Pollen Issue or Algae

[diesel1218]

Hi I seem to have a major pollen issue in my pool. I literally just vacuumed the pool about three weeks ago and the pollen is back. At least I believe it is pollen as my chemicals are okay and I am not losing any FC over night.

However I see most saying pollen floats but I dont notice my pollen until I brush and a clould of it just comes up. I really dont think it is algae but I cant seem to get rid of it. I cleaned my filter 2 days ago and it was yellow bad. That was right after the manual suction vacuum. I have a robot vacuum but it just shoot the pollen up into the pool and doesn't catch it in its filter.

I just cant seem to shake this stuff when I brush it is very cloudy and I can seem to brush it all down by the pool drains, I am wondering if I just need to open them back up fully as I have most suction going to the skimmer. I do not see it floating unless I brush or the robot it is there. I am just at a loss as I brushed, vacuumed and cleaned the filter this weekend and went to brush today and nothing but pollen coming up off the bottom and sun decks. I couldn't even see it until I brushed. I am at a loss and getting really frustrated with this stuff. I dont even have any trees or plants around my pool.

 

[JJ_Tex]

At least I believe it is pollen as my chemicals are okay and I am not losing any FC over night.

Can you post up a full set of readings from your test kit? Did you do an OCLT and pass?

 

[diesel1218]

Can you post up a full set of readings from your test kit? Did you do an OCLT and pass?

I will do another full set of test this morning and report back.

Yes I did an over night test about a week or so ago. I can also do another one tonight.

I know it has to be pollen it’s like a light dust in the bottom of the pool can’t even see it unless I brush then it comes up, I can push it around I just find it strange it is all at the bottom vs floating for me to skim.

 

[Newdude]

Pollen settles plenty, especially for those running a schedule and not 24/7. It's nearly indistinguishable between algae and pollen. It could be one, the other, or both.

I went cloudy and/or had floor poofs for a couple weeks each spring with many oaks. The OCLT would conform nothing was brewing and a week later, another one would set my mind at ease again.

Run the FC above target for the duration for extra insurance if you pass the OCLT, and SLAM if you fail.

 

[Mdragger88]

You have a vsp - do you run it all the time?
Also,
what bot do you have?
What test kit are you using?

 

[diesel1218]

Pollen settles plenty, especially for those running a schedule and not 24/7. It's nearly indistinguishable between algae and pollen. It could be one, the other, or both.

I went cloudy and/or had floor poofs for a couple weeks each spring with many oaks. The OCLT would conform nothing was brewing and a week later, another one would set my mind at ease again.

Run the FC above target for the duration for extra insurance if you pass the OCLT, and SLAM if you fail.

Yeah that's what I am seeing I dont notice it until I brush then it is just a poof cloud. I will do a OCLT tonight.

I did open up my floor drain to help suck it into the filter.

 

[diesel1218]

You have a vsp - do you run it all the time?
Also,
what bot do you have?
What test kit are you using?

I have a VSP but I typically only run it 12 hours a day and I keep it turned up or at least 2800-3100. I think the lowest I can go without a flow issue is about 1800. I ran it 24/7 yesterday and will probably continue until I get out of this pollen season.

I have the EVO 614iq pretty new but it just pushed the pollen up off the floor doesn't catch it in the filter which is odd but the filter is very very fine.

I am using the TFPro test kit.

 

[Newdude]

I did open up my floor drain to help suck it into the filter.

Some help is always better than no help, but they only suck a tiny bit around them. There was a video posted here I can never find with dye and only 6 inches or so had movement. The rest just sat there.

I sweep into mine alot and it takes a bunch of tries, letting it settle in between to make any kind of progress. A few quick brushings is sometimes easier than an hour+ vac job or else I wouldn't even bother.

Keep us posted.

 

[wireform]

Brush the pool a few times a day to get it water borne and into the filter. Check the filter pressure and clean it more often to keep the flow strong. As said earlier keep the FC on the hot side as a precaution and with vsp you should lower the speed to the point to satisfy the heater and SWCG and give it 100 rpm above that and let the pump work 24/7.

 

[diesel1218]

OKay Herę are my test results this morning, FYI the pool looks much better this am, I did have a little pollen on the floor which I swept to the drains and seems to have worked.

FC - 9
CC - 0
pH - 8.2 (always a struggle with my water features)
TA - 70
CH - 375
CYA - 50
Salt - 3300
Temp - 73
CSI - 0.31

 

[diesel1218]

I sweep into mine alot and it takes a bunch of tries, letting it settle in between to make any kind of progress. A few quick brushings is sometimes easier than an hour+ vac job or else I wouldn't even bother.

yeah the manual vacuum is horrid, I have done it twice in about 3-4 weeks.

 

[Mdragger88]

Tell us about your water features- what they are & how often you run them & why

 

[Newdude]

FC - 9

FanTASTIC.

pH - 8.2 (always a struggle with my water features)

How often do you run them ? They need a flush once or twice a day for 15 mins and no need to have them work against you when you're not out there enjoying them.

yeah the manual vacuum is horrid,

When it's warmer, throw on a snorkel mask and not only can you see million times better, it's 95% swimming and 5% work.

With your head just below water it's so peaceful and serene like a sensory deprivation tank. You can't hear the kids fighting and screaming in the house and now I often make an excuse to go vac for Daddy quiet time. The coping makes an excellent shelf for the obligatory beer. (Can of course, no glass by the pool rule always in effect)

 

[diesel1218]

Tell us about your water features- what they are & how often you run them & why

I have an infinity spa, I have that return closed off a good bit so the water is just flowing over the sides. I have two bubblers on my sun deck and those are normally off unless it is the weekend and the kids are in the pool or I am just running them to send some ch through the lines.

 

[diesel1218]

With your head just below water it's so peaceful and serene like a sensory deprivation tank. You can't hear the kids fighting and screaming in the house and now I often make an excuse to go vac for Daddy quiet time. The coping makes an excellent shelf for the obligatory beer. (Can of course, no glass by the pool rule always in effect)

lol great idea

 

[diesel1218]

let the pump work 24/7.

24/7 period or just until this pollen clears?

 

[Newdude]

24/7 period or just until this pollen clears?

Until it's clear. My sample size is exactly *1* but I found that although more flow pushed more through the filter, it also made more stirring, meaning less suspended stuffs going through the filter.

Set it to just high enough skimming and your SWG works (or heat/vac when applicable) and pour yourself a nice tall beverage. Repeat waiting with beverage if necessary.

 

[diesel1218]

So this pollen is absolutely driving me crazy right now. My pool is super cloudy because my robot recirculated all of the pollen. I am waiting on a fine filter for the robot that apparently will suck it up off the bottom however I’ve been running my pool pump 24 seven at high RPMs north of 3000 and the water is not clearing. I have cleaned the filter now two days in a row of yellow pollen.

I have done an overnight loss test and my chemicals are fine. I’m not losing chlorine. In fact I added extra chlorine just to hopefully help with the pollen.

Brush it in the morning and by the evening, I’ve got another light dusting of pollen on all my surfaces.

 

[JJ_Tex]

The fine filter can help on the Robot. I would also add some skimmer socks to the skimmers to help collect the pollen before it gets to your filter.

Speaking of filters, yours is tiny (seems to be a FL thing). When was the last time you cleaned the filter and are you watching the pressure?

 

[wireform]

Robots will always cause that but it's a good thing as it becomes waterborne it'll get stuck in the pool filter.