Lots of tiny particles floating on top of pool...normal?

[hawkeyes]

Ok...I'm somewhat of a clean freak. But the teeny tiny floating particles on the top of my pool are really annoying me. I assume most of it is dust and pollen (there are some tufts of what look to be cotton mixed in, too, but I didn't think we had any cotton trees around here). I put knee highs on the skimmer baskets in hopes it would help. I could clean those dang socks every day b/c they are filled with icky gunk. I skim the pool every night and again every morning but the particles are mostly so tiny they just go right through the net.

Is this typical? Is it just something I need to learn to live with?

 

[Richard320]

Probably dandelions.

And yes, stuff on the surface is normal. I find little clumps of superfine black stuff all the time. At first I thought it was ash from barbequing upwind, but I get it even on days I don't barbeque and the lid is on tight.

Try moving your return jets around, maybe improve circulation. That will keep the surface nice. Won't help much with the skimmer socks.

 

[ric]

hawkeyes... I live in northern Ohio and you are describing a normal spring , early summer around here. We don"t realize how much Crud is in the air till we get a pool. I have weed seeds, tree seeds, Charry blossoms, grass, bugs , frogs, and the list goes on and on. I live in the country and there is wild country all around me. It takes cleaning for me everyday to keep up. For me a solar cover and a skimmer sock help a lot but some still gets in. It does slow down in mid summer.
I hope somebody responds to your question that lives in Texas that isn't so far away, but you are describing a normal process up north. I have so much stuff at this time of the year it might be making it to Texas.

 

[hawkeyes]

Probably dandelions.


Try moving your return jets around, maybe improve circulation. That will keep the surface nice. Won't help much with the skimmer socks.

You bring up a good point about the jets and I wondered the same thing. Should they all be pointing in the same direction to keep the water flowing the same way? Not sure if I just need to go twist a few in the opposite way and see if it helps or what.

 

[hawkeyes]

hawkeyes... I live in northern Ohio and you are describing a normal spring , early summer around here. We don"t realize how much **** is in the air till we get a pool. I have weed seeds, tree seeds, Charry blossoms, grass, bugs , frogs, and the list goes on and on. I live in the country and there is wild country all around me. It takes cleaning for me everyday to keep up. For me a solar cover and a skimmer sock help a lot but some still gets in. It does slow down in mid summer.
I hope somebody responds to your question that lives in Texas that isn't so far away, but you are describing a normal process up north. I have so much stuff at this time of the year it might be making it to Texas.

I can't imagine what yours must be like being in the country---I'm in a large subdivision that has no construction going, no grass near the pool, very few trees and yet I have Crud all over the surface. I guess I just need to get over it but I hate walking out there and seeing crud shimmering across the top of the water!

 

[mynewpool]

I have the same issue as you do with the net. I have a net that has larger holes and then I have a net that is used to get very fine particles. It is a black net and it will pick up almost anything except dust particles.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Is it just something I need to learn to live with?

Yup...

 

[orthofish]

I have the same problem, but I live out in the country. My house is kinda in the middle of a hay field. I find that if I run my pump on low, the skimmer doesn't do it's job too well. About an hour on high and that little stuff is gone.

They'll be cutting my hay as soon as RAIN isn't in the forecast :x That's always fun. Stuff flying everywhere. It's amazing what you find that is annoying once you've put a pool in :-D I tend to pay more attention to the direction the wind is blowing too :-D

 

[hawkeyes]

I have the same problem, but I live out in the country. My house is kinda in the middle of a hay field. I find that if I run my pump on low, the skimmer doesn't do it's job too well. About an hour on high and that little stuff is gone.

They'll be cutting my hay as soon as RAIN isn't in the forecast :x That's always fun. Stuff flying everywhere. It's amazing what you find that is annoying once you've put a pool in :-D I tend to pay more attention to the direction the wind is blowing too :-D

I have so much to learn....there are different speed I can run my pump at??? Seriously....I need someone to come teach me this stuff.

 

[zea3]

Most common pool pumps are single speed. There are variable speed and 2 speed pumps available and people like them for the potential energy savings.

 

[dh_fatdogranch]

I have the same problem of stuff floating on my pool. At first I thought it was sand from the filter but there too much of it looked like tiny tiny pieces of cotton. Then I got bugs in the pool that I thought were spiders. After trying to clean them out this week I realize they are not spiders but some type of pool bug or mite. I think the white particles floating are also some kind of mite. Aome
Of the bugs in my pool float
On theirs backs and I thought they were dead. I habe read about a pool bug called a backswimmer who “guess what” swims upside down on his. The bugs in my pool are not the same color as ones
On internet though. Does anyone know?

 

[Kellyp]

Hey Hawkeyes. It gets extreme in GA as well. Get on Amazon and find a "pollen bag" for your pole. These bags get everything, pollen dust, gnats. Yes, you still have to do the work, but I'd rather that, than swim in it. I also turn my pump up to 2450 before I swim to help skim a lot of that away.