Intex Recreation review: problem with pool pump size! 102

After ground leveling costs of 55 bags of sand and sweat in 90 degree weather for 3 days, my pool is now filling up and there is leakage apparently from the seam around the bottom of the pool in severage spots. We haven't even hooked the flter up yet. Did I just purchase the biggest mistake of my life?

We have had the 18 x 48 model 635 pump for 2 years now and we havent had any problems with the pool...the pump however just went out and we are having a terrible time finding a replacment! The pool itself is in mint condition with no problems! I do agree the pump is not big enough for the pool...

I am not so sure that my problem is the 635 1500 gph pump! When I use the vacuum that came with the pool, the particles from the bottom of the pool are sucked up, passed through the filter and visibly sprayed back into the pool. I have tried the filter cartridge made by intex and also the one sold by wal-mart. My best recourse has been to let the residue settle, then siphon vacuum onto my lawn. I would sure like to find a better cartridge.

I also have a 635 pump fail in 35 days...pool=ok pump=crap

I agree to these comments on here. I had a 18x4 pool with the blow up ring and I had this pool for 2 summers. And yes... the pool did look like a huge water balloon, and everybody knows what water balloons do- they POP! And yes... my pool did POP! I was in the house and my 4 year old daughter and my husband were in the pool around back, I heard the sound that sounded like a huge water balloon busted... And I knew it was the pool! I ran out of the house as fast as I could, not knowing what kind of shape I was going to find my duaghter and my husband in! When I made it to the back yard... my husband was standing in a field holding my daughter who was completely paniced! They were both covered in blood and a lot of it. It scared me so bad I could barely stand. I grabbed my girl and brought her to the porch to wipe the blood off of her so that i could see how bad she was cut up, i just knew we were goin to have to take her to the ER, but we did't cause ahe was cut up but not too deep. my huband on the other hand-was cut up bad! when the pool busted he grabbed our girl and held her close to his chest and i think that is what hurt him so bad... he took the bad so that our girl didnt have to get hurt bad. He had several cuts and about 2 of them needed to be stitched but he refused! I had NO idea that thi pool or any other pool like that would bust! I called the company because the pool busted at a seam. They said there was nothing they could do! no warranty after 90 days! They jusy acted like they could care less. my girl had to go get her knee x-rayed. So... I got no "we're sorry" "was aany one hurt" or "kiss my foot" or nothing! i now have to pay a DR bill and an x-ray bill and if we get another pool I will have to pay for it! But we will not buy from intex and niether will nobody else that we know will! So... am I mad... HECK YES! I could have lost my daughter and my husband that day... Thanks intex... for NOTHING!

I had a Intex 24 X 12 pool for less than two years and the 635 pump lost pumping capacity.
I opened up the pump and noticed half of the impellers were broken.
This creats a lot of noise.
I think that this pump is designed wrong, due to the fact the the filter should be BEFORE the plastic pump and not after the pump!
This present design allows large debris to enter the pump impellers and jamming. Thus breaking the blades in the impeller.
I think Intex needs to right this problem with it's loyal customer base.

I agree with the comments about the 635 pump size also the filter fit is so bad that loads of debris goes straight past the filter and ends up back in the pool. Mine has sounded like a waste king from day 1 but so far has kept going for 8 weeks...
Ordering a sand filter today...
Charles in the UK

I have been dealing with Intexcorp for about a month and a half over missing parts for a 18' above ground metal frame pool. The valves and filter strainers needed to hook up the pump to the pool were missing, I called Intexcorp and was advised I needed to submit a claim form to get the missing parts. Ok thats fair so I faxed it to the number that they gave us and called back a week later to check on my claim. I was told that my fax did not come through and was given a second number to fax it to, sent it to both numbers this time and again called to check on the missing parts. I was told that they had received my claim but the parts were on back order and that they would be sent ASAP. Two weeks later called again and was told that my claim was not received and wanted to know what number I had faxed it to. The customer service rep. was reading from my claim form so I know that they have it, again more run around and stalling from Intexcorp. So what to do what to do? Decided to call every retailer of their products and ask them to get involved. I figured if everyone that has had a problem with Intexcorp customer service could start complaining to the major retailers, ie. Walmart, Target, Home Depot then they might stop selling Intexcorp products and put them out of business. If nothing else they might have to fix their Com.Ser.Dept. I hope that everyone that knows someone who has had a problem with INTEXCORP passes this idea on and start hitting INTEXCORP in their wallet.

