Pea Soup

[lisak]

I put a mesh anchored cover on my IG pool two years ago. Now when we open in the spring I have a green, algae mess. I never had this when I used the solid tarp and the water tubes. Is this normal? I can't even see the sides of the pool and my white stairs are green. The cover was expensive but I think I would rather fight the tarp and the water tubes all winter (Upstate NY, lots of snow) than fight the swamp every year. Thoughts anyone?

Lisa

[sunofthebeach]

It is normal, your cover lets sunlight in. If you wanted you could start adding bleach and circulate it with a small pump before you take your cover off so when you open your pool it is clear.

Really though it does not hurt anything, and you can clear it up in 3 or 4 days.

If I could do it over I would get the solid loop lock cover, the one that has a pump to drain the water off the top.

[CarlD]

It may well be when and how you close it. I've used a mesh safety cover for years and this was the FIRST time I had a bloom at all, and not even a bad one. But we had a lot of warmish rain and I couldn't open for weeks.

I usually open to clear water and lots of dead muck on the bottom. You have to get your water ready for closing if you don't want to face this again.

BTW, I live in Northern NJ--similar climate.

[buckeyemom]

Trust what Carl says. We followed his closing suggestions to the letter last year, and had a clear pool in about 8 hours after opening this year.

[sunofthebeach]

It may well be when and how you close it.

You have to get your water ready for closing if you don't want to face this again.

BTW, I live in Northern NJ--similar climate.

What do you mean get your water ready for closing?

What do I need to do?

[CarlD]

Well, it's posted in stickied posts on some of the forums.

But, in short:
1) Make sure the water is clean--I run FC up to 15 and keep it there--but YOUR number depends on your CYA level--I go for the shock level.
2) I'm cooling the water down, aiming for 60 degrees or lower to close.
3) When I can keep the water at FC=15, I then add a full quart of Polyquat algaecide.
4) After 48 hours, FC will drop down to near 0--this is a normal reaction to the Polyquat.
5) I then run the FC up to 15 again and keep it there until the water is near or below 60 degrees.
6) I close the pool. I drop the water 2" below the returns as part of the process.
7) On goes the mesh safety cover and I'm done, other than putting everything away.