Is general debris unavoidable in outdoor pools?

[PoolNewb15]

Hey guys,

This is my first post. I am a new pools owner as we just moved into a house in October with a pool and have not been in it yet. This is my first pool and clearly I know nothing about pools lol. I learn a little from the pool boy who comes once a week..

I am quite a "germaphobe" and get paranoid over simple things lol.. The pools looks pretty clean now but when close you can see a lot of tiny debris on tops of the pool leaves being the biggest but they are easily scooped out with the net.

The rest is like tiny flies or unidentified debris is this normal? Or do pools working correctly generally have none of that? Its pretty a pretty open pool there's no screen or anything around it..

And is it safe to swim with this type of debris?

Any info much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP! It is normal to have a little stuff floating from time to time, but generally not much. The most important part of keeping a pool safe and sanitary is maintaining proper chlorine levels. It is generally safe to swim with a little stuff floating around if the water is clear.

Please update your signature, per attached, What we need to know to answer your questions
Here is an intro to water chemistry, ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry

 

[tim5055]

Yes and yes.

I'm an old Florida guy who remembers "most" pools had a screen enclosure around them. But now, in SC with a pool open to the elements there is always stuff in there. The longer you run your pump and the more effective your skimmers you will get most of it, but some is going to hang around.

Now, this is where chlorine is your friend. Keep your chlorine level up (chlorine level is base on a relationship with stabilizer/CYA) and it's safe to swim.

You said it, not me - but if you are truly a "germaphobe" it may always be difficult for you.

 

[PoolNewb15]

Welcome to TFP! It is normal to have a little stuff floating from time to time, but generally not much. The most important part of keeping a pool safe and sanitary is maintaining proper chlorine levels. It is generally safe to swim with a little stuff floating around if the water is clear.

Please update your signature, per attached, What we need to know to answer your questions
Here is an intro to water chemistry, ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry

Thank you.. Im just curios now to know what is considered much by others standards haha..

Thanks for the links ill check it out.. As for updating my signature the only answer I know to those questions is the pool is in-ground lol..

 

[jtaves85mcss]

Beyond leaves and bugs that will get skimmed or vacuumed out, my pool gets all kind of little stuff on in it from the yard that is generally not visible from standing on the side. If I get in it and look across the water, it looks like dust on the pool. I originally had the choice to either run the pump 24/7, cut the lot clear of all trees (just took 23 ash trees down last Fall) or shrug my shoulders and worry about other things. Now I have a pump timer to run a few hours before I get home in the evening and I keep my chlorine in range and enjoy the pool.

 

[PoolNewb15]

Yes and yes.

I'm an old Florida guy who remembers "most" pools had a screen enclosure around them. But now, in SC with a pool open to the elements there is always stuff in there. The longer you run your pump and the more effective your skimmers you will get most of it, but some is going to hang around.

Now, this is where chlorine is your friend. Keep your chlorine level up (chlorine level is base on a relationship with stabilizer/CYA) and it's safe to swim.

You said it, not me - but if you are truly a "germaphobe" it may always be difficult for you.

Thank you sir

- - - Updated - - -

Beyond leaves and bugs that will get skimmed or vacuumed out, my pool gets all kind of little stuff on in it from the yard that is generally not visible from standing on the side. If I get in it and look across the water, it looks like dust on the pool. I originally had the choice to either run the pump 24/7, cut the lot clear of all trees (just took 23 ash trees down last Fall) or shrug my shoulders and worry about other things. Now I have a pump timer to run a few hours before I get home in the evening and I keep my chlorine in range and enjoy the pool.

Got it! Thank you.

I was reading another thread that says make sure the flow etc is running correctly. Ill have them check it all out.. Maybe shock it one time? I dont even really know what that means. lol

 

[pooldv]

Read this, ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry to start understanding water chemistry.

As for how clean is my pool water? It is a lot cleaner and clearer than it was the day my pool was filled with the tap water that we drink. You just think your tap water is clear until you put 20,000 gallons of it in a pool and see how green and cloudy it really is. After a week of TFPC it will be sparkly, clean and clear.

 

[f3justusc]

God yes. It is the bane of my existence. Some days, I just want to break down and cry but I hold it in and go get the vacuum ooonnnee more time. A bit dramatic but you get the idea. There is one spot that is out of reach of the cover and that opening is like a magnet. I am glad I have a robot and don't have to deal with the suction side cleaner.

