Covering pool to stop algea

[Encore]

An ex neighbour in the Caribbean maintains that the contributing factor in algea growth is sunshine and if you cover your pool, you can turn off your pump for an extended period of time. When you restart the pool he said that you take off the cover, start the pump and it takes about 2 to 3 days of shock to get the pool chemistry back to normal. He maintains that he has done this for 20 years with no problems.

My pool is in the Florida Keys - uses a VSP ePump with a SWG. I have a mesh security net and was thinking of adding a solid tarp/cover on top of the net and either shut the pump off and/or cut the ePump down to 1 - 2 hrs per day if I couldn't get away with a total shutdown. The pool would be left like this from April through October.

Am I crazy? What could go wrong?

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

That plan is plausible, though you might be underestimating the effort involved slightly.

Sunlight is certainly important for algae growth, but even the tiny amount that gets through the tarp will allow some very slow algae growth, most especially in the summer. As your neighbor mentioned, that can be eliminated by shocking, which can often be completed in two or three days, though sometimes it takes longer, possibly much longer depending.

When using a solid tarp over a security cover you need to make sure to lower the mesh down to the water level, so the weight of rain water will rest on the pool water instead of being held up by the security cover. You will also want a cover pump to remove excess water from the tarp.

The only point in running the pump is if you are going to be opening a corner, say weekly, and adjusting levels. That is extra work, though it could save you the trouble of shocking when the cover comes off.