Do you use a floculant?

[Rangerman]

At start up each season - does your pool water require a clarifier/floc treatment to attain sparkling water? I have a mesh cover, so you know what I face each year.
Just wondering?

 

[JohnT]

No. When I open mine, any debris that came through the mesh is on the bottom. I vacuum the pool, raise the chlorine level and let the filter run continuously until the water clears completely.

 

[Rangerman]

No. When I open mine, any debris that came through the mesh is on the bottom. I vacuum the pool, raise the chlorine level and let the filter run continuously until the water clears completely.

Do you open very early? You don't have any algae bloom? When I uncover mine, it's the green lagoon, so I add the CYA, add the bleach, and then it begins to clear, but the killed algae turns white and thus the cloudiness of the water. I have used a floc for the last couple of years since that stuff just seems to suspend in the water for a long time without help to settle it to the bottom so I can vac to waste. I do turn the pump off for the floc to work.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Sand filters take longer to clear dead algae, so some people like the floc cause it speeds up the process. Assuming one doesn't mind the added expense. DE in the filter has reported good results.

Can you open earlier?

Rangerman, time for you to get a siggy.

 

[JohnT]

No. When I open mine, any debris that came through the mesh is on the bottom. I vacuum the pool, raise the chlorine level and let the filter run continuously until the water clears completely.

Do you open very early? You don't have any algae bloom?

I open when the water hits 60 degrees. No algae, just dirt and worms.

 

[fuzzy_dba]

Do you open very early? You don't have any algae bloom? When I uncover mine it's the green lagoon...I add the CYA, bleach, and it begins to clear. The killed algae turns white and thus the cloudiness of the water...used a floc for the last couple of years since that stuff just seems to suspend in the water for a long time without help to settle it to the bottom so I can vac to waste. I do turn the pump off for the floc to work.

This year I opened in late March, usually early to mid-March so the water was warm enough to turn slight green. The gunk had gone through the safety cover but could be vac'd off of the bottom. Shocked it, added water and CYA (mine was 0), kept the SWG off, and I had a pool that we were in (well, my teenagers anyway) within 2 weeks.

Not too bad: No floc, no clarifier, just CYA & bleach 8) .