Preserving Christmas trees in the pool? Not the best idea

Can you extend the life of your Christmas tree by chucking it into the backyard pool for about 24 hours?

Some people said it’s a great idea, but pool experts said it could turn out to be a costly experiment.

“I have heard of a lot of silly things, but I would absolutely not do it,” said Ralph Hartsing with B & L Pool Supplies.

Hartsing said one of the main problems is the phosphates in the tree.

“When it gets in touch with chlorine, it turns the chlorine against itself,” he said. “Instead of killing bacteria and killing algae, no matter how much chlorine you put into the pool, you’ll be giving the algae a food source.”

Another other problem exists if the tree loses needles while dunked under water for any period of time.

“Those needles get in the filter, clogs up the impeller in the motor,” said Hartsing. “You can’t draw water through, it runs dry, burns up and you have to replace the motor.”