I to thought the INTEX deal was the greatest thing since sliced bread for the money after getting some quotes from pool companies to install a pool at my home. :( Boy was I wrong. Yes set up was easy, I guess I got lucky nothing was missing or broken. Then I filled the pool and started the sorry excuse for a pump and filter system. 9'x18'x52" rectangular ultra frame by the way. Purchased from ToysRUs. Everything was downhill from their. People comming over for july 4th party but sorry pool is still nasty and cant be used. Pump Sucks, (too small) Filter system sucks, (everything you vacuum goes back in the pool) etc.etc. . After about a month of fighting to get the water clear, about $200 plus in chemicals, 10+ filters and, tons of wasted time I decided to hit the net. What did I find at first but page after page of complaints. Wish I would have done this before I purchased, but it was kind of an impulse purchase, now I just had to deal with it. THAT I DID! Now I am here to offer some FREE help to the rest of you the got taken by the INTEX scam without spending a ton more money and it works. " $50 to $75 MAX to fix I PROMISE"! In the next couple of days I will be completeing a FREE step by step manual on how to fix what I like to call "The INTEX Mistake". Ill show you how to finally enjoy your pool. Just go to http://www.intexfix.com in the next few days and I will show you how to finally enjoy what most think was a bad purchase. your INTEX pool.

Yep, not a suprize. I have had an itex for about 4 years. 1st one was terrible and had the inflatable ring. I then purchase a 12 ft with the metal frame. Its been a good wading pool but the pumps, yes, they suck, and not in a good way. I've gone thru one every season. Same with the solar pool cover, excuse me, the glorified bubble wrap they call a solar cover.

Here's my plan. Im Sending the pool back to china. They have taken over our country far enough. Walmart, I agree, they suck just like the pool. They dont give a dime back to the comunities they have taken over. Every darn thing from cloths to electronics to kitchen items have broken within 1 month of purchase. What the heck? I get better equipment from the dollar store. Im going to start digging a hole in the ground since these silly pools are just as much work as a REAL pool.

Thats 'nuf venting for me. I could go on for hours about Intex and Wal-fart. Screw them all. Its hard, but I look at the producer of everything I purchase now. If it aint american, I'll drive the 60 miles to make sure it is.

another problem to add to the list...
my pool (18' easy set) filter worked, kind of, for the first summer. this summer, it keeps tripping the circuit breaker. since it didn't really clean the pool in the first place, i guess its not really hurting anything. but that has got to be dangerous...right? didn't someone mention a lawsuit?

This is our first year witha pool. We thought oh great what fun this will be! Wellas you people our pump is also way to small. THere was always stuff floating in the pool & like you I have tried to call the company several times to find out what I was doing wrong, they would alwyas say give me your number & we will have a representitive call you, well im still waiting for that call & now summer is over. My biggest question was there was a line along the outside of the pool of white powder looking stuff & when i tried to vacuum it up it would just blow right threw the bag. THey didnt seem to care that this is my first pool & was concerned on the maintance to keep it up. Now ive gone to there web site printed on the side of the pool & guess what, there isnt one. I had to google to find what im looking for & still no answers. I am not happy & sorry I bought this pool. I finally had to turn to our local pool company to get my answers . they in turn tried to sell me a pool of theres but after reading all these stories i will for sure be looking inot that. Chalk one up for chine, proven to be cheaters, they just cheated me as an american & they get away with it. Stupid me for buying cheap instead of AMERICAN made!

