More Pool Cleaning Tips
- Chlorine comes;stabilized or unstabilized. Stabilized chlorine is coated with Cyanuric acid to prevent;Cl2 from evaporating. Unstabilized chlorine, such as sodium hypochlorite, is not treated with Cyanuric acid.
- Sodium hypochlorite, also known as pool bleach, is available as a liquid and is highly concentrated compared to household bleach. Calcium hypochlorite is available as a granular powder or slow-release tablets. Both of these chemicals are used to shock the pool in order to raise the concentration of free chlorine in the water.
- Calcium hypochlorite reacts vigorously with water to release free chlorine; but it dissolves slowly. To get the most free chlorine into the water, add it to your pool at night so it wont evaporate as quickly. Youll need to wait 8 hours to use the pool, anyway. The calcium acts as an alkaline buffer.
When in doubt, consult the instructions that came with your pool, or schedule an appointment with a professional to resolve any questions and ensure that your pool provides a clean, safe and relaxing environment for you and your family.
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.
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.
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Can Brown Hair Turn Green Or Just Blonde Hair
Shock The Pool To Kill The Algae
In order to destroy pool algae, you have to essentially drown it in pool shock. More accurately,; a flurry of sanitizer, that disarms the algae and kills it at the root.
But you might be wondering:
How much pool shock do I need to get rid of pool algae?
That depends entirely on the color of the pool algae.
The 4 main colors of pool algae are:
Light green/teal, green, dark green, and black
Each one requires a different amount of shock to be defeated, with black algae being the strongest.
Heres how much shock to use to remove pool algae:
To remove light green/teal pool algae:
Use 1-2 bags of pool shock
To remove green pool algae:
Use 2 bags of pool shock
For dark green pool algae:
Use 3 bags of pool shocks
For black pool algae:
Use 4 bags of pool shock
After youve shocked the pool, give your filter system a few hours to circulate the chlorine. After that, its time to clean up the battleground.
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You Didnt Shock Properly
Did you shock the pool with the proper amount of shock?;
Its pretty hard to screw up shocking a pool, but if your calculations are wrong, you may have under-shocked the pool.
Keep in mind that green pools usually need a few rounds of shocking to get them back under control. Shock dosages are usually 1 bag per 10,000 gallons of pool water.
Its recommended to use granular calcium hypochlorite shock, or a large dose of sodium hypochlorite if thats your chlorine of choice.
So Whats Causing The Green Color Anyway
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Will The Pool Turn Green If I Don’t Add Chlorine
Believe it or not, I have seen this keyword search pop up more than once. There is a short answer: YES, IT WILL turn green if you don’t add chlorine. Pool water must have a sanitizer or something that will kill bacteria and algae. Algaecide alone without chlorine will not prevent the pool from turning green.
Your Pool Went From Clean To Green Overnight What Can You Do
Learn more about pHin, the Smart Water Care solution for pools and hot tubs.
You regularly test the water for proper chemical balance. You perform regular maintenance. You expect your pool water to sparkle like the ocean in the Caribbean; normally, it does. When you went to bed last night, everything looked fine, but when you got home from work today, you saw a foggy, green mess. What happened? Pools can’t really turn green overnight, can they?
Yes, they can. It isn’t the norm, of course, especially for a pool receiving regular maintenance. Under the right conditions, though your pool can go from clean to green overnight. How does it happen? How can you fix it? And, how do you guard against it happening again? Read on!
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How To Prevent Green Hair From Chlorine
The oxidation of the hair boosts copper absorption but pretreatment with a formulated quaternary ammonium compound impedes the process.
Having said that, the best way to prevent green hair is by using a pre and post-swim conditioner like Trihards to create a cover layer around the hair, thus reducing chlorine and copper absorption.
After you finish swimming, take a shower with a swimmers shampoo to remove the chlorine and copper layer thats on your hair. This should prevent your hair from turning green.
Why Is My Pool Water Still Green After Shocking
Why is My Pool Water Still Green After Shocking? There could be many explanations for your pool remaining green after multiple shocking efforts. Our List could help you find out why.;
- Your pool chemicals are not balanced and therefore the chlorine will not be able to work effectively.;
- For example, if the pH is too high , then the chlorine will be 80% ineffective and unable to kill the algae. Make sure that all of your pool chemicals are balanced.;
- Some people only follow the shock dosage provided on the label of the container, and this is not enough for the S.L.A.M. method.;
- Follow our instructions above to figure out how much shock you will need. Killing algae takes much more chlorine than regular weekly shock treatment.
- If you are using Algaecide, just know it will not clear a green pool. It is more effective as a preventative measure than as a treatment to kill algae.
- Use algaecide regularly once your pool is clear again to make sure you do not have another algae bloom.
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Do It Yourself Or Get Help
The stories of pool owners might be similar to those of boat owners. The two best days ever for a boat owner are the day he gets his boat and the day he gets rid of it. That is a great joke but what is the truth at the heart of it? Maintaining a boat is hard. The same can be said of pools.
Many people think that the cost involved with pools is all found in the installation. But all pool owners find out quickly that is not true. The cost of equipment to keep a pool clean can be quite significant. So it is vital to consider the costs of maintenance.
