Have You Noticed All The Pollen?
It is everywhere and it is collecting on your patio, sidewalks, driveways and the surface of your pool. The worst time for Pollen season in Houston is from February into May. Houston is one the highest pollen spots in the USA. To help keep it out of the pool, use good practices such as washing your decks and sidewalks around your pool when it starts to collect. This will prevent pollen from being swept into your pool, affecting clarity between weekly treatments/service.
Pollen buildup in your pool can cloud the water and can give the perception that algae is present. Yellow and blue mixed together make green, thus giving a green tint to the pool water. When pollen sinks and collects at the bottom of a pool it is often mistaken for mustard algae due to their similar structure. To help you stay on top of your pool, Texsun has extra crews running during this season to help keep your pool looking its best.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- CAN WE SWIM IN OUR POOL?
Absolutely. The sanitizer in your pool is still active and protecting you from bacteria. We recommend checking chemical levels prior to swimming as pollen can cause fluctuations such as chlorine loss if it is not removed from the water quickly enough.
- WHEN SHOULD I HAVE MY NEXT FILTER CLEAN SCHEDULED?
Pollen is unsightly, but it can also cause unseen issues such as poor circulation. After the spring pollen season, it is advisable to have your filter cleaned. Your filter is where all the pollen ultimately ends up as pollen saturated water circulates through your system.
- WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTS CAN I USE TO IMPROVE CLARITY AND CIRCULATION?
The best product for pollen is an enzyme-based clarifier that is specifically designed to break down pollen and remove it from your system through an “evaporation” process.
Other types of clarifiers can be used, but they work by coagulating the pollen and moving it to your filter where it will collect. This will cause your filter pressure to rise. A filter clean following a clarifier treatment is recommended to reduce your filter’s PSI.
Another useful product are skimmer socks, which attach to your skimmer baskets. These socks act as a pre-filter for your pool, removing the pollen by trapping it inside your skimmer port before it can make its way to your filter, preventing a rise in pressure.
If the pollen has already fallen out of suspension and covered the bottom of your pool, we recommend vacuuming the pollen out using a vacuum hose and head. You can either vacuum to waste if you have a D.E. filter or vacuum it your filter and have a filter clean scheduled to remove the pollen after.
- ANY OTHER CONCERNS?
Oak worms as we call them, are extremely heavy right now as well. They fill up skimmer and pump baskets on a daily basis which can cause clogged skimmer lines, clogged pump impellers, broken skimmer baskets, and burn out your pool pump. Please empty the baskets daily during this pollen season to prevent loss of circulation and damage to your pool/equipment.
