Hey all!
I'm at a loss right now with my pool so any suggestions would be appreciated.
I've had a 15' Intex pool (4400 gallons) for the last few years. Last year I had an algae issue late summer that I couldn't manage with my filter and constant shocking/scrubbing. I didn't want to skimp on a pool vacuum but the only good ones I found were too expensive for us at the time. I made a makeshift vacuum using my shop vac and tried to siphon out the algae and it worked but didn't help enough. I ended up draining the pool completely and refilled it but the algae came back immediately and I again couldn't manage it. After some research I assumed it was possibly mustard algae that my nephews likely brought over from the lake they swim in. So I scrubbed the pool liner and cleaned all our pool toys/floaties before this year. Note: I also had a lot of little holes in the liner before the summer that I had to patch up and was hoping there was no algae stuck in that.
This summer I was leary of the mustard algae coming back but we were fine for almost 3 months. Then the mustard algae came back but after MORE research it turns out it's very likely pollen, not mustard algae. We have lots of trees near our pool (no way to avoid them) and then algae started coming up too and I couldn't do maintenance on the pool for a couple days due to a family matter and it got really bad. I had gotten the Intex Pool Cleaner (the one that looks like a tank) and although it works I just couldn't manage the algae again. I'm now thinking that my pump (the standard 1000 gal/hr version) is just not enough power to manage the pollen and whatever else our pool collects. So I'm thinking my only solution is to get a more powerful sand filter pump. Thoughts?
I'm at a loss right now with my pool so any suggestions would be appreciated.
I've had a 15' Intex pool (4400 gallons) for the last few years. Last year I had an algae issue late summer that I couldn't manage with my filter and constant shocking/scrubbing. I didn't want to skimp on a pool vacuum but the only good ones I found were too expensive for us at the time. I made a makeshift vacuum using my shop vac and tried to siphon out the algae and it worked but didn't help enough. I ended up draining the pool completely and refilled it but the algae came back immediately and I again couldn't manage it. After some research I assumed it was possibly mustard algae that my nephews likely brought over from the lake they swim in. So I scrubbed the pool liner and cleaned all our pool toys/floaties before this year. Note: I also had a lot of little holes in the liner before the summer that I had to patch up and was hoping there was no algae stuck in that.
This summer I was leary of the mustard algae coming back but we were fine for almost 3 months. Then the mustard algae came back but after MORE research it turns out it's very likely pollen, not mustard algae. We have lots of trees near our pool (no way to avoid them) and then algae started coming up too and I couldn't do maintenance on the pool for a couple days due to a family matter and it got really bad. I had gotten the Intex Pool Cleaner (the one that looks like a tank) and although it works I just couldn't manage the algae again. I'm now thinking that my pump (the standard 1000 gal/hr version) is just not enough power to manage the pollen and whatever else our pool collects. So I'm thinking my only solution is to get a more powerful sand filter pump. Thoughts?