Help me solve this problem please

[jtnaylor]

So I used ultra bleach to get my pool almost perfectly clear and blue this spring - thanks for the advice.

Then the pollen started falling. We have tons of oak and pine trees around the house and every day I'd go home and scoop off all those pollen "buds" off the top of the water and pull several pounds of them from the skimmer.

Well day by day the water got more yellow/green. I vacuumed and brushed, backwashed, etc. Kept the chems up. It wouldn't clear. Now the pollen is almost done falling but the water will not clear. The bottom of the pool is covered in what must be pollen.

I'm keeping a 15ppm chlorine level right now just to make sure this isn't algae. But it doesn't change anything. It's still green. I've been trying for over a month to get this clear.

I added a gallon of clarifier, plus I've been putting fiber brite?? I think that's what it's called - in the skimmer each time I backwash to help filter out the smaller stuff. I also added 2 quarts of polyquat for good measure.

My filter is a brand new (last year) sand filter using zeosand. The pool is an 18x36x8.5' inground with a vinyl liner. The liner was replaced last year too and now it looks like this POLLEN - if that's what it is has actually stained the entire liner. How do I get rid of that?

My little girl has a pool party on her birthday every year - and that day is next month on the 17th. So I have a month to get this thing perfect again and I'm about to start freaking out. I've tried everything.

I tested my chems last night - chlorine off the chart, alk good, ph 6.8 - so I added a whole box of borax... pool still looks the same today.

Help me please

[mbar]

If it is staining due to pollen, then it will come off with the continued use of chlorine. Another good idea is to get skimmer socks, or use old pantyhose to cover the inside of the skimmer basket. This will filter out very small particles. I had a friend use coffee filters in the skimmer basket to get rid of very fine dirt that had run into the pool. Can you post the rest of your chemical numbers? Pollen is really a pain with pools, it just takes a little more patience - when the pollen is over the worst, the bleach will get rid of any stains and the continued filtering and brushing will get the water sparkling again.

[jtnaylor]

Hi there - what numbers are you looking for. My test kit only does alkalinity, cl, and ph.

I can't see the deep end but I can sort of see the shallow end. And when I brush there is a huge cloud of pollen "dust" that flies up with each stroke. I am keeping my polaris running to keep it all stirred up - but even leaving the polaris off for a few days - the water doesn't clear so I guess it's not all settling.

It's wearing me out for sure.

[mbar]

Mostly I wanted to know your cya number to see how much chlorine you need to run to keep it sanitizing. If you are getting clouds of dust - then using a skimmer sock (or stocking) will help. If you have a sand filter you can add some DE to it to help filter out smaller particles. You can search the forum, it will tell you how to add the DE to a sand filter. Mostly you will need POP - which stands for pool owners patience! I know it is hard, but if you relax, the chlorine and filter will eventually do the job. Keep your filter running 24/7, and make sure the chlorine is high enough to break down the pollen.

[waterbear]

My first suggestion would be to get a GOOD test kit so you can take control of your water and KNOW what is going on in your pool. I would recommend a Taylor K-2006 (NOT the K-2005)

[CarlD]

Everybody struggles with pollen in the spring in the NE. Here's what I do until the pollen season passes:
1) Keep the filter running 24/7.
2) Backwash regularly.
3) vacuum AND BRUSH regularly
4) Use a skimmer sock. It will catch more pollen than your filter will. You may have to clean it 2 or 3 times a day.
5) Keep your chlorine up.
6) Use a solar cover when you aren't swimming. You'll probably have to hose it off as you roll it up, but that pollen's better on the ground than in your water.
7) Don't add a bunch of chems hoping they will fix it. They won't--they'll just make it worse.
8) POPP--Pool Owner Patience and Persistence.

[Watermom]

Not just the northeast! We have major pollen with all the flowering trees in WV! If you can get away with cleaning out your skimmer sock only 2 or 3 times a day, I'd say you are lucky. Mine gets clogged every couple of hours!

[jtnaylor]

I'm going to run by the pool store on my way home today and see what they have so I can test cya. The only cya that gets in my pool is from the pucks in the chlorinator. I'll see if they have a skimmer sock as well - or I'll just pick up some pantyhose.

I tested last night and the ph is up to 7.6 so I guess that's about where I want that. I shocked the pool some more just for the heck of it. And I turned off the chlorinator just in case my cya is getting out of hand.

I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks for the info.

[jtnaylor]

Mostly I wanted to know your cya number to see how much chlorine you need to run to keep it sanitizing. If you are getting clouds of dust - then using a skimmer sock (or stocking) will help. If you have a sand filter you can add some DE to it to help filter out smaller particles. You can search the forum, it will tell you how to add the DE to a sand filter. Mostly you will need POP - which stands for pool owners patience! I know it is hard, but if you relax, the chlorine and filter will eventually do the job. Keep your filter running 24/7, and make sure the chlorine is high enough to break down the pollen.

Stopped by the pool store and got some strips that measure cya levels. The reading was 30-50ppm . Those strips also showed my chlorine at 20ppm! Everything else was in the "ideal" range.

It actually looks better today. The water is more blue than green in the shallow end. Still yellow/green and can't see the deep end. But I'm brushing it every night and shocking the crap out of it. Filter running nonstop - and I have a skimmer sock in place now.

We'll see what happens.

[mbar]

I'm glad that the pool is clearing up - POP! I would also suggest that you get a really good test kit. They are expensive - but are worth their weight in gold, because you can take control of your water, and do not have to depend on going to the pool store. If you test your water with your own test kit, you can keep the chemicals balanced very easily because you will be using the same kit and reading it with your own eyes. This makes it less likely to get confused by what different people at pool stores are telling you. Test strips are not very accurate, and differences in the accuracy can mean that your pool is not properly sanitized. The correlation between cya and chlorine is one of the most important for your water. If you read some of the archives here, you will see how important having the right chemical numbers can be. With testing your pool regularly and keeping the water balanced it will be a much easier, and much cheaper way to maintain the pool. Feel free to ask any questions you may have, there is always someone here to help