After being skeptical of stock tank pools for the last couple of years, we took the plunge (literally) last year and bought a stock tank. We looked EVERYWHERE for a pool pump, but thanks to the craziness of the year 2020, we couldn’t find one. But lo and behold, we snagged this one a couple of months ago, and we finally got it set up and the verdict is…..
WE LOVE IT!
We watched a million tutorials on how to do it (we used this one as an initial guide), and then we tweaked a few things based on the different things we read. We’re going to show you how we did it and set it up.
It was intimidating at first, but once we did our researched and familiarized ourselves with video processes, we felt much better. It took us several hours to get the pump inserted and then a whole 24 hours to let the sealant cure.
Here are the materials we used:
- Stock Tank (8ft. by 2 ft.) We got ours at our local Tractor Supply
- Above ground pool pump (we ordered this one from Amazon)
- Above ground plunger valve (2 pk) (this is the one we ordered)
- Threaded strainer kit (this is the one we ordered)
- Arbor hole saw 2 3/4 inches (this is the one we used)
- Weatherproof/waterproof sealant
We had our stock tank last year without a pump, so our first step was to clean our pool out really good. We used a pressure washer. We already knew ours was level, but that’s a very important first step.
Next, we decided where we were going to put our intake/outtake hoses. We ended up putting input hose at the bottom, and our output halfway up the pool. We didn’t put ours over top of each other; we spread ours out a bit. Once we decided hole placement, we took the Arbor hole saw (we used the 2 3/4 inch size), and drilled the holes through the tank.
Then, we connected the input/output pieces to the plunger valves. Make sure you put the rubber gasket (washer) on the inside of the tank. We didn’t put one on the outside (we might go back and do this) as it helps with any leakage. Next, we connected the hoses to the pump (all of the pump instructions are included in the box that the pump comes in). Our last steps involved sealing. We put a bead of waterproof sealant around the input/output pieces on the INSIDE of the tank. We let that dry for a few hours, and then added another bead of sealant. We let cure overnight.
The next morning, we started filling up the pool, making sure we kept an eye on where the valves were to look for any leaks. We had a very small amount of dripping around the output hole that we noticed when we opened the plunger valves so the water would start going through the hoses to the pool pump. We could probably fix this by adding a washer to the outside of the tank and adding another bead of sealant.
I should add, we also had to cut a small hole in our deck to feed the power cord through. We used a heavy duty extension cord (hid under our deck) to plug the pump up.
We are treating the water just like you would do any above ground pool with the right mix of pool chemicals (we’re still learning this process).
So far, the kids love it and we’ve been pleasantly surprised at how nice it is. We use a pool net to get anything out that the pool doesn’t filter. I’ve heard from others that they sometimes use a pool vacuum if they have problems with bits at the bottom. Ours sits on a concrete patio so that helps with the traffic in the pool. We will likely build a small bench area to cover up the pump, too.
If you are considering a stock tank pool, we would highly recommend it based on our experience. However, we would also highly recommend doing your research first, and making sure you have all of the appropriate pieces. Drilling the right size hole and sealing off the hole are two major steps and you want to make sure you do things right!
We have a video that shows SOME of the process (our kids took turns filming and forgot to film part of it – ha!) I tried to supplement what’s not shown with describing it above. I hope it’s helpful!
