We have a 10'x6'x22" inflatable swimming pool. i want to try to keep it clean and clear.?

Question

i dont want to have to empty and refill this pool all summer long, so i want to know how to keep it as clear as i can. i cant seem to find any info on how to maintain a "kiddie pool"

Answer 1

If you have no pump, your best bet is to use liquid sanitizer. You can buy 1 gallon bottles of liquid chlorine for less than $3 each. Use the liquid chlorine to "shock" the pool after use and at least once per week (administer the chlorine per the label's instructions...1 gallon will last you quite a while). You can buy little floating ducks that hold 3" chlorine tablets. Get a couple and let them float in the pool all the time. Finally, buy a bottle of test strips. You want to monitor the chlorine level in the pool  (should be between 1-3 ppm). The 3" tabs usually contain a stabilizer that, while reducing the effectiveness of the chlorine, help it resist evaporation (since chlorine is a gas and tries hard to return to a gaseous state).

This will keep your pool clean. However, you'll need some type of filtration/vacuum to remove debris. Without this, the water will be cloudy and will remain cloudy. If you have a means to vacuum the bottom of the pool, get a quart of flocculant and add per directions once per week. This will bind all the tiny floating debris together and make it sink to the bottom so you can suck it out.

Don't worry about ph, alkalinity, or hardness; for such a small pool, just use chlorine sanitizer and you'll be fine. You are filling that pool with well or city water so your pH is within acceptable limits for the chlorine to work effectively. pH add and minus are just more ways pool pros zap you for more cash.

Answer 2

The one thing your first answer does not address is pool pH.  The pH balance of your pool water will dramatically affect the ability of the chlorine to keep the water sanitary.  And if allowed to get too high or too low it can cause potentially severe eye and skin irritation.  

Seriously, the best thing you can do is add about a half cup of chlorine bleach every day after use.  That's not as strong as the pool chlorine the other answer mentions.  The dose he talks about is, I believe, excessive for the size of pool you describe.  As long as the water stays nice and clear that will be enough.  As soon as you detect any cloudiness you should drain and refill.  Otherwise you are talking a fairly expensive pump and filter, plus pH balancing chemicals, and various other possible complications.  You could 'shock' the pool which might correct some of the cloudiness, but that would not address the pH levels.   The little pool-float things with tablet chlorine in them might raise your chlorine levels high enough to cause suit fade or even start making the pool material brittle.  I think you should avoid those, but you might want to consult a pool professional (like at a Pool Supply store) to be sure;  there are different types that supply different dosages.