This is the first time in 10 years of pool ownership I can’t see the bottom. All numbers look good, but after brushing it is sooo murky. Think my cartridge filter will clear it?
My pool is SAD! 😢 Northern California ash 😷
- Thread starter CaptainCannonball
- Start date
Oly
Gold Supporter
We too are getting ash fallout from the fires. This is a situation where the robot pool cleaner shines as it is keeping the much of the ash out of my pool filter system. The pool is also clean at least for a few days. I am having to run my bot 2-3 times a week now but the fine filters are getting the grey ash that has settled on the bottom. My skimmer hair nets are also doing yeoman's work by collecting the ash from the surface.
I expect many folks with electrical solar panels are seeing a loss of production. The sun is red if you see it at all. I know the ET (evapo-transpiration) rates have dropped, our pools FC demand has decreased and of course the air quality is unhealthy. The sky is orange all day, no stars and at night and you can see the ash rain down.
I expect many folks with electrical solar panels are seeing a loss of production. The sun is red if you see it at all. I know the ET (evapo-transpiration) rates have dropped, our pools FC demand has decreased and of course the air quality is unhealthy. The sky is orange all day, no stars and at night and you can see the ash rain down.
santacruzpool
Gold Supporter
We are a little over 3 miles from one active section of the CZU Lighting Complex Fire that started in August - we have had ash for a while now, and during the peak of the fires closer to us we had small chunks of wood charcoal, burnt leaves, and lots of black wood splinters raining down on us in addition to the ash.
My robot has been working overtime, but it still needs cleaning frequently - AND I HAVE A COVER...
I can't imagine how bad things would be without a cover. We do still get ash that blows into the pool at the cover bar from everything that is still left around. During the last two days we are now getting more fine ash from some of the newer fires up north...
Not to mention the sky is completely orange and dark. At least today it isn't 108° like it was this past weekend. I am just thankful that we are currently safe and still have a house and pool. Many we know, and many more we don't know, have lost so much this year...what a crazy time.
My robot has been working overtime, but it still needs cleaning frequently - AND I HAVE A COVER...
I can't imagine how bad things would be without a cover. We do still get ash that blows into the pool at the cover bar from everything that is still left around. During the last two days we are now getting more fine ash from some of the newer fires up north...
Not to mention the sky is completely orange and dark. At least today it isn't 108° like it was this past weekend. I am just thankful that we are currently safe and still have a house and pool. Many we know, and many more we don't know, have lost so much this year...what a crazy time.
This smoke & ash plume must be gigantic, seeing your reports from far & wide.
This morning I spent 2 hours sweeping the ash & leaves (we had a windstorm, too) off my auto-cover, then netting the floating stuff and vacuuming the sunken stuff from my pool. All while wearing an N95 mask with vent.
This morning I spent 2 hours sweeping the ash & leaves (we had a windstorm, too) off my auto-cover, then netting the floating stuff and vacuuming the sunken stuff from my pool. All while wearing an N95 mask with vent.
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
Check you pH and alk as well i expect the ash will affect the pool's chem... i know it is making a mess of mine.. especially when the PMI is pushing 500 as it was yesterday.
I guess chemistry class failed me
I thought ash would have been basic. If anything my ph has risen more than normal. Alkalinity is up a bit from 80 to 90. Chlorine demand is way down thanks to the shade of a giant ash cloud 
How has the ash impacted your numbers?
Stay safe friend, we are close to the LNU that happens to be mostly if not completely contained. The north winds are what brought the fine ash recently that seemed to have a bigger impact on the happiness of my pool.
- Jul 17, 2019
- 4,084
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
You are correct ash is basic and will make you pH rise... add acid to bring it back down. You are remembering your chemistry correctly.. you are just turned around on the scale.I guess chemistry class failed me
How has the ash impacted your numbers?
This is the second wave of ash rain for us. I expect it will be the same pH roller coaster ride.
️
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
Just to share with the rest of world... i have never seen AQI numbers like this.. this is in the Sacramento area yesterday
Oly
Gold Supporter
Ash also contains phosphorus as well as other nutrients released from trees and plants. I suspect pool stores will begin testing and warning about high phosphates and recommending their removers. 
santacruzpool
Gold Supporter
Hope everyone stays safe with seemingly the whole west on fire...
Here is what it looks like outside the back of the house at 4:30 this afternoon...all the streetlights are on and it is almost completely dark.
I think I might need to find an axe for the zombie apocalypse
Here is what it looks like outside the back of the house at 4:30 this afternoon...all the streetlights are on and it is almost completely dark.
I think I might need to find an axe for the zombie apocalypse
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
That's so weird what's happening with the orange and red skies. I'm only about 15 to 20 miles from the Creek Fire, one of the bigger ones, and haven't seen that. I think the smoke is mostly going in your direction. Still enough here to see ash swirling around in the air, and plenty of grey skies and smoke near the ground. Air quality is awful, we can't even be outside enough to use the pool right now. I put my solar cover on so the ash is mostly collecting on that, then I can try to get rid of a lot it with a blower before it even gets into the water.
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
I'm up in Sac and it looked very much like that on Tuesday.. My brother lives in Fresno, he said it was raining ash most of the day on Monday... I was in Chico yesterday, and there are piles of ash in the gutters and where ever it would accumulate.
My son was staying with friends at Huntington Lake when the evac order came in.. Meanwhile my brother was camping off the grid north of there. I don't know who it was scarier for, the ones that got an immediate evac order out of the blue... or the ones that were disconnected from civilization and that watched it develop from afar knowing they would be caught if they didn't get out. All the roads funnel to the same highways in that area. They and their groups all got out, just so you know..
My son was staying with friends at Huntington Lake when the evac order came in.. Meanwhile my brother was camping off the grid north of there. I don't know who it was scarier for, the ones that got an immediate evac order out of the blue... or the ones that were disconnected from civilization and that watched it develop from afar knowing they would be caught if they didn't get out. All the roads funnel to the same highways in that area. They and their groups all got out, just so you know..
The smoke is over here in AZ!!!
Man you guys over in Cali can’t seem to catch a break. First all the fires, then you know it’ll rain afterwards and you’ll have to deal with mudslides. Crazy.
santacruzpool
Gold Supporter
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
