White Fuzz on surface of pool water??

edkkang · Jul 21, 2017

Hey all! I have an issue with my pool water and I wasn't able to find anything relevant in search.

This is my second summer with this pool and since opening this year, I've noticed small white fuzz on the surface of my pool. I can't determine if it's pollen-like things from trees, dandelion fuzz, feather parts from birds, or an actual growth from the poolwater itself. I didn't experience this last season. It also casts a shadow on the pool floor appearing as if there's oil mixing with water.

I run my pump at least 6 hours a day with 1 skimmer, as well as a Pool Skim in one of my returns. I clean the surface of the pool with a silt model leaf rake and 1 hour later, it's back as if I've never cleaned it. When I try to pick it up directly, it just breaks in my hand and I can't determine its texture. Once it dries in the leaf rake, it's like a very fine powder that blows with the slightest air current.

I've circled a few of them in this picture, but there are a lot more. Small leaf for scale.
Any ideas on what this could be and how to get rid of them would be greatly appreciated!!

jblizzle · Jul 21, 2017

It must be something blown into the pool.

Have you added any weird chemicals?

edkkang · Jul 21, 2017

jblizzle said:
It must be something blown into the pool.

Have you added any weird chemicals?

The only thing different added to my pool was Hardness Control compared to last year. Also, I opened my filter this year and really deep cleaned the sucker with a hose, which I didn't do last year. I test my water with TF-100 and all levels are within range.

jblizzle · Jul 22, 2017

reason I ask is some chemicals had very fine powder than can clump up in the surface tension I the water.

Still likely think it blew in.

mknauss · Jul 22, 2017

What is Hardness Control? Could it be creating solid calcium carbonate that floats on your surface? Seems odd -----

cowboycasey · Jul 22, 2017

We get the same exact thing here in OK.. Here it is cottonwood pollen, looks almost like cotton until it hits the water then it looks like clear wet cotton

it gets so bad here it will turn into huge 6 inch ball moving around under the water in just under 12 hours overnight...

Looks like this

cottonwood | the heart thrills

edkkang · Jul 23, 2017

cowboycasey said:
We get the same exact thing here in OK.. Here it is cottonwood pollen, looks almost like cotton until it hits the water then it looks like clear wet cotton it gets so bad here it will turn into huge 6 inch ball moving around under the water in just under 12 hours overnight...

Looks like this cottonwood | the heart thrills

Thanks. It almost does look like cotton but I don't see anything floating around in the air in my backyard. I'm puzzled by what it could be.

If it is something floating into my pool, is there anything that could be done about it?

cowboycasey · Jul 24, 2017

the only thing we can do here is check and clear the skimmer more so it does not clog up... You could put a cover on to see if that helps