Surprise Surprise and I thought I was the only one who thinks the Intex pumps suck ( or in this case DON'T) we bought the 24 x 12 this year and paid $999.00 at Cabelas and the pump is the same size as the one we had for the 18ft. The water has been green all summer and gross, no mater what we do we can not get it clean, we bought the salt generator thinking that would help and still green water. The pumps we are looking at for next summer are the sand pumps and run around $250.00 to $400.00.I will NEVER invest in a INTEX again.

This pool is the worst thing I have ever purchased and the pump/filter system is a fraud and I am sincerely considering a law suit against intex. They know that this pump/filter system is not adeqate to handle the gallons in these pools. I have a 12 x 24 and this is the 2nd. year with it and should have torched it long ago.

my pool frame BROKE when we took the pool down!OMG!

I purchased a 24by4ft metal frame in 2008 in april but was unable to put it up until late July use the first time in August of 2008. It was problems from the start fill the pool up and it started to leak out from the valves opening, then the filterpump wouldn"t work at all so I called the company they kept on giving us the run around about the replacing parts to the thing until this day we never have receive anything fron the company. In 2009 we put it up again because we took it down for the winter, and here now in June it is still the same way. What a freakin rip off intex corp.

I had the same problem the pump was smaller then the pump I had for the smaller pool so I just got on ebay and spent more money on a bigger pump. You spend more money and get less. Just makes the company look bad but it sure feels good to get in the pool!

Seems like a class action suit might be the way to go with the multi level of complaints. However this is a small claim given the amount of money you spend on this oversized rubber. I am so glad I read ths site before I purchased one of these pools for a thousand dollars. I knew though that a 90 day warranty was a WARNING sign and it stated on the box DO NOT RETURN TO STORE. However for a lawsuit with this crap company let me throw another warning sign up on the table: They will be back in business next year under another name with a total different look. So buyer beware of any cheap soft pool.

Oh My Gosh, I just got off of the phone with Intex...the first rep hung up on me and said there was nothing she could do and this conversation was over...the second one transferred me to a supervisor. I too, have the 18x48 and his stand was, well, we abide by the standards set forth and the pump is large enough...I told him it is not, I have spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars at Leslie Pools for products trying to make my pool clear and even Leslie Pool says the pumps are crap..he says well you can buy a larger pump...I told him that was a sucky way to make additional revenue and he says that is not how we make our money. I asked him, why, then, why, would this many consumers, be upset? Why don't you just make it right? Why would you not just sell the pool with the right size pump? Why do you want to field all of these complaints? He just kept on repeating the same thing, over and over again. His name is Ed. I told him, there are plenty of consumer watchdogs out there and I would begin contacting each of them unless he makes it right, he told me to go ahead. They do not care to do the right thing, they do not care that the consumers are not happy. It is sad, very, very sad and I intend to let everyone know how Intex does business.

Okay, EVERYONE MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THIS FROM THE BBB:

This is the rating from the BBB:BBB Reliability Report for
Intex Recreation Corp.

RATING: F
Rating Explanation: We strongly question the company’s reliability for reasons such as that they have failed to respond to complaints, their advertising is grossly misleading, they are not in compliance with the law’s licensing or registration requirements, their complaints contain especially serious allegations, or the company’s industry is known for its fraudulent business practices.

Geeeeeeeeez what yahoo's! I cant beleive some of these posts pertaining to money lost on soil and sand to level the ground for an intex pool. Just goes to show howtupid people can be.
It clearly states on the box and in the directions that you must set it up on stable ground with no addition of soil or sand
Further more from experience if you just call in during the warranty time you will get a new pump

I would bet that 75% or more wouldnt be having a problem if they new what the hell they were doing
I have had the same 24x52 salt water set up this being the 3rd season with no problems at all

That includes the same cartridge that came with the pool

Never cloudy or any algea either, so learn how to maitain a pool and quit whining