 

[PoolNewb15]

Read this, ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry to start understanding water chemistry.

As for how clean is my pool water? It is a lot cleaner and clearer than it was the day my pool was filled with the tap water that we drink. You just think your tap water is clear until you put 20,000 gallons of it in a pool and see how green and cloudy it really is. After a week of TFPC it will be sparkly, clean and clear.

Beyond leaves and bugs that will get skimmed or vacuumed out, my pool gets all kind of little stuff on in it from the yard that is generally not visible from standing on the side. If I get in it and look across the water, it looks like dust on the pool. I originally had the choice to either run the pump 24/7, cut the lot clear of all trees (just took 23 ash trees down last Fall) or shrug my shoulders and worry about other things. Now I have a pump timer to run a few hours before I get home in the evening and I keep my chlorine in range and enjoy the pool.

Got it! Thank you.

I was reading another thread that says make sure the flow etc is running correctly. Ill have them check it all out.. Maybe shock it one time? I dont even really know what that means. lol

 

[PoolNewb15]

God yes. It is the bane of my existence. Some days, I just want to break down and cry but I hold it in and go get the vacuum ooonnnee more time. A bit dramatic but you get the idea. There is one spot that is out of reach of the cover and that opening is like a magnet. I am glad I have a robot and don't have to deal with the suction side cleaner.

Haha thanks.. So by robot I assume you mean robotic vacuum? How much do they go for ? might be a good investment. Its just the pool boy does ours once a week right now.

 

[f3justusc]

Haha thanks.. So by robot I assume you mean robotic vacuum? How much do they go for ? might be a good investment. Its just the pool boy does ours once a week right now.

Yep, robotic cleaner. I had the suction side cleaner for a year and a handheld
rechargeable one before that. I finally reached the point where I just want to enjoy the pool without any effort on my part. I picked it up for just under $400. Considering the suction cleaners are just under $200, I have no complaints. I toss it in and I leave. It never gets stuck and the water is crystal clear with no debris on the bottom in about an hour. I let it run for two hours just to filter the water.

 

[tim5055]

Got it! Thank you.

I was reading another thread that says make sure the flow etc is running correctly. Ill have them check it all out.. Maybe shock it one time? I dont even really know what that means. lol

Shocking is pool store speak for a one time addition of a high level of chlorine, advise we don't follow. It is usually recommended when the pool store has no idea what is going on with your pool and just wants to sell you something and send you on your way.

When we speak of shock, it is merely the numeric level of chlorine at which we start eliminating all the bad stuff in our water.

Start reading through the site and learn the methods we espouse here. Ask questions. While some say information given over the internet is worth what you paid for it, remember - when you go to the professionals at the pool store their goal is to sell you as much stuff as possible, not to worry about how your pool really is.

 

[tim5055]

Its just the pool boy does ours once a week right now.

Well, think about firing the pool boy. No one will keep the pool as clean as you want it other than you. Pool services operate on the premise that they can add chemicals today that will last a week. The problem is you have higher levels today, not so much at the end of the week. Plus they tend to use "tablet" chlorine, which is not really all chlorine. A large portion of a chlorine tablet is made up of Cyanuric Acid (CYA), also know as stabilizer. While your pool needs CYA, it doesn't need - as a matter of fact is harmed by the massive amounts that begin to build up with continued use of solid forms of chlorine.

The TFP system is based on accurate testign of your pool and only adding those substances that it truly needs, when it needs them.

I might suggest you pick up one of the recommended test kits. You can buy a kit at a pool store, but again the pool store kits generally won't cut it. To effectively practice the TFPC methods, the FAS/DPD chlorine test is essential. All these kits contain that test while very few other kits do. Think of it this way, do you see a doctor blindly prescribing drugs without seeing the patient or having tests run?

 

[Richard320]

If it blows into the yard, it blows into the pool. Whatever you find on the patio furniture, on parked cars, windowsills, or piling up in drifts in the corner of the patio, it's in the pool. That's what the skimmer is for. Maintaining adequate chlorine levels for your CYA level will kill any germs and bacteria on the debris. And that is the bigger question. Does the pool guy just fill your puck feeder once a week? Or do you maintain the chemistry? If it's been fed a steady diet of pucks, odds are very high that the CYA is up so high that there isn't enough active chlorine in the water - it's all bound up to the stabilizer.