Why Is My Pool Water Green
- If you are asking this question, it is because you have green algae in your pool.
- Green algae forms due to poor pool sanitization and poor filtration.
- This type is the easiest to get rid of compared to yellow and black algae.
- It floats freely on the surface, which makes the water look green.
- It will sometimes stick to the pool walls, but the good news is that it is easier to brush off than the yellow or black types.
- To get rid of it, you need to do a light shocking using liquid chlorine .
- You can use algaecide preventatively once a week, especially during hot and humid seasons to keep algae away.
Prevent Algae From Returning
All the algae should be dead and sitting at the bottom of your pool at this point. The dead algae is likely too fine to be vacuumed through your sand filter, therefore owners of sand filters must vacuum on the waste setting. Cartridge filter owners can vacuum up the dead algae but need to clean the filters thoroughly after doing so.
In the evening, chlorinate your pool with HTH Extra followed by adding a Phosphate Eliminating product to your skimmer to prevent algae from returning.
Test The Water For Ph And Alkalinity
Using test strips or a liquid test kit, test the pH and alkalinity levels. Note the levels as youll refer to them later.
If you want to, you can also note the chlorine level. Were willing to bet its going to be too low or even nonexistent. If the sanitizer level was where it should be, you wouldnt be dealing with algae. It also wont matter once you get to the next step.
Note: Testing the water could be the first step. If youd rather test, then vacuum, then brush, go for it. It wont affect the algae removal process.
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How Green Is Your Pool
Because if it’s too green, these six steps wont be enough you may need to have the pool drained and acid-washed, instead of shocked. I have seen many pools that were not just green, but black. In severe cases like this, it is more cost-effective and less time-consuming to simply drain the pool and have it acid-washed, even though it costs money to refill the pool.
This is my general rule for determining whether the pool can be treated chemically or needs to be drained: if you can see at least six to eight inches below the surface of the water, most likely the pool can be treated chemically. An example is in the photo below you can see the top of the first stair down into the pool.
Once we establish that the pool doesn’t need to be drained and can be treated chemically, we can go from there.
An example of green pool water that can be treated chemically.
How To Clean A Green Above Ground Pool
The procedure is the same as has already mentioned with a couple exceptions. You may need to remove your pool ladder or drop-in-steps to remove algae.
Any live algae will grow fast, if you do not brush it all into chlorine, it will definitely return.
What ever it takes, you have to remove leaves and debris. This can be challenging with above ground pools as you may have to work over the pool wall. Or your service pole may not reach across the entire pool, or you may have an annoying perimeter fence around the top.
I usually remove sections of the fence when working on above ground pools with such an obstacle.
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Whats So Bad About Algae
While not toxic to swimmers in and of itself, algae can cause other problems such as hosting bad bacteria like E-coli. They can also reduce visibility for divers who are attempting to rescue a person or pet. It can clog up pores in pool filters which can render them useless. It can eat into pool surfaces and stain them.
Since theyre microscopic, they can easily hide out in crevices, behind pool ladders, under pool liners, etc. So basically, you have to be vigilant to prevent it in the first place. An ounce of prevention is worth 15 thousand gallons in the case of keeping algae out of pools.
First Step: Prepare Pool Water For Shocking And Testing
Why is my pool still green after adding chlorine, and is it safe to swim in a pool with algae? Not necessarily. Issues such as bacterial infections and skin issues can occur if you swim in water with algae.
Algae will remain in your pool after shock if youve had insufficient chlorine and an overabundance of metal elements in the pool water. Therefore, to start the cleaning process. Remove all the debris from the pool with a leaf net and then let the smaller dirt fragments settle.
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How To Clear Cloudy Pool Water
- |October 13, 2020
I hate cloudy pool water as much as I hate cloudy lemonade . Theyre ugly, dirty, and generally not ideal for swimming thanks to a number of potential health risks.
The worst part? Cloudiness can strike your pool in a matter of hours, leaving you scratching your head as to what exactly went wrong.
In this article, Ill walk you through the exact steps to identify, clear and prevent a cloudy pool for both inground and above ground pools.
Need a quick answer? The cause is either chemical imbalance, circulation/filtration issues, or environmental effects. To fix it, youll first want to test your pool chemistry to make sure everything is in balance, then throw in some clarifier or flocculant to clump the debris. Your filter will take care of the clumps and voilà clear water.
