Spring time is a time of renewal and growth, and also a time for love – tree love that is. Tree pollen allows trees to produce seeds, from which they can produce offspring, or baby trees.
So we put up with it – a week or two of yellow dust covering our cars, and allergy sufferers retreating indoors with tissues and a box of Claritin. Let the trees have their fun.
But when pollen starts to make a mess of swimming pools – that’s when we step forward, and provide pool owners with good information about removing pollen from pools.
Is Pollen in Your Pool?
It may be a smart deduction that during spring, a yellow layer on the surface, or all-over yellowish color to the pool water, may be pollen. But sometimes, it could be a form of yellow algae.
Pollen can be identified as such:
- Pollen tends to stick to the pool tile at the waterline
- Pollen will also stick to the inside of your skimmer
- Pollen on the surface is easily wind blown into a corner
- However, pollen will eventually dissolve and pollen will sink to the floor, or can discolor the pool water, making it appear to be yellow algae.
- Algae will not (usually) float or stick to the tile, but will stick to underwater surfaces, often on the shady side of the pool.
- And if on the floor, algae will not ‘dust-up’ when hit with a brush, like pollen will, but requires firm brushing to remove.
What’s Wrong With Pollen?
Besides the allergy issues, pollen in the pool can upset your pool water chemistry and clog up filtration systems.
- Accumulates inside of skimmer walls and along tile line
- Oily pollen particles clog tiny pores in pool filter media
- Can mix with dirt to form ugly water line scum and stains
- Pollen contains phosphates, bacteria and other organics
Removing Pollen from Your Pool
Eventually the pollen will filter out on its own, but if you want to speed the process along, there are ways to remove pollen from a pool very quickly.
7-ways to Remove Pollen from Pools
- Natural Chemistry First Aid; a blend of clarifiers and enzymes
- The Slime Bag; heavy fabric filter bag attaches to pool wall return
- The Skim Bag; heavy fabric filter bag drops into skimmer basket
- Filter Savers; fine mesh socks stretch over skimmer or pump baskets
- Jack’s Magic Fiber Filter Stuff as a filter aid to improve performance
Another way to combat pool pollen is to shock the pool with a granular oxidizer, either with a basic Pool Shock, or you can also use our Non-chlorine Shock.- Running your pool pump a little overtime during pollen season, and keeping your pool and pool filter a little extra clean, also helps to remove the pollen from a pool faster.
To summarize, remove most of the pollen regularly with a fine mesh net or skimmer sock, and keep your tiles and skimmer inside walls clean, while running the filter a little overtime. If you need or want more rapid removal of pollen from the pool, use a Clarifier, Enzyme or Filter Aid to assist in cleaning the water faster. Shocking the pool can also remove large amounts of pollen from the pool, although it can result in cloudy water in some situations.
Thanks for reading this short post about pollen problems in pools – the good news is that it’s usually temporary! In a few weeks, the pollen will be gone.
great! Read the article and comments. It really helps me a lot. Thanks for the information
Hi Dave,
We have beend dealing with pollen in the pool since June. We’ve tried shocking and clarifing (all chemical levels in the pool are currently normal according to the test at the pool store), using a sock on the skimmer, and even changing the sand in the sand filter (2 days ago) but the water is still cloudy. When the pump is off, the pollen settles to the ground and the pool is super clear. The pollen won’t vacuum because it’s so fine and just gets pushed back up into the water. Do you have any other suggestions? It’s been two months of this.
Hi Lynn, you could try vacuuming to waste, first fill the pool full, and vacuum very slowly, until the water level drops enough to where the skimmer wants to suck air, then shut off the pump and refill the pool. Clarifiers should help, but be careful not to overdose or overtreat, just once or twice per 7 days. If you can find some Aluminum Sulfate, aka Alum at your local store, you can use a cup (8 oz) of that, added thru the skimmer, as a filter aid. We have a product called the Slime Bag, which is a fine mesh filter bag that attaches to the return line, and catches very fine dust and silt.