But the time it takes to clean the pool daily can be surprising to pool owners as well. Those who do the best at cleaning their pools make it a daily routine. They enjoy it for the most part. And they know that it will prolong the look and life of their pools.
Others love the water but dread the daily cleaning of the pool. It has already been discussed how important it is to clean your pool and maintain it to keep from algae growth overtaking your pool, but is it worth it to pay someone else to do it for you?
The following five reasons show that it is a good idea to have someone assist you in maintaining your pool.
These reasons show why it is great to have a pool professional to help you out with the maintenance, service, and eventual replacement of your pool equipment.
Fix A Green Pool In 5 Easy Steps
Maybe you lifted up your winter cover to open your pool and were surprised;by bright green water.;Or maybe the algae crept up on you one faithful day during swim season.
Dont worry. It happens to the best of pool owners. And luckily, theres plenty you can do to win the battle against algae and reclaim your pool.
In this post, show you how to fix a green pool in just 5 steps. If you follow these steps, you can get rid of your pool algae problem in just a few days or less.
Heres a quick summary of how to fix a green pool:
Thats the whole process right there, but you probably have a few questions now, like:
How much do I lower my pools pH?
How much shock do I need to kill pool algae?
How can I remove pool algae faster?
We answer all those questions and more in the next few paragraphs, so keep reading and lets fix your green pool once and for all.
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If The Shock Treatment Turned Your Water Green
If you have green pool water after shocking your pool, then you may have too much copper in your water. You may have copper naturally present in your water source or it could be coming from the plumbing. You will need a chelating agent to clear up your water. Once you have treated your water with this, test your other chemicals again to make sure none of them were thrown out of balance.
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.
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Assessment Of Pool Water Chemistry
Following that, you would want to utilize a pool testing kit to get a benchmark for your pool chemistry such as;this one;to look for;bromine, acid demand, chlorine, pH, and entire alkalinity. When necessary you can take a sample of your pool water and have it tested at your local pool store, but they suggest getting a water sample;12 to 18 inches below the waters surface and to get a sample in the morning before the sun has a chance burn off the chlorine.
Is It Safe To Swim In Green Pool Water
If you find yourself asking yourself, Can this green pool water make me sick? Please know that the answer is yes. Algae in a pool is a much higher health risk than algae in natural bodies of water. In a pool, algae can also indicate the existence of dangerous bacteria. You need to make sure that your pool gets back to a stable chlorine level before even thinking about getting in. Below we will walk you through the steps to make your pool swimmable again.
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Is It Really Algae Though
Though a lot of maintenance issues might lead to a green pool, its green because its been infested with algae. Its both maintenance mishaps and bad luck that allows algae to thrive. It can enter your pool if your chemical balance is off or your filter isnt quite right, but it can also be introduced to your pool thanks to microscopic pieces on swimsuits and water toys.
To get a better sense of the amount of algae in your pool, first take a quick look at your pools surface. If your water is cloudy and has taken on a green hue, youve gotten a serious infestation of slimy algae floating in your water and attaching to your pool walls, steps, and floor. Next, check the corners of your pooland this includes the hidden parts of your stairs. You might also see green spots around those covert areas. Youll want to spend extra time on these trouble areas to make sure the algae is gone.;
Algae Meet Pool Shock
Other sources might tell you that if you have algae, you need to use pool shock. And theyre right: its pool shock thatll do most of the work to do the actual killing. But without these other steps, your shock wont work as well, and it certainly wont be enough to take care of your algae problem in any permanent way.;
Since youve scrubbed and vacuumed your pool and tested your water balance, your pool shock is ready to do what it was made for. For this green algae, youll need to shock at least twice as much as the average dose. Make sure you use conveniently-packaged one pound bags to know youre using the right amount for your pool.
Just remember, as always, to shock your pool at dusk or night, so the sun doesnt burn down your pool shocks ability to work when you need it the most. And dont swim for at least eight hours afterwardcertainly not while your pool is still cloudy with shock. But youll be busy with this next step at first, anyway.;
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How Much Chlorine To Use
If I test the water and there is no chlorine present, which there usually isnt. I add 5 gallons of chlorine per 10,000 gallons of pool water. Liquid chlorine will raise your pH and Alkalinity, so if those are already high, use powdered chlorine.
NEVER MIX CHEMICALS / ALWAYS ADD CHEMS TO WATER NEVER WATER TO CHEMS.
I Shocked My Pool So Why Is It Still Cloudy
If your pH is not too high, filtration issues are likely the cause of your cloudy pool. The issue may depend on the type of filter.
- If you have a sand filter, it could take a week or more for the pool to completely clear. That’s even if it’s a working sand filter.
- If you have a cartridge filter, it needs to have a good cartridge. A cartridge can only handle so much. If your pool is cloudy, the cartridge needs to be cleaned DAILY until the pool is clear.
- If you have a diatomaceous-earth filter and the pool is cloudy, then
- Either the pump is not being run on a long enough cycle
- The DE is not fresh because its not being backwashed
- Or the filter is defective and not working properly.
So remember, a cloudy pool can be caused by a bad filter.
If the pool is being filtered properly, you won’t need a clarifier solution. In some cases, you can use a flocking agent, a product called “drop out” or “drop and vac,” that will bind small particles together and sink all of the algae to the bottom of the pool, where it can be vacuumed up as waste.
Green, Cloudy Pool
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