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Extreme Cases Of Green Pool
If you have an extreme case, with a ton of algae and leaves on the bottom of the pool. As in cases where the pool has been closed for the winter, or for multiple seasons, or even worse, the cover has fallen into the pool. You should attempt to vacuum the pool to waste before proceeding with the above instructions.
If there is to much debris, and you cannot vacuum. You have no choice but to leaf rake the entire pool with a leaf net. Continue removing debris with leaf net until you can make a pass, and only catch a few leaves in the net. You may have to let the pool settle, and then leaf rake the entire pool again.
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Does It Need To Be Drained
If your pool is dark green, bordering on a blackish color, it may be more effective to drain the pool completely and acid wash the surface.
Rob at Dengarden says if you can see at least six to eight inches below the surface of the water, most likely the pool can be treated chemically.
If not, you will need to make your own decision about whether to drain the water or continue to try chemical treatments.
Green Pool To Clear Pool In 8 Steps
Getting algae in your pool is no fun and can be difficult to clean up. You can help prevent algae, by testing and treating your water weekly, and following our recommended weekly maintenance routine. If you do happen to get algae, though, Angie’s can help. Green pool water is a sign of algae growth. And, even if your pool is not green, cloudiness can also be a sign of algae growth. Even clear pools can disguise algae growth! If you’re not sure if you have algae, bring a water sample into the store. Our retail staff will check your chlorine and stabilizer levels to help you determine whether or not your pool has algae. We can also give you step-by-step instructions on how to clear up your pool. Below are some tips to get you started!
Step 1: Brush
When fighting algae, it is best to brush the sidewalls and floor of your pool daily. This is because algae grows in layers. So, even if you can’t see the algae, it could possibly still be growing on your pool walls. The process of brushing will help break up the algae and make it more reachable to your pool skimmer. It is also best to manually brush as opposed to using a robotic pool cleaner to ensure all hard-to-reach spots have been cleaned.
Step 2: Clean Light
Step 3: Clean Filter
Step 4: Turn the Chlorinator Up
When fighting algae, the next step is to turn your chlorinator on high. The pool will use more chlorine when there’s algae, so keeping your chlorinator cranked up will help you not run out as quickly.
5: Add Algaecide
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Use Flocculant To Clear Up The Algae
Youve disarmed the enemy , but its presence still lingers.
The best way to clear out the rest of the pool algae is to use a pool flocculant.
Flocculants are normally used to clear up cloudy white swimming pools. They work by clumping particles together and sinking them to the bottom of your pool making it easier for you to clean up and filter out.
Use 1 2 treatments of pool flocculant depending on the severity of the pool algae. After adding it to your pool, give the flocculant some time to settle in.
Once you see the algae sinking to the bottom, its time to finish the job.
Test And Balance Your Pool Water
After all that work your green pool water should be in the past. Now it’s time to balance your pool water once more. Your chlorine might be a little on the high side, but it’ll decrease in time. Next, your pH might be above the normal range of 7.2 – 7.8. A little muriatic or dry acid will bring it back in line.
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Why Do We Need To Remove Algae
To assure you, algae isnt toxic or harmful to humans. However, we have good reasons to get rid of it.
- It sticks to the pools surfaces and stains them.
- It blocks the pores in the filters and turns them useless.
- Bacteria like E-coli enjoy having it as a host.
- The vision for divers is not clear.
As always, precaution methods will reduce the chance of algae taking over your pool and save you from the heavy workload. So, what if you have been busy and negligent of the pool? How are we gonna deal with a tough and persistent enemy? Weve got your back.
Refill The Pool To Capacity
The next logical step/procedure is to refill your swimming pool to your desired capacity as you love to have it and actually enjoy it.The water from the refill is going to be quite clear at this moment and depending on your water source, may begin to reflect the almighty blue color that you so cherish.
At this point, you can and should take a rest and smile at your accomplishment. The worst is over and the joy of a clean pool has only just begun!
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Clearing Up A Green Swimming Pool On Opening
If your pool is already green upon opening it, please first read our post How To Open An Above Ground Swimming Pool or How To Open My Inground Swimming Pool.
We suggest the following procedure:
1. Remove most of the large debris from the pool floor with a large leaf net . This will stir up the water, and may make your pool look much worse temporarily, but the stirred up debris will settle within a few hours. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO VACUUM THE POOL IF YOU CANNOT SEE THE BOTTOM OF IT OR IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF DEBRIS ON THE BOTTOM. YOU MAY CLOG YOUR SKIMMER, FILTER OR UNDERGROUND PIPES.
