here we go again....

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waterbugs57

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LifeTime Supporter
Jun 17, 2012
88
SW Pennsylvania
Hello all,
I am dealing with an algae bloom again. I have had no swimmers in the pool for a week. I have run water tests everyday (sometimes morning, sometimes evening and sometimes both. I have kept my FC at 5 with it dropping to 4 usually but once to 2. I have kept the solar cover on so I have not been judging water characteristics other than it looks clear to me when I dip for the sample. Today I took the cover off only to see the yellow/green streaks. Water tested 5 FC, way closer to 30 than 20 on the viewing tube for CYA. I tested for CC after brushing and got a reading of close to 1. I added 2 96 oz. jugs of 8% Clorox. So my question is this, could this be a circulation issue? When I am slamming I leave my pump on but when I haven't any (known) issues I just turn it on when I get home from work and leave it on until bedtime, 4 or 5 hours. Could I not be getting enough circulation? Thanks for listening, any input will be appreciated as always.- Melinda
 
Have you had rain? It seems to me that when it rains and water accumulates on the solar cover, algae can get a start in that unchlorinated water and then get going in the pool.
 
I suspect lousy circulation and insufficient brushing. I have three returns, and I know there are dead spots. One, all the leaves settle in a drift in the same spot. 2) You can feel bands of temperature differences when you get in. So it figures if my pool suffers, all pools suffer from it. Brushing moves the chlorinated water into those dead zones. If the cover's on, you're not brushing.

If you don't have one, consider a wall whale pool brush. You just go back and forth; the fin provides the downward pressure. It's much easier on the shoulders.
 
You've got a very large oval pool so I'm not surprised you have dead spots. Above ground oval pools are nice but, in reality, they need an additional skimmer and return put on the opposite end to keep the flow going.

It is my opinion that you can not put a solar cover on for a few days and forget about it. I've done it and always ended up with green plums too. You have to remove the cover, brush the pool and sweep it and put the cover back on if you want to keep the algae at bay. Why it does this, I don't know but I have a round pool and I have to take the cover off at least every 2 days and brush and sweep it.
 
Casey, can I ad a skimmer and filter? Also will change my cover habits. PIA that it is, it does keep the water comfortable and although I thought it would help with chlorine savings it doesn't really because I end up slamming to get rid of the growth....maybe that will change if I uncover and sweep...Thanks...by the way, you are not far from me in Brownsville, about 5 miles.
 

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waterbugs57 said:
Casey, can I ad a skimmer and filter? Also will change my cover habits. PIA that it is, it does keep the water comfortable and although I thought it would help with chlorine savings it doesn't really because I end up slamming to get rid of the growth....maybe that will change if I uncover and sweep...Thanks...by the way, you are not far from me in Brownsville, about 5 miles.
Click to expand...

FC consumption increases with increased water temperature. Covers do not decrease chlorine loss because chlorine is not lost by evaporation, it's lost through oxidation of organics into chloramines and through disinfecting water (aka, killing algae & bacteria).

I live in the SW and thought a solar cover would be a great idea. Total 180deg experience - it's a pain to put on and take off, it just collects debris and gets full of stagnant water puddles and it has the "out of sight / out of mind" effect, ie, when the cover is on I pay less attention to my pool water.

So the pool cover now basically sits in the corner of yard acting as a lizard, spider and scorpion habitat.


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