1" flexible hose with threaded ends?

So how did you make it waterproof (and -- perhaps more importantly for hands, feet, and tender "bums" -- splinter-free)? Do you have a plastic overlay?

Ahh... that explains the slide part. I'd still want to put a coat of spar urethane on the wood parts to control splinters. Steps should also have some form of non-skid (but not the sand-paper kind that might skin knees). Hand rails should also be essential.

- Michael

Buy a section of old one inch forestry fire hose on Ebay they even come with one inch national pipe straight hose thread couplings. If you have to have non collapsible hose then you can buy one inch hose at industrial cleaning supply houses. Grainger sells it but the price is $147.50 for a fifty foot length.

As others have mentioned, Home Depot or Lowes should have the plastic barb and vinyl hose. I would imagine a swimming pool supply house would have something similar...

I sanded the wood with a power sander, that's all I did. It seems to be not very slippery even when wet, but we'll see. You raise a good issue.

You have no idea...

sdb

I do have urethane, I was concerned that it would become slippery. I do not have a non-skid powder.

There is a total of 2 steps, and then the platform. :)

This whole thing is rather ridiculous from an adult's point of view, but very safe and the kid loves it. For example, almost immediately after entering the water, the kid bumps into the wall of the inflatable pool. My son likes it, because he is afraid of going into the water fast.

Thanks. I will check out some nearby stores for vinyl hose, I have some good hopes.

Errol has it again.

I fully remember many many things when I was 2 and 3 years old. By the time I was 4, my mind and fun was full of it. Remember neighbors and their lives/stories, remember the workshop and the machines of our boarders - machinists working for the Air force living off base with us. We had a 12 car 'shop'. It was a city home for off season of a remote farmer/rancher. The large shop allowed 'him' to work on his machines, the attic of the shop was the boarding house for some of his workmen while the lady of the house got to visit with others in town and shop. We bought the house when I was 2 and remember so much there.

So early memories are often kept. Some are most precious. Enjoy what you have when you can.

Martin

You don't need to buy non-skid powder. Ordinary beach or playground sand, sprinkled on the surface of the tacky final coat of urathane would work just as well.

But the problem with any rough, non-skid traction surface, whether it be sand or commerical non-skid granuals, is that it can abrade the skin if rubbed against.

Perhaps a better solution would be to buy some ribbed rubber sheet (like the kind used for hallway runners) and stretch it over the steps with the ribs running perpendicular to the direction of travel (along the long axis of the step). I think the black rubber style is softer and will provide more traction than the clear vinyl style. My local Orchard Supply Hardware sells both by the foot off of bulk rolls.

Still, handrails will provide something to hold on to when the feet are slippery. Plus they prevent falling off the side onto the cement. Plus they teach children good safety habits (holding onto rails while climbing steps). Finally, they will be absolutely necessary once your child is brave enough for you to raise the platform to four feet or higher.

Just my thoughts.

- Michael

Increasing water throughput will actually cause the pump to work harder.

Shawn

I've seen that kind of thing in Northern Tools. It's called sump discharge hose. They make an assortment of sizes. Can also be irrigation hose.

Heh.. that's pretty funny. A little cold, but funny anyway.

John

Also almost any farm supply will have a multitude of assorted types for water, fuel, fertilizer/spray applications and a "veritable plethora" of fittings if you don't find what you're looking for elsewhere...

You don't want actual 1" hose with threaded ends. Buy a kit sold for installing sump pumps. It has the 1" hose and the barbed nipples and hose clamps. This is definately the way to go for any sump pump. I have three in different areas of my yard and all have this upgrade. On volume, I used a 1/4 HP sump pump with 30' of 1" hose to empty a 60,000 gallon swimming pool in 12 hours. That's with 18 feet of head (the pump is 18 feet below the output of the hose)!

Thanks to you and everyone else for good ideas.

I called Wayne pumps. The lady on the phone was very helpful.

She said that definitely I should switch to 1" hose instead of my 5/8" garden hose. It would make the pump pump much more water and it would work less hard.

She also said that as far as life expectancy goes, if I used it for a few hours every day, it would last a couple of years. I expect it to be used perhaps 30 minutes per day for a small part of the year, so it will, hopefully, last enough. Heck, even one year will make it worthwhile.

We are inviting several other children tomorrow to have some water fun.

Reducing inlet restriction will help although you may not get the extra flow you're hoping for if your actual feed supply is limiting...what size spigot/supply line do you have?

Right now, both inlet and outlet hoses are 5/8" garden hose.

I am planning on going shopping tonight and buying reinforced 1" ID hose for inlet (soft hose may collapse), and reinforced OR regular 1" ID hose for outlet.

The length of the inlet section will be about 4 feet.

The length of the outlet hose will be perhaps 10 feet.

There will be no restrictions on inlet flow. The inlet hose will be in the pool, weighed down by a small piece of concrete, in such way that it will prevent it from "vacuuming" and sticking to some flat surface.

It is located under the slide, in a not so accessible place, so that it would not suck in children's body parts. A concern with a 1" hose.

My main interest here is not even the increased flow -- the current throughput is adequate -- but mainly reducing the load on the motor. It gets quite warm during operation. The extra flow will be merely a bonus.

I hate to have to say this, but such are the times we live in....

I hope your homeowner's insurance or renter's insurance has healthy liability coverage. You might want to call them and confirm the limits and restrictions on your policy.

- Michael