This year I used a half bottle of Stabilizer in our 15' round Intex Pool and the water has been extremely clear all summer. At the end of each month, I add about another 1/2 Stabilizer and the Clorine Tablets in the little ducks take care of the rest. I use the round Sun Solar Air rings which make a great air mattress. No slipping off, like laying on a giant left. The pool is great, especially when buying it at year end 50% off at Target. The pump is a little 800GPH pump and is about as strong as a good beer whiz, so I just bought a new 4, 000GPH Pump. I see that the current 1" hose is a clamp type and the new one is a 1 1/2" Screw Type. I'm sure they don't make an adapter that will allow me to use the new Inlet and Outlet without reducing down to a 1" again and ruining the pump. SO...tomorrow I take out my exacto knife and will cut me a bigger hole in the lining to accomodate the new 1 1/2 Inlet and Outlet. If the lining rips or tears during this, then I'm out a new liner, but in 2 months Target will have them on sale for 50% off again, and I'll simply buy a new pool. $125. for a 15'x4' pool is nothing compared to a $20K pool installed. I have no tears or complaints about Intex. Come on people, this is a POOL that you buy from Target or ToysrUs. What are you expecting? A day at the Hilton? Do you realize how much time and crying you have spent already? More than the cost of another pool. whaa whaa whaa, Intex doesn't love me. Its a Toy PooL. If you want to cry about something, cry about the fact that China OWNS 60% of United States and Barack Baby is about to hand over more. Then 100% of our stuff will be Crap.

YES I am a fool. I bought one pool 18x48 for 300 from Wal-Mart (thought woohoo I got a good deal since it was on sell) and then commenced to buy 3 Motors in a years time. Before the last pump I decided to buy a NON Intex pump and went to our local pool and spa dealer to look at pumps. They said you could not make a non Intex pump work so I bought a larger Intex model hopeing it would be better built; alas crap only begets crap, didnt even get a half seaon out of the pump. And had same problems calling Intex as everyone else. I see from the above article that someone else found a way to make a non Intex pump work so if they can do it I will to.

For the two dumb ### that posted before Jon Herren, you probably have the smaller kiddie pools, and if not then you were dumb enough to spend money for additional equipment just to make the Intex pool work! The people complaining are not the problem, the problem is that Intex is a pathetic excuse for a business! Their pumps are worthless pieces of ### considering the pumps sold with the large pools are the same pumps the kiddie pools use! Yeah, there is no need to put sand but if you read it, you would know that for the easy-set pools the ground has to be level, so what better way to do that than by adding sand? Yes, you get what you pay for but in this case you have to go beyond that. You have to understand the problem and see the complaints are made more strongly because of the ### customer service and the rude attitude received by the Intex employees.
In my case, I bought the 18x48 easy set pool. We set it up and even added the saltwater system. It took a while to get the chemicals balanced and it got algae in the meantime. The vacuum was doing a good job of sucking it up but the pool stayed green, until we noticed that the dirty crap was coming back into the pool! We changed filters every time we cleaned it but all the stuff wasnt getting collected by the filter it was just going right through and back in the pool! So HOW the hell am I supposed to get this pool clean! I called and they said the filter was bad and that its just not meant to clean that well and is just not strong enough for that size pool! HEREIN LIES THE PROBLEM...WHY SELL IT WITH THIS PIECE OF ### PUMP IF YOU KNOW IT CANT DO THE JOB ITS SUPPOSED TO DO?! Forget the money I forked out for the pool, the chemicals, the saltwater system, the sweat and tears, they sold it knowing it cant do what its supposed to do! Its the principal behind it, that they are doing this knowing that you dont want to dump out your pool or crush your childrens dreams of having a pool, so you have to go out there and spend MORE money on another pump, on a saltwater system, on another tarp, on filters, etc. etc. just to make it work and by the time you realize its not even you, its them, banking on you, by then your warranty has run out and they werent going to and definitely will not do anything for you now! At this point I dont care if they send me a new one! What for? I want my money back!

service senter valo ne mera mobile abhi tak nahi diya jisko 2 maheene hochuke hain.

Speaker is not working properly.

i purchased an intex in6622 phone from sanjay colection m.p. nagar, Bhopal which turned to b defctive, i went to the satyam moble which is intex mobile service centre .
after 15 days they replaced my mobile with new one . but that handset was aslo defectiv one . I aked for anther handset from the service centre they said wat for another ten days .
i am very annoyed with intex services please do reply or take any action against the service centre .

