Hubby loves a project and about 95% of the time is able to fix broken things we buy! We have just spotted an intex spa in good nick, the colour we want etc for practically nothing with a ´broken´ pump (he has already found some possible reasons for it not working that don´t even necessarily mean it is broken!).
I know some of you have such things. Would love feedback / tips on maintenance and cleaning in particular.
TIA
Broken pump, first place to look is the start/run capacitor. Especially if the motor hums but doesnt rotate.
Intex make quite a good aquabroom vacuum which you can use in the pool and spa, other companies make similar. As the water volume is small emptying rather than spending a lot on chemicals would be what I would do. You can still use eau de javel for sanitising 20ltr bidon from a brico shed. In the spa you would only need a teaspoon full.
My son has an Intex round spa in his back yard and it has been a godsend for the past five years of heat for them. However he did make the mistake the first year of emptying it for the first winter and putting it in the garage and it got creased so in the spring he built it into a box with decking on top and all the gubbins (electric plug etc) underneath along with the chemicals. Last summer it began to leak so yesterday he picked up a new one from an online supplier in the sales at less than the €450 he paid five years ago from L.Merlin. He will keep various bits and bobs off the old as spares but I enjoyed it last summer and my grandson practically lives in it when not in his grandparents big pool. They do need to be kept pristine as germs can multiply without you knowing and you should be picky about who you let use it too!
That Intex spa sounds like a dream, especially during those hot summers! Smart move on building a deck around it. It’s great your grandson gets so much use out of it, just gotta keep those germs at bay 
!
Yes they are meticulous about it because the baby can go in it too. I even have to go round every other day when they are absent and turn it on the programme for bubbles so that the galettes can be added and disolved and then it turns itself off and I go back later and check it. It dosn’t have a set timer to do this automatically, thats me!
Alternatively you could use eau de javel from a brico shed, you would only need 2 teaspoons (10ml) and being a liquid mixes immediately. Galets contain other stuff you dont really need like chlorine stabiliser, bicarbonate of soda.
I think son was following recommendations by Intex rather than going it alone not knowing much about such things. He dosn’t buy the expensive makes and there are plenty of pool supplies outlets here plus Action etc.
Looking good, but can I advise making a path to it and getting a foot bath. Don’t forget the outside bar either:wink:
, its somewhere to hang towels, clothes etc…honest
Absolutely! We’ll be putting down some weed stuff and some gravel around it as well as a path and footbath. It’s right by our laundry / summer kitchen / bar and have already bought a drinks holder for the side so all good! We’ll also have to put up some sort of privacy thing where I took the photo from, good idea re towels, will put some hooks on that!
We put down those wooden slatted squares you can get in cheap places like B.Depot for standing on when getting in and out so grass is kept out of the water and also an old baby’s bath of fresh water to rinse feet if getting out and getting back in. In the winter, dry the slats off a bit and store until next season’s use, worked every time.
Lidl.de sold off Intex swimming pools really cheap in past month or 2, or so. Lidl France had fewer models but could be worth keeping an eye. Also sometimes accessories like covers or filters for the brand.
Until about a year ago it was easy to purchase from Lid.de and they would send to France for flat 10 euros for normal stuff. Then the mostly poorer Lidl.fr started up which has meant Lidl.de now refuses to send to France. So if you know someone in Germany and keep an eye could be very useful, Lidl.de’s outdoor offering is extensive.
