining the pool and re-setting the new pavers. Ouch. Other people recommend composite wood and other things for leg supports, so do your own research, but be aware.) Trouble Free Pools has a GREAT forum for help and tips. 2) Heating. We got a $45 solar blanket which warmed up the water pretty well, then added one of those solar mat heater thingies that hooks into the pump system, which really does a surprisingly good job of heating the water. After a stretch of about 5 sunny days the water went from 55 (when filling it) to 85. I sprang for the Intex solar blanket reel to make it easier to work with. 3) Filter and chemicals. You need about 150 pounds of filter sand, 210 pounds of pool salt, and 1 pound of cyanuric acid to start. Also pool test strips. You may need other stuff as you go along but that's enough to get started. You need to put the salt in, spread it around and run just the filter for 24 hours to mix it up, then run the filter + chlorinator for the prescribed amount of time, continuing to do that every day all season. Check your manual for the time, but ours is about 7-8 hours a day. 4) Ladder. The ladder works but it is wobbly and not great for grandma. Pain in the neck to get in and out. Hubs is building a small deck with normal stairs up and a deck to pool ladder to get in. Recommend adding a more stable, locking ladder. Also recommend adding a foot bath to the bottom of the stairs to keep the debris out of the pool. 5) Filter. Works great for us so far. The vacuum does not appear to be working very well, so we may buy a new vacuum if messing around with this one doesn't give better results. That's all for now - enjoy!

Proper pool footprint/ground preparation and enough helpers to put this together is everything!!! This is our second Intex pool. Our first one lasted 3 summers. The issue was, we dug out a pool “footprint” and put down sand & the tarp, even put down pavers for under the supporting rails but that was NOT enough. The floor of the pool wasn’t soft/supported enough & eventally started leaking. We needed up needing to throw away the pool entirely. Now this summer we started by purchasing a slightly larger Intex pool. We widened the pool footprint for a slightly larger size pool. Brought in new sand (just the cheap sand is fine). Make sure that once you put down the sand, water it down and let it “settle”, then let it dry out a bit & bring it more sand so it isn’t lumpy & level it out as much as possible. Then, spend the money on the lock together style gym mats. We got ours at Academy, but they sell them here on Amazon & many other places, too. It doesn’t matter what color they are because they are going to be under the pool. You’ll need enough to cover the entire underside of the pool. Very important. We did 1/2” thick, but you could also do 3/4” thick if you prefer. Put the locking gym mat pieces over the sand. Then, there is a tarp that comes with the pool (to go below the pool). Put the tarp over the sand & the mats. So again, it’s leveled out sand, locking gym mats, then the tarp, then the pool on top of that. This is imperative to make the floor comfortable and to protect it from eventually starting to leak. Then under the support poles, put your pavers. (On top of the tarp). Make sure you have about 4 people to install the actual pool cause you’ll need the extra hands for a pool this size. It took us several hours just for the installation of the pool itself, but it’s well worth it to take your time & do this right. Truly an amazing pool & so much less than an overpriced in ground pool!