D.D Shrivas
city - bhopal
mob. [protected]

I too have been a victim of the 635, I spent a fortune trying to clean my pool out and it was not strong enough, I finally opened it the wheel fan thing on the magnet was broke to pieces I wish some one would send all the complaints to BBB and to Intex I don't have money for another one so we have no where to swim the rivers, lakes and creeks are filthy and you can't get in them.

WE need to start complaining to Walmart, Target, Samsclub and Cosco about these pools. They should not sale this junk to their dedicated customers.

I just read all the posts in this thread complaining about the Intex pool and company.

I must say I was completely surprised to read these things as my experience has been quite different.

I will say I never had need to call customer support so I can not comment in that area.

I can say that I have however had three intex pools. All of them I obtained used from the original owners. Two were free and the third I spent $250 for it.

The first one was a smaller Easy set maybe 10'x30" or so. My kids were 4 and 5 at the time so it was perfect size. When I got it it already had two seasons on it. I used it two more seasons before giving to someone else who used it another season.

Next I obtained the Behemoth (as we called it), It was another Easy set. I think it was the biggest one they ever made, 24'x 52". It was a neighbors and he had injured his back and could no longer maintain it. He had used it for two seasons then gave it to me. I dragged it all the way home and set it up in my yard. I used it for eight more years, yes that is 8 years. Last year was the final year for it. It started to split on one of the sidewall seams and I figured it would be a disaster to try and use it again.
This pool came with the model 520 pump and it always did a fine job of keeping the water clear. In addition I found a second 520 pump on the curb that someone was throwing out. I brought it home and it worked flawlessly. I still have both of those pumps and use them with the third pool.

The third pool is a 18'x52" metal frame tube pool I found on craigslist for $250. It came with a Hayward 1hp pool pump/cartridge filter. I bought it on a very cold day in january from his garage outside. It was very stiff from the cold weather. All the frame parts and some additional accesories were also included.

I set it up this year once the weather broke no problem filled it up, no leaks and have been using oe of the 520 pumps for it. Those 520 pumps are easily ten years old and still are running strong.

My experience with the intex product has been very good. I have had to purchase some items such as hose replacements or other like items over the years, but this would be so with perhaps any brand.

For me I have had a swimming pool in my back yard every year since 1999 and not counting chemicals I have spent easily less than $400 in that time on pools. From my perspective Intex is the way to go.

Unlike a friend of mine who always has to have the "better" stuff, spent close to $5000.00 on a "real" pool from the great escape last year, took forever to get it installed, swam it it maybe twice then and now this year has pump filter issues that do not seem to get resolved. His water looks so bad I wouldn't put fish in it!

We purchased the 18' x 48" Easy Set pool the end of May from Academy. The pump from the start was noisy and would not move the water. We called Intex and they sent us a new pump. The new pump was very quiet and worked for about 3 days and then quit also. I've called Intex trying to get some help and a new pump, however they tell me it's the right pump for the pool. It's not - and although we love our pool, if we decide to keep it we too will have to purchase a new and stronger filter pump. Buyer beware. And, it's true that you can't find anyone in management to help you - only the customer service employees.

We bought our 18x48" easy set from Wal Mart in April of 2005. Never had a problem with the pool or pump until this year. The top ring has finally given way when taking the pool down for the winter. The pump is a crystal clear model 51, uses the B size filter. After reading all of these complaints I must think that the quality at INTEX has gone by the wayside since 2005. I will not get another one. If anybody needs parts I have the ladder, and pump and all of the attachments for the pump. email at cowboys_owner@yahoo.com

ram has been changed from 2gb to 1gb

Intex SUCKS! They need to alert on the box to check if you need a permit for the pool in the area where you live. They also need to put on the box that you need additional fencing ( besides your yard fence) in the state of Delaware. I used the pool for 2 days on Memerial Day weekend in 2010 and that Tuesday after the holiday got slapped on my front door with a citation from the county. Intex doesn't offer any type of fence that you can install on top of the pool. Soooo now I'm stuck with a 15 X 42 pool put away in my basement since last summer. Called customer service today and not surprise to hear they can't do anything for me not even take it back and at least refund the full amount or half. DON'T BUY ANY INTEX POOLS OR PRODUCTS!