Hi Dave,
I wasn’t holding chlorine and had a 2.7 copper reading. Per instructions increased pH to 7.8 and chlorine to 0, then added a metal remover (i didn’t realize the algaecide I used had copper, duh). Circulated for 48 hrs then changed DE and hit it with granular chlorine. Chlorine level went up to 6 and pool became very cloudy. I have been circulating for four days and it’s not getting much better. I also use a filter bag in my skimmer which usually catches most everything before getting into the DE filter. These cloudy particles are so small it goes right through it. I am concerned it is either going through or plugging the DE. I bump filter regularly (can’t back flush); flow improves for a while then drops off but still moving. Tested water at local pool store chlorine back to 3, pH, alkalinity are good. Stabilizer is high 120 and phophates are 6000. Clarifiers aren’t recommended for DE filters and I can’t vac to waste, so flocculants are out. Help!
Hi Bill, run the filter 24/7 – but first, dissassemble the filter and hose off the fingers, and soak in a solution of TSP and hot water (to remove oils) for 30 mins. Rinse well, then soak in a 10% muriatic acid solution (to remove scale). Rinse well and reinstall with the correct amount of DE powder, noting that 1 lb of DE is equal to 32 oz of dry measure (not 16 oz as one would think). Use a Phosphate remover, possibly 2 or 3x to get phosphates below 300 ppb. Keep the chlorine high, and the pH low. If still not clearing, you can consider replacing half of the water, or installing a Slime Bag filter onto your wall return, as a secondary filter. Good Luck!
I had a lot of oak pollen fall through the pool net cover. I have shocked, and algaecide and clarified the water. The water is getting clear but I keep getting a ugly yellow heavy foam on top. I keep dipping it off but it keeps coming back.
Hi Jim, check the water balance, specifically the pH, alkalinity and calcium hardness. If these are out of bounds, it can cause foaming. Otherwise, just give it a few days, and it should subside.
I have a greenish brown dust on bottom of in ground 18×36 vinyl pool all chemicals are good goes thru sand filter an back in the pool only way for the last 2 years to get rid of it is to drain 3 feet of water out of the pool on waste pushing the dust to the bottom drain any help will be appreciated
Hi Frank, there is an easier way! By the way, this is not uncommon – very silty dust can pass thru most sand filters. There are some things to help, starting with new filter sand, if it has been many years. Secondly, using a Clarifier can coagulate the tiny particles into larger, more easily filtered clumps. Adding a cup of Aluminum Sulfate thru the skimmer, will form a gel layer on top of the sand bed, to trap tiny particles. Using The Slime Bag, on the return line – it is made for just this specific problem with sand filters. You could also Vacuum to Waste, if you have a vacuum head and hose (and a multiport valve on the filter). Good Luck!
Pollen HELP . I thinks it’s pollen. I hit with a brush and it dust up. Not slimy not on walls . Just bottom. I get acorns out of pool on a daily bases. Chemical in water perfect. Will not vacuum up . Again when I vacuum it it dust up. Above ground pool. . Any help is appreciated
Hi Denise, it’s not DE powder right? (only if you have a DE filter…) And it’s not Filter Sand either? (which normally won’t ‘dust-up’ much when hit with a brush…). It could also be wind blow silt from a nearby construction project, or – yes, it could be pollen mixed with other solids. First, begin running the filter non-stop for a few days, and then use a Clarifier, to help coagulate the suspended items, to trap them in the filter. It could be that your filter is having a hard time trapping the material and is passing it thru. We have a product called The SLime Bag that is useful as a secondary filter (attaches on the return line), as needed. Or new filter media always helps (sand or cartridge).
First time maintaining in ground 18 by 32 in ground pool with vinyl liner. I had a pool company open the pool. I had a pollen issue which is mostly resolved. Still seeing some deposits which I am vacuuming in the depressions in the liner. The pool is developing staining on the walls and creeping towards the bottom. I just got the PH to 6.8 Alkalinity 40 Fee Chlorine about 4 and Total chlorine 5 The stains are brown and do not brush off. Is the solution to shock the pool or use a stain remover?
First I would raise the alkalinity to 80-90 and the pH to 7.2 – 7.6, and also check the calcium hardness level, should be minimum 180 ppm. Then see what the pool looks like – you might find that they have largely disappeared. IF not, test with some shock, and see if it removes the [organic] stain. If not – test with Ascorbic Acid like Stain Free or our A Plus Stain Remover, to remove metal stains.