Solar cover = increase in algae?

[John55]

Solar cover = increase in algae?

Anyone notice this after covering the pool there is a dramatic increase in algae. Looks brown on the walls. Cover for about two or three days at a time.

 

[tim5055]

Solar cover = increase in algae?

Anyone notice this after covering the pool there is a dramatic increase in algae. Looks brown on the walls. Cover for about two or three days at a time.

Nope. If yoiu maintain the proper FC/CYA ratio you should not get algae..

You need to follow the SLAM Process to eliminate the algae.

Back in May you said you were getting a better test kit. Did you get one or are you still using the Poolmaster 22260 5-Way Test Kit?

 

[Donldson]

Yeah, what Tim said ^ If you are getting any algae at all then there is something wrong with your water chemistry, cover or no cover.

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[Shane1]

I've had my cover on for a month or so now with zero issues.

 

[PAGirl]

Are you taking it off to brush?

 

[John55]

Copy that. I brush once a week.

I did get a kit but now it's old. Still got algae only when covering so I'm guessing increased temperature increased chemical bleach demand which I did not account for.

 

[cowboycasey]

My solar cover has been on for about 3 weeks now and clear as ever Try raising your FC level after you finish the SLAM

 

[tcat]

I get a lot of pollen, seems to build up on cover, I brush leaves off cover but pollen trends to end up in pool. Brown "dust" on walls and bottom. Brushing and circulating gets rid of it (after 2 or 3 days).

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[John55]

Does it make a difference if it's a blue vs clear cover?

I have a blue cover.

 

[needsajet]

A proper test kit, bought a year ago and stored properly, should be fine to use and not too old. You need to find out the numbers for your own understanding of what's happening, and experts here are flying blind if you don't post test results. With algae already growing in the pool, a cover can make things worse if water is warmer, or better if there's less sunlight getting through, but I think the experts here are telling you nicely that the cover is not the cause. I suppose if the cover is dirty with algae, it could be adding to the problem, and would need to be cleaned. Even without seeing test numbers, it sounds like you need to kill the algae in the pool, and then maintain adequate FC.

 

[Donldson]

What are your current test results?

 

[JayG]

I hope this thread is not to old to resurrect. I have also noticed that when we roll up our solar cover that inevitably some murky water on top makes it into the pool. When I subsequently measure FC/CC, I've seen a drop in FC (e.g., 9.5-10 ppm >> 5-6.5 ppm) and CC rising from 0 to 1 or 1.5 ppm. I've seen this twice now and have simply left the pool uncovered for a day or so and bumped up the Stenner to deliver an extra 2-5 ppm of FC over the next 24 hours. In each case, the next reading has the FC in a happy place and CC having returned to 0-0.5 ppm. Nonetheless, I've found this tendency of the cover to be harboring mucky water to be disconcerting. I also have the feeling that the cover prevents normal skimming. However, when testing the water when the cover is present, my FC and CC have always been fine. It is just when I remove it that I have problems.

I'm not sure there is a solution to this problem, but I'd be curious to see whether other people have found a way around this. Here is a log of my FC/CC numbers. The asterisks indicate readings a couple of hours after the cover was removed. Other values: pH 7.7; TA 70; CH 300; CYA 70; Salt 600; borates 50; temp 86-87°F

5/29/2016	10.0	0.0
5/29/2016	6.5	1.0*
5/30/2016	8.5	0.5
5/31/2016	7.5	0.5
6/1/2016	9.0	0.0
6/2/2016	7.5	0.5
6/3/2016	9.5	0.0
6/4/2016	5.0	1.5*
6/5/2016	10.5	0.0

 

[JayG]

Sorry to bump this, but should I be worried about these spikes in CC? I'm thinking I should leave off the cover until it starts getting chilly again in Sept/Oct.