This is a cheap temporary pool. You get what you pay for. Buy a steel wall pool with good pump and filter. You are not going to get a $3, 000 product for $300-$400.

Well w/ all these complaints dating back to 2007 & before U would think that they would have rectified this problem but we just bought an Intex pool this summer & the pump is still not strong enough to pump all those gallons of water ! I got a 20 x 48 size Intex pool & the motor supposed to pump 1500 gallons of water per hour but the pump don't even reach halfway cross the pool & now my pool has algae all over it & U can't even see the bottom of the pool even tho I have shocked it now twice w/in the last week ! And since I shocked it now the pump all of a sudden has decided it doesn't want to work anymore so I am lookin online to see what I need to do ! I just bought this pool & set it up in June & it is just at the end of July & I am having problems ! Good grief ! Does anyone have any answers on what size of pump I really do need for my 20 x 48 pool w/ a 7, 947 gallon water size ? I have tried to keep it clean on a daily base but I kept seein it gettin darker & darker ! HELPPPPPP!

I have a 52x24 intex pool, real descent pool, only problem with it didnt circu;late watwer, so i bgught a 1.29 pvc elbow for the return, now circulates well enough that i dont even use a filter i just use the skimmer bag on top and i use a 20dollar water vacume on the bottom total clean time 15minutes and were swimming, only use floating chlorine tabs and pour in chlorine granuals (1CUP) EACH WEEK POOLS CLEAR AS A BELL FROM ONE SIDE TWO THE OTHER, i agree about the pum0p size, but one elbow fixed the problem, small pump0-s in round pools arent strong enough with straight returns, if you do this simple little task im sure you will see some great results from it.trucktator over and out.

