Some basic pool care questions...

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R

Rost-Lufer

Well-known member
Jun 26, 2023
62
Southern Michigan
Pool Size
7500
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hey y'all,

This is my first 'full' season with my pool. 12x24 above ground vinyl. This site has been tremendous in helping me learn and do my own pool care, so thanks!

I've been getting really light algae on a few areas in bottom and sides of pool. They brush away easily. I keep my FC at the high end of recommended amount based on CYA. All my levels test good. I brush the algae away, and it's back in a few days. I just started the SLAM process to nip this in the bud.

Pool sits in the open and is in full sun all day. Some basic care questions I have...

If all levels are good, and water is clear, does a pool still need to be brushed/vacuumed routinely? I am lazy about brushing and have only done so when this issue showed up. I guess I thought if all levels are good then nothing can 'grow'.

I did find a few greenish dots on my skimmer door foam insert. Pulled and cleaned.

What are some brushes everyone uses to clean pool while in it? I have the whale brush for cleaning from outside the pool. I tried using it while in the pool with and without the pole but it was inconvenient. So any tips on brushes or other equipment to help keep pool walls/floors clean?
 
Rost-Lufer said:
Hey y'all,

This is my first 'full' season with my pool. 12x24 above ground vinyl. This site has been tremendous in helping me learn and do my own pool care, so thanks!

I've been getting really light algae on a few areas in bottom and sides of pool. They brush away easily. I keep my FC at the high end of recommended amount based on CYA. All my levels test good. I brush the algae away, and it's back in a few days. I just started the SLAM process to nip this in the bud.

Pool sits in the open and is in full sun all day. Some basic care questions I have...

If all levels are good, and water is clear, does a pool still need to be brushed/vacuumed routinely? I am lazy about brushing and have only done so when this issue showed up. I guess I thought if all levels are good then nothing can 'grow'.

I did find a few greenish dots on my skimmer door foam insert. Pulled and cleaned.

What are some brushes everyone uses to clean pool while in it? I have the whale brush for cleaning from outside the pool. I tried using it while in the pool with and without the pole but it was inconvenient. So any tips on brushes or other equipment to help keep pool walls/floors clean?
Click to expand...
Welcome! Any algae at all indicates the chlorine level is getting too low. You should not have to brush very often. What are your water test results?

Edit: I see your poolmath logs. Should have checked for that.
 
Well I learned some things...and don't understand some things...
So a few weeks to a month ago(yes, thats my memory these days)I posted this issue and a member said I should SLAM. Well I didn't want to SLAM! It wasn't a huge deal, just annoying. Every few days I'd have a 'mist' of algae in random areas of the pool. I would brush and just made sure to keep FC at top end of recommendation in relation to CYA. I never showed any CC's and all levels checked out good. OCLT also checked out. Water was always crystal clear.

Well last night I decided to SLAM. I brushed entire pool, skimmer, and took ladder out and cleaned it up good too. Everything looked good. I did find some green in the foam skimmer door insert. Then I remembered someone said I need to check the bottom drains. I pulled off the covers and it was a sheet of green under both covers. When I opened the pool this year the whole bottom of pool was a sheet of green that took a week to SLAM. So I know that those drains have been like that since I opened the pool in late April/early May.

When I SLAMmed that first time I obviously should have taken the bottom drain covers off. Won't let that happen again! So at this point, the SLAM is happening, and everything that touches the water has been taken apart and cleaned thoroughly.
 
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Is there a void under that piece of the liner?

If so I would trim the liner flap from the “bowl” of the drain so you can thoroughly scrub each side & it’s not so prone to collecting crud.
Crude drawing 👇
IMG_0890.jpeg
 
One thing to note about brushing- it removes the biofilms that algae forms to protect itself against chlorine. Not only during slam but all the time.
For regular maintenance purposes brushing about once a week is recommended.
Those with robots that have brushes can go a little longer between “real” brushing.

Not brushing the pool & solely relying on chlorine is like not brushing your teeth and only using mouthwash. There will be biofilms that form.

Any softish poly pool brush will do.
You do want one that won’t gouge your liner with the frame, especially at the cove area. Look for one with rounded edges.
If you’re a “buy it for life” kind of person check out protuff stuff - they have lifetime warranties but are a little pricey.
 
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Mdragger88 said:
Is there a void under that piece of the liner?

If so I would trim the liner flap from the “bowl” of the drain so you can thoroughly scrub each side & it’s not so prone to collecting crud.
Crude drawing 👇
View attachment 596573
Click to expand...
The 'void' is the bottom drain. The manual for pool installation said to only cut hole in liner the size of piping, which is 1 1/2". I've thought about cutting it open more. I'm no physics major but opening it seems like it might make the suction a little less at the drain, but broaden the area of suction.
 
Mdragger88 said:
One thing to note about brushing- it removes the biofilms that algae forms to protect itself against chlorine. Not only during slam but all the time.
For regular maintenance purposes brushing about once a week is recommended.
Those with robots that have brushes can go a little longer between “real” brushing.

Not brushing the pool & solely relying on chlorine is like not brushing your teeth and only using mouthwash. There will be biofilms that form.

Any softish poly pool brush will do.
You do want one that won’t gouge your liner with the frame, especially at the cove area. Look for one with rounded edges.
If you’re a “buy it for life” kind of person check out protuff stuff - they have lifetime warranties but are a little pricey.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info! Will look into protuff.
 
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Rost-Lufer said:
The 'void' is the bottom drain. The manual for pool installation said to only cut hole in liner the size of piping, which is 1 1/2". I've thought about cutting it open more. I'm no physics major but opening it seems like it might make the suction a little less at the drain, but broaden the area of suction.
Click to expand...
You need to somehow scrub the back of that liner flap then. If the top looks like that I imagine the back does too.
 
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