2. Adjust the pH and Alkalinity levels of the water using pH Plus , pH Minus and Alkalinity adjustment . These levels must be within the proper ranges or the water may not clear completely.
3. Shock the pool. This means chlorinating the water to kill off any bacteria and algae. If your pool is very dirty, it may need MANY gallons of liquid chlorine over a period of days before the water clears.
5. If you follow these instructions and your pool does not clear up within 4 or 5 days, your filter may not be functioning properly. Read our blog on Pool Filters, The pool will never clear up if the filter is not working properly.
Why Is My Swimming Pool Green
There can be a multitude of reasons for a swimming pool to turn green, a lot of these can be tracked down to improper pH/alkaline levels, presence of metals, growth of algae, failing filtration system, or organic debris in the pools water. Some of these are easier to because there are tree branches, leaves, insects, or possibly clouded water floating in the pool. Nevertheless, something such as pH or alkalinity is required to be measured with a testing kit and then adjusted accordingly using chemicals such as chlorine or algaecide.
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How To Clean A Green Above
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Your above-ground pool is green. You probably are getting ready to start enjoying it again after a break or just fell behind in caring for it. How do you get it back to the natural blue color that you are used to swimming in?
Lets examine it step by step and discuss how you can keep it from getting that way again. When all is considered, maintenance over the long term is the best way to prevent algae so we will help you discover whether you can do this on your own or if you need help from someone to care for your pool.
Put A Pool Cleaner On Standby
Well, after testing the pool and certifying practically that is now to your taste, you need to put something in place: a dedicated pool vacuum cleaner.
This cleaner will work itself round the clock to make certain that algae do not make its home in your pool again. Importantly, a pool cleaner will ensure that the sky blue color of your pool is preserved and the sad greenish color banished from your pool borders forever!
This point is very important but sadly, always overlooked. However, if you pay close attention to this point, youll save yourself the stress of bothering with manual cleaning efforts or worse, dealing with green algae determined to ruin your life and make it both work-filled and frustrated with swimming pool cleaning.
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Why Do I Have Green Pool Water
Green pool problems are normally a direct result of poor swimming pool water chemistry, pool water maintenance and/or bad filtration. Your pool can go from crystal clear to green seemingly overnight. And what’s the main reason? Pool algae. And what’s the main cause? Pool algae can happen when the pools sanitizer levels are too low for too long, or the sanitizer is simply not effective at killing off the algae spores.
Lower Your Pool’s Ph Level
You’ll first want to test your pool’s pH to get a good idea of how much it needs to be lowered.
There are lots of testing kits for water chemistry available that range in cost from under $5 to well over $50, but a good kit like this one from AquaChek will serve your purposes just fine.
Since your pool is green, we already know the chlorine level is probably way too low, so you can skip testing that if youd like.
The main thing you will be testing is the PH level.
A healthy PH level for a pool is right around 7.5, but for this project, we want it even lowerbelow 7.2.
This will keep the water from becoming even more cloudy in the following steps.
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Once you know what the PH level is, you can use a sodium bisulfate product to reduce it.
Simply follow the manufacturers instructions for adding the product to your pool and test it again in a few hours.
How much you add will depend on how acidic your pool is.
Its always recommended to use about ¾ as much as it calls for to begin with so you dont overdo it.
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Two: Test And Adjust Ph Levels
Before adding any chemicals to kill the algae, its crucial that you check the pH levels and adjust accordingly. Using a pool test kit or pH strips, determine the current pH of your pool. It should be between 7.2 and 7.8.
If the pH of your pool is above 7.8, the chlorine in the bleach will not be effective at killing the algae. To clean your pool effectively, the pH level must be between 7.2 and 7.8. If its below 7.2, youll need to add in sodium bicarbonate. Whereas, if its above 7.8, use muriatic acid or dry acid to lower it.
Brush The Pool Walls And Floor
Rather than just your usual, regular pool brush, its best to use an algae brush for this task. Algae is tough, and will stubbornly cling to the pools surfaces, so a heavy-duty brush works better than soft nylon bristles to remove it.
Use the brush to scrub the pool walls, floor, steps, and any other surface the algae may be clinging to.
Note: You may be wondering, why dont you brush the pool first, then vacuum it? Dont you want to vacuum up the algae? No. No you dont. You want to kill the algae, and it still has to be in the pool for you to do that. Trust us.
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