Any above-ground pool experts out there??

[Kim&Chris]

We just put up a 15' round above-ground pool. Thanks to all the rainfall, it's full now

Here's my question: we get alot of what I call 'swimming bugs' in the pool. They are oval shaped with two long legs that make them swim and dart around the pool super fast. If they see the skimmer enter the pool, they swim away and they're really tough to catch.

Do any of you know what I'm referring to? If so, how the he11 do you get rid of these nasty little things? I'm at my wit's end. Everyday I pull out around 5 of them....EVERYDAY! Where do they come from? Is there a chemical I can buy that will kill/prevent them? Chlorine doesn't seem to do the trick

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gallaj0]

Shock it. Really shock it big. Those bugs live off of organic material in your pool. If they like it there, they'll stay. If you shock all the organics out of it, they die and get filtered out, or leave.

 

[gallaj0]

Also, try to maintain the chlorine levels all the time. If you have a feeder to put tablets or pellets in, you should be ok. Otherwise, just bust a tablet in half, and leave it in the skimmer to maintain the levels. If the level is getting too low then your adding chlorine, they will sneak in during the low points.

 

[PghLybrt]

They are just water bugs and harmless.
Shocking will help with the bugs but by over chlorinating so often you are causing more damage to the pool. Meaning the life of the liner, pump and filter ect. They do make a product called bug off and most pool stores carry this product.


On a different note we were just joking that this was the year of the 15 rd ....(we are in the pool business) and then I opened this and it was a 15 rd.....we got a good giggle.

 

[kaw1218]

Shock it. Really shock it big. Those bugs live off of organic material in your pool. If they like it there, they'll stay. If you shock all the organics out of it, they die and get filtered out, or leave.

Be careful with shocking your pool, or I should say over shocking. You can get different forms of alge from over chlorinating (I think one is like a black alge) really hard to get rid of ( and very dangerous for people). buy a test kit and watch all of the levels, chlorine, ph and alkalinity. They are a pain(the bugs) but they will go away if all the levels are right.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Be careful with shocking your pool, or I should say over shocking. You can get different forms of alge from over chlorinating (I think one is like a black alge) really hard to get rid of ( and very dangerous for people). buy a test kit and watch all of the levels, chlorine, ph and alkalinity. They are a pain(the bugs) but they will go away if all the levels are right.

Thanks!

 

[kaw1218]

Thanks!

No problem...... of course mine is lime green from all this rain!!!

 

[gallaj0]

Every pool needs to be shocked eventually; the build up of organic material combining with the free chlorine added into the water makes cholramines, which can only be removed by shocking.

I've never heard of algea being caused by shocking; algea is an organic plant material that drifts in from the air.

I'm just going by my commercial pool operator course, with 4 years operating an olympic health club pool, as well as my own 21' above ground.

 

[PghLybrt]

Umm so in my 20 years (actually life as I was born into the industry) I have never not once ever heard of Algae being caused by chlorine.
Now cloudiness , bleaching, drying out ect yes.

My advice.... use a pool professional. Do not try and diagnose yourself by buying products a discount or big box stores. They have no personnel that is trained in the industry.
We are ultimately talking about your families health and in my opinion that is not something to play with.

___ you do know that there are other more effective ways to sanitize that do not involve harmful chemicals such as chlorine.....

oh btw i own 6 swimming pool stores....

 

[kaw1218]

Every pool needs to be shocked eventually; the build up of organic material combining with the free chlorine added into the water makes cholramines, which can only be removed by shocking.

I've never heard of algea being caused by shocking; algea is an organic plant material that drifts in from the air.

I'm just going by my commercial pool operator course, with 4 years operating an olympic health club pool, as well as my own 21' above ground.

We had a black alge that started in the one corner of the pool..... I don't think shocking it started it....but it like feeded off the chlorine(at least chlorine made it worse) .... we had to wait for all chlorine levels to almost dissappear and then use this really thick chemical to get rid of it.. It was gross. ( I voted to just empty the pool, But was told that I would need to do all that anyway)

 

[PghLybrt]

If you are using chlorine as a sanatizer then you should be shocking no less than every 2 weeks.