Solar cover question

[Donna's Poolboy]

I've been fighting cloudy water issues this season and I'm wondering if my solar cover might be the source (or at least part of the problem). I've never cleaned it and I read somewhere that bacteria or algae can grow on it when it's rolled up. How do you clean it and with what...or is it even necessary?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

Hi, and welcome to TFP!

Your cover should get rinsed off with chlorinated pool water each day when you use it, so any bacteria that might have grown while the cover was off and rolled up should get killed by the chlorine.

Post some test numbers for better help!

 

[matt4x4]

If you shock your pool and cover it, your cover will clean on the underside - unfortunately, the top of it should be cleaned yearly - before storage.
I just cleaned mine because of a bird problem - 3 hours of sweating/scrubbing and getting sunburned, just to have the birds come back 5 minutes later. I have since quit my job, bought a gun, a perch, suntan lotion and lots of patch kits because I don't have good aim......

 

[duraleigh]

If you shock your pool and cover it, your cover will clean on the underside - unfortunately, the top of it should be cleaned yearly - before storage.
I just cleaned mine because of a bird problem - 3 hours of sweating/scrubbing and getting sunburned, just to have the birds come back 5 minutes later. I have since quit my job, bought a gun, a perch, suntan lotion and lots of patch kits because I don't have good aim......

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Donna's Poolboy]

I'm questioning the cover because my numbers are in good shape:

FC 13 (It's high because I took it up to shock level last night)
CC 0
ph 7.3
TA 170
CAL 250
CYA 60

This is the third season with our 23,000 IG with vinyl liner. I use a 30" sand filter that I've been running 24/7. The water is kept at 84 and I'm using a skimmer sock. Today as of 1:00 pm, the water is almost back to crystal clear, but the FC has dropped 8 ppm in 16 hours.

I had this happen a few weeks ago where the water would go from almost crystal clear to cloudy (unable to see the drains in the 8' end) overnight. I raised the cl to 20 ppm for about 7 or 8 days and held it there until the cl drop was 0 overnight. Since then, I've held the FC between 6 and 8. Sunday night I went to bed after checking the water (6 ppm) and putting on the cover. The next morning--cloudy water and 1 ppm FC. We did get a lot of rain on Saturday and a few sprinkles on Sunday but all I noticed was an increase in the ph.

I've gone through over 100 jugs of bleach so far this season. Last season when the pool got into "balance" for lack of a beter term, I'd add a jug of bleach per day. However, I had a much higher cya (100). Seemed to work because the pool is in full sun starting at 11:00.

 

[crazycanuck]

100 jugs of bleach so far! now there is a good reason to get an SWG... I have gone through 12 gallons of bleach in 1.5 years and thats just opening and closing.