AIBU?
Paddling pool help - posting here for traffic!
badger2005 · 07/07/2017 16:01
I have just got a paddling pool, and we have 4 hot children waiting.
I can't figure out how to inflate it. There are big sort of plug holes with two plugs, one with a cross on it. So I thought I could use a football pump on it. But the cross is plastic so the thing can't get in.
Help?!
justkeepswimmingg · 07/07/2017 17:04
Depends what type of nozzles you have for your hairdryer. Some slim nozzles will fit, depending on the size of the plug holes on the paddling pool. You just need to try and seal around the hairdryer to avoid the air coming out (if that makes sense). Not sure if the warm setting would cause a problem or not though, I have a cool setting on mine and have used that in the past with no problems. Hope you've got it resolved now?
badger2005 · 07/07/2017 18:58
... and breathe!
Sorry for not replying before - was kind of a bit hectic. My 2 dc invited a friend each round, and I had planned paddling pool fun + board games for the older ones/whatever they liked + nice tea with icecream. But the whole paddling thing went wrong. Not being able to inflate the b*** thing was the latest in a line of calamities that I won't bore you with. In the end we got the sprinkler going so the children cooled off, and then I managed to very very partially inflate the pool by using the bike pump with duct tape, and a bit of blowing into it which was weirdly ineffective. I tried using a hairdryer by guessing what you meant (should have got more info first!) and all I did was overheat my hairdryer.
Luckily the bigger two were not bothered about the paddling pool and the little two played very happily in it when I added some water even though it was little more than a bumpy piece of plastic on the lawn!
Little friend gone home, others playing minecraft, and I'm eating the left over nuggets. So now the paddling pool problem is more intellectually interesting than urgent. It is this. I will read the reviews and see if anyone else is also stuck.
Thank you so much lovely mumsnetters for offering your help, and thanks mummyrabbitpig for making me laugh!
SloeGinRocks · 07/07/2017 19:03
FATEdestiny · 07/07/2017 19:06
You want an electric pump. But this:
www.argos.co.uk/product/3664120
We've had it 13 years now. Gets loads of use mostly paddling pool. Also air beds for sleepers.
Well worth £28. Although I bet you could buy cheaper.
badger2005 · 07/07/2017 19:11
Oh or thank you FATEdestiny maybe electric is the way to go.
In the product description for the one you have linked to it says: "There's nothing worse for a child than having to wait for the pool to be ready to play in". I disagree. Even if we just focusing on 1st world problems, I'd say it is worse to be the parent sitting the in sun frantically trying to get it to inflate! When I looked up the children seemed to be having an okay time, playing in the sprinkler, and coming over to help/see how I was getting on/offer suggestions! It was just me that was stressing out about things not measuring up to expectations!
badger2005 · 07/07/2017 19:16
Five Minutes FATEdestiny, Five minutes!!! I spent about an hour on mine and by the end I had managed to get enough air so it could hold a puddle!
I have learnt something today anyway.
Our old paddling pool was a lot smaller and I just used to blow into it to inflate. It took a while, but it wasn't a ridiculous task. With the children growing, I thought the paddling pool should too, but I guess my lung capacity has stayed the same.
snotato · 07/07/2017 19:18
Op-check the opposite end of the pool from the big holes that you've been trying to inflate.
I had a pool a while ago which has 2 big holes at one and which I couldn't figure out how to inflate.It wasn't until a while later I noticed smaller plug holes in the opposite end (like you get in armbands)
I had been trying to inflate it through the big holes which were supposed to be used to deflate the pool faster.
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