Possible problem with solar cover (algae? on it)

[pb4uswim]

I opened my pool and all is fine (clear). Too cold to swim here so just been keeping my CH and PH on target. But, I put my solar cover on and I’m wondering if I’m creating a problem. During the season, the cover doesn’t stay on very long because we take it off often so we can swim. I’ve had the cover on for a while (more than a week), and I see two things. One, there’s leaves and stuff on top and the edges of the cover. Of course the skimmer doesn’t work on that stuff with the cover on. Second, the cover doesn’t lay perfectly flat so there are some puddles of water on top of the cover. Of course, this is not chlorinated water. Today I look out and the water on the cover seems a little cloudy. So:

Am I correct that this is a problem, possibly a big problem? There’s really no way to get the cover off without this junk getting into the pool. Is it too little to worry about, or should I plan on adding a lot of chlorine? I’m thinking I need to take the cover off, leave it off until we start using the pool, clean it up and then do a OCLT. The water is cold right now (around 50 degrees) if that matters.

 

[Newdude]

It’s the nature of the beast. Mine grew nasty stuffs under all the seam flaps. I was always tempted to take a razor to the excess flaps but one little slip and the cover was toast.

My heart sank a little each and every time I opened the cover and the run off made the shallow end cloudy. It only lasted for a few moments and was like spitting in the ocean. But for those few seconds......... *slow motion*. ‘Noooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!’

It shouldn’t be enough to affect the chemistry once it’s all stirred up.

To minimize it you can sweep the rain/sprinkler water off the top with the pool brush/pole after it occurs so it doesn’t sit there for a week festering. I also used the brush to get leaves and pollen if there was more than just a bit. I would drag it to a corner and scoop them off.

 

[mknauss]

Good chance it is dirt on the top of the cover.

My solar cover is on right now. Trees are dumping all kinds of stuff. It gets on the cover and around the edges. I took the cover off this morning to clean things up. But it will happen again until the Palo Verde trees quit blooming.

 

[pb4uswim]

Thanks. That’s a relief. I’ll get it cleaned up and make sure it does sit more than a couple days without attention ever again.

 

[Newdude]

Also, whenever there were large bubbles under the cover, they would burp steamy air with the nastiest smells as I rolled up the cover. So everytime I put the cover on I would use the handy dandy brush to get the air pockets to the side and out. The small ones were a lost cause and dispersed into the bubbles of the cover, but the big ones moved nicely.

it was kinda fun because the three 1 foot air pockets became a bigger air pocket and so on and so on until I had a mega pocket that pushed out.

 

[pb4uswim]

Is there any reason not to crank up the CH until we start swimming? My target is 5. Maybe go to 8 or 10?

 

[mknauss]

Is there any reason not to crank up the CH until we start swimming? My target is 5. Maybe go to 8 or 10?

No problem. Any FC between minimum and SLAM level is fine.

 

[Newdude]

My target is 5. Maybe go to 8 or 10?

I started a little high to give myself some leeway back when. It worked so well I never stopped. 8-10 is my preferred target but with 20% increments and 24/7 pump running, my SWG was always overshooting instead of undershooting. Not gonna lie. Many teens were had.