Keep Pollen from Ruining Your Pool
April is hard on your backyard. Between frequent rainstorms and layers of pollen, it can feel like you’re always behind on maintaining your pool area. As pollen season reaches its peak in North Carolina, here are the top 3 questions we get about spring pool management:
1) How Long Should I Be Running My Pump Each Day?
In the height of pollen season, running the pool pump is essential to keeping sparkling clear water. However, overrunning your pump can lead to large energy bills and potentially wear down your pump faster. So what is the optimal amount of time to run your pool pump? This question largely depends on the current condition of your pool: if it’s clean and clear, aim to run your pump for at least 8-12 hours a day, preferably during daylight hours. If you are doing any kind of water treatment, run the pump for 24 hours a day, unless otherwise instructed by your pool professional.
2) How Often Should I Clean My Filter?
In the heaviest part of the pollen season, you should be cleaning your filter as often as once a day. When the pollen is lighter, wait until equipment pressure builds to 6-8 PSI above normal before backwashing to conserve water and save time. To determine your normal PSI, turn your pump off and verify that the gauge falls to 0. Clean your filter and turn the pump back on. Take note of the pressure, this is your starting point to determine when cleaning your filter is necessary.
If your pressure gauge is no longer operating properly, you should consider replacing it. Gauge replacement is quick and inexpensive and can save you plenty of time and money over its lifetime.
3) Is There Anything Else I Can Do to Protect My Pool?
Rising Sun Pools offers a variety of cleaning supplies to keep your pool sparkling from opening in the spring to closing in the fall. One of our favorite products is the skimmer sock. Skimmer socks work with your pool filter to catch the majority of the pollen and debris that finds its way to your filter. When the socks get dirty, simply rinse and reuse! Skimmer socks will allow you to go longer between cleanings and could extend the life of your pool filtration system. You can pick up skimmer socks at any of our locations.
We hope that these simple tips help you stay on top of your pool maintenance during the pollen season. Rising Sun Pools is your partner in pool maintenance. Feel free to call us at 919-851-9700 if you have any questions about your pool system, or if you’d like to set up personalized maintenance with our team of pool experts.