Pool is too hot

[driftn]

This is a great forum, and we have learned from this site. Thanks.

I'm getting frustrated as well with this "algae" thing. A little over a month ago (right after 4th of July) we started getting green algae bloom. Nipped it and got it, at least we thought. Left town for a few days, and what do you know...a very green pool. Well, although it has taken some time to get the pool to where we can see the bottom again, we got rid of Mr. Algae.

Ok so this morning I'm out brushing the pool and notice some hints of green in certain areas....arrrrrrrggggh!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it, BUT... I was wondering with the pool being too hot will that HELP algae to set up house. This morning the pool was 95, like bath water. I have the solar set at 89. I told my DH maybe we should just run the pump at night, that way the pool wouldn't be so hot. He was told because of the extreme hot temps here, we should be running the pump during the hottest times of the day. Which do we do, day or night pump running?

We're still trying to get the hang of this, learning as we go.

 

[anonapersona]

I suppose they say that so you are sure to get circulation of chlorine during the heat of the day when chlorine is being used.

But, more circulation at night when the air is cooler will help transmmit that cool to the water. Particularly if you are able to set up a fountain or something to increase air contact in the cool hours.

How much flexibility do you have in setting run times? Can you do 30 min a few times during the day to circulate chlorine, then do the bulk of circulation time required late at night or early AM with fountains or waterfalls to take advantage of that coolest part of the day?

 

[281]

Go to your timer and set it to run for two cycles.....one during the day to turn your water over twice (maybe two hours, depending on how long it takes your system to turn the entire pool over once)....and an additional cycle overnight (maybe six hours) to complete your filtering and, moreover, to cool your water by getting it out of the pool and exposing it to the cooler environment in those solar panels. Just make sure that you have enough total filter time running each day.

 

[duraleigh]

Regardless of your pump run time, that is not why you have algae. You have algae because of inadequate chlorine.

You can easily lower your pool water temperature (which is a contributing factor to algae) by searching "pool cooler" on this forum.

Get your chlorine up to the right level (post a set of test results and we can help with that) and get some evaporation going in your pool and your frustrations will be over.

 

[driftn]

I can set it to run at two different times. So I'm thinking from Noon to 2 or 3 pm and again during the night or very early mornings. Thanks guys. I put more chlorine in this morning and will put more in tonight, added chlorine tabs in the skimmer basket. I will test again and post numbers.

 

[anonapersona]

Whoa! Chlorine tabs in the skimmer basket are not a good idea unless you run the pump all the time. They are acidic and as they sit there with no flow can do damage, to the skimmer and then to the pump.

And, use of tabs will increase CYA which when it gets too high will make it hard to get enough chlorine into the pool to fight algae.

So, like duraleigh said, we need your test results.