I'm just now at the end of my first week of having a pool with water in it. Each day I come home from work to find the pool floor and steps absolutely covered with the reddish tinted sand that is typical for my area. This looks especially bad against my blue plaster and changes the entire color of the pool water. I thought this might be a plaster dust situation at first, and I suppose that could contribute some but it is never on the pool walls and it is not white. My FC is 4.5, CYA 30, CC <0.5 and the pool is only a week old (as far as having water) so I don't suspect algae problems. When I brush you can see strips of brilliant blue surrounded by the reddish dirt everywhere else until I finally get it all brushed toward the main drain (I'm instructed not to vacuum yet by the PB). I kinda expected this when it was super windy, but I've found similar amounts of dirt/dust even after calm days. Is this normal for pools, or at least new pools? If so I'm going to be completely worn out from brushing this pool while waiting for the plaster to cure so the Polaris can be started up!
Where is this dirt coming from?!?
- Thread starter Ryno98
- Start date
Dust is common, but it is normally the same color as the pool.
Where do you live? Is it possible that the dust is blowing into the pool?
Where do you live? Is it possible that the dust is blowing into the pool?
I'm in East Texas. I suppose it has to be blowing into the pool (and we HAVE had some pretty crazy wind lately), but it just seems pretty ridiculous how much is in there on a daily basis. We have had rain and I know that can wash some dirt into the pool, especially off of all of the overhanging rock features. Perhaps my expectations are simply out of line, but it's looking like until I can run the Polaris (28 days) I will have to brush the entire pool every single day or else have a reddish tan bottom to my pool. Considering it takes a good 30 minutes to do a decently thorough brushing of my pool given the size and multiple steps/ledges, this is a bit frustrating - or perhaps I'm just being lazy compared to the seasoned pool owners! Do most people need to brush every day if they don't have some kind of automatic cleaner?
Can you post pics of your pool, your landscaping around the pool and pics of the dirt in the pool?
Agreed. Pictures would be very helpful.
Logically, dust can come from: the plaster, the filter (sand/DE) or the environment. Red dust would appear environmental. DE and sand would be beige/tan, and plaster would be a similar color of the plaster.
I have found that certain stone used in water structures can experience a quick surface erosion which slows down over time. I've been told that a SWG pool can accelerate the process (the salt water).
Check the color against stone work and any grout used in the process?
Last, here in austin at the height of cedar fever and oak pollen, on white pools the pollen can be visible (it covers everything in a day). Is there a similar high pollen in your area now?
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Logically, dust can come from: the plaster, the filter (sand/DE) or the environment. Red dust would appear environmental. DE and sand would be beige/tan, and plaster would be a similar color of the plaster.
I have found that certain stone used in water structures can experience a quick surface erosion which slows down over time. I've been told that a SWG pool can accelerate the process (the salt water).
Check the color against stone work and any grout used in the process?
Last, here in austin at the height of cedar fever and oak pollen, on white pools the pollen can be visible (it covers everything in a day). Is there a similar high pollen in your area now?
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I have a new pool in the Austin area, and have experienced the exact same thing. I'm pretty sure now that the source is the bare ground surrounding the pool, where the construction was being done. So my priority now is to get some kind of grass growing in that dirt, 'cause not only is the dust in the pool unsightly, but it must be gumming up the filter as well.
In any case, you should be brushing all those plaster surfaces a couple of times a day anyway, for at least a couple weeks.
In any case, you should be brushing all those plaster surfaces a couple of times a day anyway, for at least a couple weeks.
I ended up having one of those "duh huh" moments yesterday... I was walking around the pool brushing and just generally cleaning up while the wind howled. I'm convinced I "cured" the drought here a few years ago by spending the money to put in a well, and now I'm pretty sure I've caused some major weather pattern shift where East Texas gets West Texas wind now that I've put a pool in. It has seriously been blowing no less than 20 mph sustained since the pool was filled, and oftentimes much harder. Anyway, as I looked up and surveyed the large barren dirt areas around the pool my eyes were blasted with a gritty substance. As I sat there rubbing my eyes I thought yep, I'm an idiot. Apparently there really is that much dirt blowing around out here. Unfortunately, I am at a complete standstill on installing grass right now. Shortly after getting the pool up and running the PB discovered a leak in a line feeding a couple of bubblers and subsequently dug a gigantic hole where the plumbing moves from the equipment pad under the deck. Despite some guy crawling way up in there like some kind of 3rd world country miner, they were unsuccessful in fixing it and are now planning to cut out a section of my brand new deck (exposed aggregate). So evidently I just need to get used to the dirt for now, and get used to trying to get new sod to grow and not die when I finally get to plant it -- when it will be 110 degrees outside... I think I'm just going to give up on the whole "wait 1 month before running the polaris" thing, because the amount of dirt I keep sweeping toward the main drain is getting ridiculous.