First year with pool - Oak trees

[tcat]

I "thought" I was done with falling leaves last fall... but didn't realize oak trees shed in spring. So a couple weeks ago I "thought" I was done scooping out leaves, only to start seeing pollen hanging things.... almost totally covering top of pool, clogging skimmer in an hour (or less)...

My question: Do they make a rake or net that's like 6 feet wide to scoop much larger amounts of this crud per swipe? I haven't tried it yet, but does using a leaf blower work for pushing it all to one end? Just don't want it all sinking. I've probably pulled a bushel so far and hasn't stopped falling yet.

 

[Speedo]

This wouldn't be big enough..?
http://www.poolsupplyworld.com/Splash-NA306-Premium-Aluminum-Leaf-Rake/NA306.htm

A leaf net could also be an option. I used one last fall and saved myself from tons of leaf clean in the spring.
http://www.poolsupplyworld.com/Arct...round-Leaf-Net-with-4-Year-Warranty/WC508.htm

 

[tcat]

My net is about 16 or 18", works fine, just takes time. I'm now thinking maybe a piece of PVC (width of pool) with "something" hanging from it (like 10' wide), just hanging into the water maybe an inch. Drag it from one end to the other, then scoop it all out with a net. Kind of a mechanical skimmer.

 

[Abxflyr]

I feel you pain .

In my home we usually don't open too early (although I did this year). To combat some of the problems I don't run the pump on a schedule and only when I'm around for several hours and can clear out the skimmers, etc. The water temp is too cold to be any issue regarding limited pump times, but you do need to run it enough to keep things cleaned. Don't forget to check/clean your pump basket as well, it will quickly clog and starve your pump of water. Other than skimming with a net, I let the pool skimmers do the work and just empty them often.

Good luck

 

[Speedo]

I'm now thinking maybe a piece of PVC (width of pool) with "something" hanging from it (like 10' wide), just hanging into the water maybe an inch. Drag it from one end to the other, then scoop it all out with a net. Kind of a mechanical skimmer.

Sounds like a leaf net would serve you well, assuming that the debris isn't too small and fits through the webbing. It should state in the details how big the gaps are. I believe my net has less than 3/4" per gap. Should easily catch almost everything falling. I might put my net back on once more starts falling. Everything is just beginning to bloom and the trees behind our house seem a tad behind.

 

[tcat]

3/4 is way to big. Oak pollen strings are like .05" x 1", would probably fall through 1/4" gap. Pretty sure the pollen falls through my standard net, since I scoop all the stringy things and the pool still has a film of "dust" on top (until it is skimmered and run through the DE filter).

 

[ps0303]

A solar blanket works rather well in preventing things like leaves and the pollen strings from getting into the pool. Carefully fold and remove from pool and unfold in driveway/yard and clean. Then place back on pool and repeat as necessary. Other then that you will have to create your own type of device to clean it up.

 

[anonapersona]

I seem to recall someone creating something like you are describing. You might search the forum for things like that.

 

[tcat]

Going to try a leaf blower tonight will let you know how it goes. My solar blanket is a PITA. I have a kidney shaped pool, and the blanket isn't that light and is a PITA to clean. I had it on the pool to "winterize" for about a week... got so full of crud I removed it, cleaned it, and may use it for packing material at work. I think it's much easier to just keep the pool running all year and clean it as required.... just trying to simplify that process. Have a Platinum Legend for the bottom, it hasn't left the pool in 9 months (runs 2 hrs per day).

What would be nice is a floating 10 gallon "shop vac/skimmer". Just floats and skims filtering out leaves, oak Crud, acorns, pollen, bugs. Maybe a big 3' inner tube type float that sucks surface water into a net at the center. Runs off a low voltage cord like a robot. I just Googled floating skimmer and got this: http://www.solar-breeze.com/ Looks like what I had in mind, but a little small, and way expensive.