We bought an Intex 18 X 48 Easy Set Inflatable Ring Pool.
We had problems setting it up in the beginning due to a less than level area. Took the pool down, scraped the area off flat with a Bobcat and put the pool back up.
We've had good luck with the pool since and our filter system and pump worked right from the get go even if it did make some weird noises. Shutting it off for a few minutes and turning it back on can also take care of the problem with noise at times. Prime the pump when you turn it on by having a hose turned on in the intake. Make sure you bleed the pump of air as quickly as possilbe and you shouldn't have any problems.
Guard against the skimmer coming out of the water and don't use the skimmer when the pool is in use.
Never let the pump run dry and check the skimmer frequently in stormy weather as pools can get waves and choppy no matter what size they are. We always went out and shut our filtering system off during a storm.
We bought the pool in 2008, in 2011 the pump finally gave out. So, we opted to replace it with the sand type pump (next size up) at a cost of $250 (give or take). We just put the pool up again for the 2012 season and are having no problems. One thing we want to add is that the sand filter, once you get past the cost of it and the sand to fill it, was worth every penny. Make sure you buy GOOD SAND from a reputable pool dealer. It keeps the pool cleaner, makes the pool use less chemicals, is quieter, has a timer, uses less power and we don't have to buy new filters for it all the time, just back flush it on occasion.
Even with the old filter, we found that as long as we did the maintenance on it daily, it worked pretty good without many issues.
The only other thing I've replaced is the clamp arm for the skimmer basket that holds it on the side of the pool. We bought the pool from Wal-Mart, we got the replacement part on line. with shipping, was only about $5.
Most of the people we know with these pools have problems only because they refuse to buy new filters and/or they don't bother to do the maintenance. I agree...the pumps/filters that come with the pools are too small but, they are usable with daily maintenance and rinsing the filters out.
If you choose not to upgrade to a sand filter system, I'd suggest that you plan on replacing your pump every 2 to 3 years. They are NOT meant to run round the clock and if you run them at night while no one is in the pool they do a pretty good job.
If your pool is defective return it to the place where you bought it. Keep your receipt. It doesn't have to all go back in the box (even though we get ours in it every fall for storage, minus the ladder and pump system) just make sure you put all the pieces to it in boxes and return it to where you got it and make them give you a replacement or your money back.
We've never had a leak or a problem.
Some places will tell you that you have to return it to the maker, but, really, any store worth shopping at will not make you return a defective product to the maker. If they do, we suggest you contact the Better Business Bureau and file a claim in small claims court and tell the store what you intend to do. You'll soon find they'll sing a different tune and take it back. Most stores will avoid lawsuits or a visit from the BBB at all costs.
We've gotten many years of use from our pool and got our money's worth. We don't allow anyone to wear jewelry, make sure they keep their nails trimmed (toe and finger nails) make the girls or guys with long hair put it in a pony tail, wear a swim cap, or pin it up. Hair in your filter system is a pain, no matter what. We don't allow sunglasses, or any kinds of sharp objects or any thing HARD in the pool.
We've seen people put lawn furniture in them, and other objects that don't belong (idiots). The only thing in your pool should be bodies, inflatable toys and etc or swim toys, and nothing else. No above ground pool was made for that.
We also do not allow drinks, or food in the pool. What a nightmare that can turn into.
We put a little fresh water in daily from evaporation and over spill when playing in the pool.
I check the chemical levels EVERY DAY before anyone gets in the pool the first time and AGAIN when we get out and add granulated chlorine as necessary.
I shock the pool every Sunday or more if it needs it depending on the use level.
You can't leave the cover on for days at a time. If you cover your pool, even if you're not going to use it, take the cover off, or at least half way off, everyday! The cover warms the pool up to breed algae if it's not removed daily. If you let that happen, plan on taking a full day or longer to clean up the mess it causes.
Filter baskets should be cleaned daily and the pool should be vacuumed out after every rain storm or wind storm just like an expensive in ground pool or as needed when you see sediment collecting in the bottom.
If you or someone in the family is not willing to do the daily maintenance with the pool and stay on top of it, you're going to have some kind of problems to begin with. It won't just take care of it's self.
Avoid putting up the pool by trees. Leaf trees or pine types with needles will just increase the amount of maintenance you have to do. With a little common sense and some daily diligence, these pools can be a lot of fun, and be pretty much care free.
Daily maintenance takes less than an hour to do. Weekly maintenance and cleaning take maybe an hour or two depending on use, storms and etc. We clean the pool at least once a week no matter what with the broom and the vacuum that comes with it.
We also bought the magnetic light for the side of the pool. It works VERY WELL and we've never had a problem with it, either.
Don't get frustrated if you happened to get a lemon. Take it back, start again and keep at it till you get one that works right and serves it's purpose.
When you get into the swing of it...it's worth the time and effort and it will cool off a lot of family tempers!
The spouse and I use it as well at night. It's awesome with the lights on and the kids in bed or at a friends house! We've even managed to skinny dip a few times in ours! What fun for us in our 40's and 50's!

We have an Intex 16x48 above ground pool. I recently purchased the 14 in sand filter off of Amazon (a lot cheaper). Frogs had gotten in our pool during the winter because we had left it up during the winter. That was a mess! The filter that had came with the pool, our second one, wouldn't clean it well at all. We finally took the cartridge out and just used it to keep the water circulating until the new pump came. The water was clear the next day. With the right amount of time and TLC the Intex pools can be lots of fun!

Ordered a Intex salt water pump a few weeks ago. It has yet to work. runs for a bout 2 minutes and shows a code 91. Water turned green. Had to drain . Refilled and put salt in it. It is a 16 foot by 42 inch pool and we have put 4 bags of salt (50lbs each) in it so far, but still same thing. the water is once again turning green and will have to be dumped again. Wasting a lot of money and water and getting nowhere. Any ideas? It seems to be hooked up as per instructions. It still has the filter system on in inline in front of it. this part is still working fine, but it's not Intex either.