Pool Covers to prevent pollen

[jlhaz]

Hello,

I seem to be getting a lot of what is either pollen or algae along with leaves in my IGP. Would a cover help eliminate this?

I have asolar cover, but not sure if it's the right kind since I live in AZ, where in the summer we need no help heating the pool!

Thanks!

 

[chem geek]

Yes, it absolutely helps. I have an opaque electric safety cover and it keeps lots of cedar leaves and flower petals and pollen out of the pool. I have an oversized cartridge filter I only have to clean once a year. Of course, I have to clean off the cover before opening it, but that's a lot easier than having to frequently clean a cartridge filter. If I didn't have a cover, I'd most certainly want a sand/DE filter I could backwash, but that isn't allowed in our area due to water restrictions.

With a typical solar cover, you need to be careful not to dump what is on it back into the pool while rolling it up. I agree that in AZ you don't want your normal clear cover that would heat the pool -- perhaps an opaque white or light colored cover would work better in your situation.

Another advantage of having a cover is it cuts down evaporation so retains heat in the pool and uses less water (for refill) and that also makes the pool chemistry more stable since you're not adding whatever is in the fill water (typically TA and CH).

Richard

 

[JohnT]

A tip that was posted on PF a couple of years ago can be helpful. Before removing a dirty solar cover, turn the pump on, and use a garden hose to wash the debris off the cover into the skimmer. It's very easy, since the cover is perfectly level.