Intex Pool Maintenance: How to Do It

Intex swimming pools provide a more cost-effective way of owning a pool. These above ground pools cost a fraction of what you would spend to install an inground pool and are available in different sizes and price ranges to suit almost everybody.

With one of these pools, you will also not need to use up a lot of your backyard space, and they are also super easy to set up. However, like all other pool types, they still need some maintenance to keep the water clean and ensure the pool serves you well for long.

The specific maintenance routine you will follow depends on the particular Intex pool type and size you have. Still, it is crucial to know what to do if you have one of these pools, and here we provide a breakdown of the most critical things to do when maintaining your Intex pool.

1. Stock Up On Pool Maintenance Essentials

One of the most crucial things you need to do for Intex pool maintenance is to ensure you have everything you will require.

It is a great idea to stock up on pool maintenance essentials like a pool vacuum, skimmer, telescoping pole, pool brush, hoses, pool testing kit, and an adequate supply of sanitizer.

When buying these essentials, you have to make sure what you choose is suitable for an Intex swimming pool.

For example, as you choose a pool brush, make sure you go for something with soft nylon bristles like the Milliard 17.5” Extra-Wide Nylon Pool Brush. Most of these pools have delicate wall materials like vinyl, so a brush with stiff or metal bristles can easily cause damages.

2. Skim and Vacuum the Pool Regularly

Like with any other pool type, you need to vacuum and skim your Intex pool regularly. Skimming the pool at least once every day allows you to remove the debris floating on the water before they become a bigger problem.

Some of the debris that gets into your pool will often sink to the bottom of the pool. Skimming cannot remove it, so you will need to vacuum the pool as often as possible.

You can clean your Intex pool manually with a vacuum head but installing an automatic vacuum cleaner like the PAXCESS Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner will make the job easier for you.

As you vacuum and skim your pool, also make sure you brush the inner walls and other things that touch the water, such as ladders, to ensure dirt does not build up.

3. Test and Balance the Water

Regular pool water testing is essential for all pool types, including the Intex above ground pools, and therefore, you have to make it an integral part of your maintenance routine.

Testing the water at least once a week is often enough. But it might be a good idea for the heavy pool users to test the pool several times a week or even daily.

The most crucial elements to test are pH, chlorine, calcium hardness, and alkalinity. A balanced pH and alkalinity are the main foundation of a healthy pool.

According to the CDC, you should keep your pH level between 7.2 and 7.8, while the alkalinity should be 80 to 120 ppm to ensure a clean and safe pool.

Read More:

• How to Lower pH in Pool
• How to Lower Alkalinity in Pools

4. Shock Your Intex Pool Weekly

Testing and balancing your pool water chemistry is often effective at keeping the water clean and clear, but it might not be enough in the long run. You will need to shock (super-chlorinate) the water at least once every week.

Read More: How Often to Shock Pool

Shocking the pool water allows you to remove the chloramines and free up the chlorine to ensure adequate water sanitization while also dealing with other problems like cloudy water.

When shocking your Intex pool, make sure you use a good shock with an adequate amount of available chlorine, such as calcium hypochlorite.

Also, you have to make sure you add enough of it depending on your pool size, and in most instances, 2 to 3 pounds is often enough for every 10,000 gallons of water. Moreover, make sure you give the shock enough time to work (around 12 to 24 hours) before using the pool.

5. Check Your Filtration System

Even when you skim and vacuum your water often enough, the pool will not be clean if the filtration system is not working optimally. Therefore, you must check the filtration system and fix any issues as part of your regular Intex pool maintenance routine.

To start with, you should always make sure the pump is circulating the water properly. The pump needs to be working well to ensure water goes through the filters for dirt trapping and allow for adequate pool chemicals distribution.

Provided the pump is in good working condition, it should work fine if you run it long enough. Depending on the size of your pool and pump capacity, you will often need to run it for between 8 and 12 hours every day.

Also, remember to check the condition of the filters regularly. Filters are prone to clogging as the dirt accumulates there and so you need to unblock them to ensure optimal performance.

For sand filters, you can do this by backwashing and rinsing them while spraying your DE filter with a garden hose should do the job. Remember to replace the cartridge filter at least once every year or as frequently as the manufacturer recommends.

6. Keep It Covered When Not in Use

Keeping your Intex pool covered when not in use is also a crucial part of maintaining it that you cannot afford to overlook.

Covering your pool prevents problems like debris and dirt accumulation and ensures animals like frogs and ducks don’t get in as they can be problematic.

A pool cover can help prevent the sun from degrading your chlorine, saving you money on pool chemicals. All this translates to cheaper pool maintenance for you. Better still, a cover can help protect the delicate pool materials from damages.

One more reason to use a cover on your Intex pool is that some types like the solar pool cover can help heat and keep the water warm. A good solar cover eliminates or reduces the need for a dedicated pool heater.

7. Avoid Well Water

You will need to refill your pool water quite often as you lose some to evaporation and splashing out by the swimmers. However, as you fill the pool, avoid using well water and instead use municipal water.

The well water often introduces different minerals to the pool, leading to scaling in the pool due to increased water hardness. Also, these minerals and other substances from the well water will discolor the water or make it look cloudy.

All this means that using well or ground water will make maintaining your Intex pool harder as there will be more work for you to do removing the scale build-up and balancing the chemistry.

Note: When it comes to maintaining your Intex pool, it is crucial to come up with and follow a routine. You should divide the maintenance into daily tasks like skimming and vacuuming, weekly ones like chemistry testing, and monthly ones such as cleaning the filters.

Bottom Line

If you own an Intex swimming pool, you should know that it will require regular maintenance to keep the water clean and safe like all other pool types.

However, maintaining the pool is not that hectic if you know the crucial things to do. They include removing dirt and debris through skimming or vacuuming, keeping the water balanced, and ensuring the filtration system is always working okay.

Combining this with others keeping the pool covered when not in use and not using well or ground water ensures you have an easy time keeping the Intex pool in great shape.