What next?

[Texas Splash]

Good catch. Yeah, styrofoam has been the standard for weir doors for many years. Cheap and just works, but if can get filthy over time. Good you caught it. Let's see if that was the troublemaker.

 

[mavitia22]

During the day Tuesday, the water cleared a lot more by 5PM. Then Tue night, I found this silly styrofaom panel behind the weir door! Some looks like black mold, and the corner was white/pink/slimy. So that got ripped out pretty quick and the entire skimmer box scrubbed completely. I think this was it...time will tell. OCLT barely failed Tue night, but passed Wed night. Water looks great this morning!

Styrofoam at the waterline in a skimmer seems kinda dumb? I don't have an immediate concern over the styrofoam not letting the weir door float, but are there other mat'ls that would trap contaminants less? I assume the weir door is to keep anything in the skimmer from floating back out into the pool.

Would this small amount of crud create a repeat problem where a big shock would temporarily stop it, but then as FC drops, it can become active again?

Thanks again for coaching through this. I'm thrilled to think I don't have to fight this every 7-10 days!!

Hi, just reading through your post. I'm also having algae, and I had never heard if this foam in the skimmer. I checked mine and also see the styrofoam. I see that you ripped yours out and was wondering, do you have to replace it with another piece of styrofoam? Just asking in case I ever have to remove mine. Thank you.

 

[proavia]

Hi, just reading through your post. I'm also having algae, and I had never heard if this foam in the skimmer. I checked mine and also see the styrofoam. I see that you ripped yours out and was wondering, do you have to replace it with another piece of styrofoam? Just asking in case I ever have to remove mine. Thank you.

That piece of styrofoam on/in the weir door helps the weir door float and function properly.

 

[mavitia22]

That piece of styrofoam on/in the weir door helps the weir door float and function properly.

Is it easy to pop out and replace? Should I be checking for algae underneath it?

 

[proavia]

Different manufacturers use different ways to attach the styrofoam.
You'd have to look at your weir door and see how it's attached.

 

[2WeeksNotice]

I really think this styro with mold is what I’ve been chasing for a couple months. So if you have continual trouble, I’ve learned that you need to check everything. Water is still crystal clear today, but it would usually last 5-7 days then cloud up. So we’ll see. When I saw the mold, the least concerning thing was how to replace the foam. I’ll figure something out!

 

[Flboy44]

…………
As to the CH, unless you have a waterline tile, you really don't need much CH at all. TFP places a minimum CH of 250 only as a catch-all since we don't know if FG owners may have waterline tile or a heater that requires more CH.
…..

So thank you for that answer! Makes sense and is fully understandable/acceptable!
What appears as a contradiction has bothered me for some time and I even directly asked about the discrepancies between the charts and your advice!
Charts are always copied, usually without the needed text. Therefore, official recommendations need to work for 99% of the time. In my situation, a fiberglass pool, tile grout is silicone, and no heater. Therefore CH is best on the low side, especially with a salt cell!

 

[2WeeksNotice]

just to wrap this up for certain...the styrofoam was the culprit. the water's been crystal clear for a month with no issues at all. Really nice to enjoy a pool and not fight it!! Thanks again for all the help!