Newish pool owner with a fine dust problem

[adamt]

We've had our pool (with a new Pentair filter, Pentair VS pump and new plumbing) for about 6 months and in just the last month or so I've noticed a lot of fine dust/dirt on the surface of my pool that I can't get rid of.

I backwashed, which didn't help. I cleaned the filter. Still no difference. I put a thigh high sock on the skimmer basket, which caught a lot of junk but there's still a lot more floating around.

What could be causing this surface dirt and how do I get rid of it?

Thanks

 

[Mr Bruce]

If it's only on the surface the water level might be too high. If it's over the top of the skimmer intake, it won't skim off the top but an inch or two below it.

If you suspect it is going through your filter and out the returns, some DE might help.

 

[atttech-2]

I have noticed the same thing in the last couple of weeks I think it is pollen from our unusually warm weather. I just added a couple of 15min run times a few hours apart between my normal filter cycle to skim off the stuff before it has a chance to sink.

 

[adamt]

Thank you both for the replies.

I added a little more DE and ran the filter over night. No real change to the surface. It's still full of fine particles.

Would a clarifier help? If so, any in particular?

Thanks

 

[YippeeSkippy]

No, a clarifier has potential to make matters much worse. We *rarely* recommend them.

Pollen, road construction dust, that sort of thing will often float on the surface and the only way I know of handling it is to make sure you're getting enough pump run time in that it goes through the skimmer. Your skimmer water level should be right at the midway mark, no higher or it won't skim and not too low or you risk sucking air. Midway. :nemo:

In my neck of the woods we get a LOT of yellow pollen in the spring and it covers everything- do you see that out side of the pool too? If it is ONLY in the water it may be the start of an algae outbreak.

Got any current reliable test results you can share??

Yippee

 

[adamt]

In my neck of the woods we get a LOT of yellow pollen in the spring and it covers everything- do you see that out side of the pool too? If it is ONLY in the water it may be the start of an algae outbreak.

That's a good point. I don't see a noticeable amount of pollen anywhere. I checked my chlorine levels last weekend and both days showed the same number. I'll check again tomorrow, but I'm still leaning towards this being something other than algae that just isn't being collected by the filter or thigh high sock over the skimmer basket. It's driving me nuts! My water is crystal except the surface.

 

[ewkearns]

It is probably pollen. My approach is to put on an honest-to-goodness skimmer sock.

 

[duraleigh]

Are your weir door(s) functioning correctly?

 

[adamt]

Are your weir door(s) functioning correctly?

I believe so. When the pump is running, the weir is pulled down by the skimmer suction. That's what supposed to happen, right?

Also, is a skimmer sock better than a thigh high? I'll head to the store tomorrow to get a pack and hope that helps.

 

[pooldv]

It seems like a skimmer sock filters finer particles. When I use a skimmer sock for pollen it clogs up pretty quickly, but we have lots of trees.