Sunrise at 6:30 a.m. You carefully open your eyes, stretch out and slowly stretch. The blinds go up, revealing a view of the garden. Uh-oh. There’s a layer of yellow on the pool water. What is that? That’s right, there’s pollen in the pool.
The peak times for pollen are the spring and summer months. Allergy sufferers suffer especially at this time. We pool owners also have to contend with some allergy. If there is pollen in the pool, a few extra steps need to be taken to keep the pool water clean.
Pollen and pollen in the pool are not a big problem. With the following steps, you can rid your pool of the unsightly pollen and once again enjoy a swim in crystal clear, blue water.
Table of Contents
When is the pollen count at its highest?
As a pool owner, it doesn’t hurt to know when pollen counts are at their heaviest. From place to place and season to season, pollen counts differ. Make up your own mind by monitoring pollen levels.
As an allergy sufferer, you will feel the pollen levels directly. Pool owners should monitor pollen levels to know when you should do a little extra work.
Types of pollen vary from place to place. Some types of pollen are more troublesome than others. Find out what the most annoying pollens are and, most importantly, watch their levels.
Pollen or algae?
Before you start cleaning, you need to be sure that it is indeed pollen. Some types of algae out there can look a lot like pollen.
For example, yellowish, greenish mustard algae can be difficult to distinguish from pollen just based on appearance.
The distinction between an algae problem and a pollen problem is actually simple. Algae sticks to the sides or bottom of the pool and cannot be easily filtered out by the pool’s filtration system. Pollen, on the other hand, floats on the surface of the pool water.
If something is floating on top of the water and your filtration system has already picked up some of it, you probably have pollen in your pool water.
Remove pollen from your pool in 5 steps
So you’ve determined that you do indeed have a problem with pollen or pollen in your pool. Now let’s take a look together, at the steps necessary to remove pollen from your pool.
Getting rid of pollen is straightforward, easy and quick, but during heavy pollen seasons, it’s a daily task.
Step 1: Operate a pool filter
Normally, most pool owners don’t run the pool filter 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. If you have a pollen problem, the pool filter is your best defense against a buildup of pollen. Keep it running all day long.
The pool filter alone is not the perfect solution, but it is an effective first step.
A permanently running pool filter significantly reduces the amount of manual labor. The electricity bill will be higher, but you’ll need less time for your daily tasks.
And for a clean, pollen-free pool, the investment is definitely worth it.
Step 2: Clean the water daily with a landing net
Every morning, take a fine-mesh pool net and drag it through the water to fish out the remaining pollen. This is because a lot of pollen accumulates overnight. In the particularly heavy pollen season, you may have to use the landing net to clear your pool of pollen several times a day.
A normal landing net is not sufficient for this task. You need a particularly fine-meshed net to catch even the small particles.
Step 3: Aluminum sulfate flocculant
Some pollen are just too small for the pool filter or landing net. They simply pass through the filter as if they weren’t there, slipping through the tiny openings of the landing net.
There is a handy remedy for this. Add flocculant (preferably aluminum sulfate based) to the pool water, this will cause the pollen to clump together and be filtered by your pool filter. You can also catch the thicker flocs better with a landing net.
Step 4: Perform shock chlorination
If you have a pollen problem, it’s a good idea to shock the pool. This shock chlorination will kill bugs, bacteria and microorganisms that have discovered your pool as a new home due to the pollen floating around.
Add the chlorine tablets to the pool water before you go to bed. The next morning, filter the water with the filtration system and fish out anything left in the water with a landing net.
Step 5: Use a pool vacuum as needed
For some pools, simple scooping is not enough. If pollen levels are particularly intense in your area, you may need to vacuum the pool manually.
The last resort is installing a pool vacuum cleaner. When operating a pool vacuum, don’t neglect the cost. The vacuum uses electricity and the extracted water will need to be replaced.
Put an end to pollen and pollen in the pool
We want to save pool owners from looking at a pool full of pollen.
At certain times of the year (especially spring and summer), pollen counts are at their highest.
There’s not much that can be done about the circumstance. However, with our tips, you can keep your pool clean, free of pollen and crystal clear.
The steps all take no time at all, but must be done regularly. It’s best to schedule a few minutes each day before work, after your afternoon coffee, or before bed to clean your pool.
Your family and especially allergy sufferers will thank you for the pollen-free pool.
We hope you enjoy your pollen-free swim!
