Not algae but what the what is this?

[pcmacd]

Went down to the pool and see minor water rising from my auto fill valve port in the deck. I open it up and it is filled with these stringy weeds.

I grappled as many as I could with my hands and poured some chlorine into the port.

What is this stuff and how can I get rid of / prevent it growing?

I've had a pool for 40 years, this one for 4.5 years, and have never seen anything like this.

 

[Mdragger88]

Looks like grass maybe got blown in. Had any yard work done recently? Landscapers love to blow grass where you don’t want it.
Is the auto fill functioning properly now?
See any cracks in the pot?

 

[pcmacd]

Thanks, but I live in the desert. We don't have grass! The stuff is tubular, not flat.

Never seen anything link it.

 

[mknauss]

Looks like roots. What plants are nearby? Look for a leak where you found them entering the autofill pot.

 

[Mdragger88]

Yup, likely roots.

roots in plumbing - Google Search

 

[pcmacd]

It DOES look like ROOTS! I can't imagine what, though, unless it is some pesky weed I neglected to pull. There are no trees nor landscaping anyplace around. As I mentioned before, this is the desert!

How to get rid? I haven't looked at the results of the chlorine, but I would want to put anything else in except perhaps a half teaspoon of copper sulfate.

 

[mknauss]

Do not put copper in your pool water.

The roots are coming from a plant. Could be many feet away. In the desert, plants search water. You have a source. Where did the roots enter the autofill pot? Look for a leak.

 

[pcmacd]

There was a very small Palo Verde I thought was just a weed about four feet from the fill valve pit.

That HAD to be the culprit.

I burned it down at the base with a repurposed ice melting 40K BTU torch, along with any other weed anywhere near the valve.

I cannot imagine that 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of copper sulfate in my fill valve pit would hurt my pool chemistry?

SOMEBODY please correct me here if I am mistaken?

Even though I have burned out the offending plant, these Palo Verdes are extraordinarily hearty, and the roots may still stay alive unless poisoned.

 

[RLP]

He just corrected you in the above post.

 

[mknauss]

You are welcome to add all the copper to your water you wish. It is not TFPC recommended.

 

[pcmacd]

You are welcome to add all the copper to your water you wish. It is not TFPC recommended.

That was not the question, was it, sir?

~~~~~
I am trying to understand what problems 1/4 teaspoon of copper sulfate in the water fill well in an 18.5K gallon pool might cause.

• I find it hard to imagine that the pool will notice that amount of copper, especially as my pebble surface is generally light blue.

I have a serious problem with an invasive plant taking over my fill well.

Even though I have burnt the offending Palo Verde to the ground, I am not certain that the roots will die, as they are awfully hearty trees.

heck, the roots will likely send up a half dozen more trees if I don't kill the roots.

--->>> Life is a series of tradeoffs. <<<---

• I am wondering what the CuSO4 tradeoff will be in such minor amounts of that chemical, which will surely kill the roots?

 

[RLP]

Copper in Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[mknauss]

I am sure it will do nothing. So use it. Just not TFPC recommended.

 

[Mdragger88]

I would attempt to use salt to kill the roots before resorting to other methods that are not good for your pool.