I have noticed this year that every few days there is a very small amount of fine sand on the bottom of the pool. It appears to accumulate just in the creases on the bottom. I clean completely, then a couple days go by and the sand is there again. It is so fine that if you wave your hand or foot by it, it just disapates....so it is very fine. I have put a cloth around the jet and I do not see any sand being blown into pool. Could this be a faulty sand filter? (1yr old) Or is this just dust from the air getting in the pool? Any things I can check without draining filter/sand? Any ideas? Thanks!
Fine sand bottom of pool
- Thread starter ddpool
- Start date
DD,
If you look around the forum, that deposit of fine sand seems to be most prevalent in August. I am convinced it's dead algae.
Swim to the bottom and rub it between your finger and thumb....if it's slimy or you cant feel it at all, it's algae.
If you look around the forum, that deposit of fine sand seems to be most prevalent in August. I am convinced it's dead algae.
Swim to the bottom and rub it between your finger and thumb....if it's slimy or you cant feel it at all, it's algae.
Could also be pollen, which is what we determined ours was. Skimmer socks will catch most of it, especially if you sweep every couple of days. We started using a robotic cleaner, Aquabot Turbo, which utilizes a very fine bag, which filters down to 2 microns. That, and the skimmer sock, took care of our problem!
I think it's possibly just dust/dirt too....I get it also.
You can do an overnight loss test if you suspect algae.
You can do an overnight loss test if you suspect algae.
Thanks all....we do run the Pool Rover often and it cleans up the pool great. However, couple days and the "fine sand" is on the bottom again. I suspect dust because when you stir it up it blows away as dust in the water. I was hoping it wasn't the sand filter. Does anyone have a good test to make sure the sand filter isn't blowing sand in the pool? I did the cloth over the jet...but I don't see any sand in it. Thanks again.
I had this issue to, and like Dave says, swim to the bottom, you will find its not sand, its dead algae. Do you run your pump 24 hrs? I am betting no, and while the pump is off, the water stops motion, and voila, solids (Dead Algae) will settle to the bottom, if you have a liner, you will really notice this around the seams.
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
DD,
where in Minnesota are you...have you been suffering from the severe drought? The drier it gets up there, the morelikely you are catching gobs of dust on the surface of you pool, Do you have a lot of trees? Tree Pollen and dust kills me in June and August. I vaccume it up, and two or three days later it comes back...Especially at night when the filter is not running. I have looked at it under a microscope, and it looks like a pollen or dust spore, kind of round and spikey... nothing like microscopic algae. But the only way to tell is do do an over night FC test. If you FC drops drastically overnight you more than likely have algae. If it doesn't which mine does not either than it is just the dust forming. Does it seem to only fall in the little divits in the bottom of the pool but no place else? Algae would spread... if it just stays in the little divits in the liner than it probably is not algae. I had the same concerns last year and everyone put me at ease about it since my numbers stayed up over night.
where in Minnesota are you...have you been suffering from the severe drought? The drier it gets up there, the morelikely you are catching gobs of dust on the surface of you pool, Do you have a lot of trees? Tree Pollen and dust kills me in June and August. I vaccume it up, and two or three days later it comes back...Especially at night when the filter is not running. I have looked at it under a microscope, and it looks like a pollen or dust spore, kind of round and spikey... nothing like microscopic algae. But the only way to tell is do do an over night FC test. If you FC drops drastically overnight you more than likely have algae. If it doesn't which mine does not either than it is just the dust forming. Does it seem to only fall in the little divits in the bottom of the pool but no place else? Algae would spread... if it just stays in the little divits in the liner than it probably is not algae. I had the same concerns last year and everyone put me at ease about it since my numbers stayed up over night.
the finest sands don't get filtered out 100% and unless you move the vacuum 1 foot per hour - there will always be some pushed away in the turbulence the vac makes. if you use your pool all the time - you wouldn't notice it since the little amount would be suspended - it's when it is allowed to settle out that you see it.
Every minute your pool is uncovered, it gets dirty - there is always dust/pollen etc. in the air and if it touches the water - it's not leaving - done deal - going to settle to the bottom whether you like it or not.
Every minute your pool is uncovered, it gets dirty - there is always dust/pollen etc. in the air and if it touches the water - it's not leaving - done deal - going to settle to the bottom whether you like it or not.