How To Get Rid Of Algae In Pool Quickly

How To Remove Algae From Your Pool Water

Removing algae from your pool involves several components. First, double-check that your pools sanitation, filtration, and circulation systems are all working. Check your pools chemistry too. Make sure to vacuum your pool at least once a week to remove debris if you dont have a self-cleaning pool. For an isolated algae bloom, use granular chlorine to treat it. You can also get a brush, apply algaecide to the water, and scrub. If you have free-floating algae, youll have to shock your pool.

To start, balance your pool water to get your pH between 7.1 and 7.3. Check your filtration and pump systems, and shut off your heater if you have one running to lower the water temperature. Adjust the valves on your pump and let it run for 24 hours. You can stir the algae up by switching your pool cleaners on. Get a stiff bristled brush and scrub at your pools walls and floors every day, and vacuum your pool. For green water, apply a flocculent and shock it.

Shock the pool vigorously to get rid of suspended algae. You should add enough shock that it turns your pool water a blue/grey colour. Youre aiming for 30 ppm of free chlorine, and youll need roughly 2 to 5 kg of shock for every 10,000 gallons in your pool. The day after you shock your pool, test the chemical levels, paying close attention to your pH and chlorine. If your chlorine is below 5 ppm, you have to shock it again.

Is Algae Bad For My Pool

Definitely, its bad for your pool, and you should get rid of it.

Not only does it make the water green and cloudy but also unsafe for swimming.

Lets have a quick look at some of the reasons that will help you to understand why your pool should be free from any form of algae.

Erosion and Staining

In our blog, weve discussed numerous times that keeping your pool water balanced is REALLY important, and for multiple reasons.

Moreover, algae can raise your pools pH level leading to scaling and calcium deposits buildup.

These things will erode both concrete and fiberglass surface and might couple with organic debris leading to discoloration and staining.

Clogged Filters

The problem with almost all types of algae is their tendency to clump together and reproduce.

As a result, it becomes really difficult for your pool filter to do its job.

You need to be very careful in dealing with the black algae as it has a sticky surface and takes root in crevices and openings.

Especially the black algae would create loads and loads of trouble for you.

In fact, it clings to the mesh and opens in filters, hanging onto other spores and debris until it forms clogs impossible to filter out normally.

The main problem with the clogged filter is that it creates poor circulation in the pool, and thus, paves the way for algae blossom.

Germs

E.coli is also lead to urinary infection.

Slippery Steps

Slippery steps can cause lead to some serious accidents.

How To Get Rid Of Algae In A Swimming Pool

Algae is a pest that is commonly found in swimming pools all over the world. Even a pool that is correctly sanitized can still get an algae bloom when the conditions are right. But if your pool has algae how do you get rid of algae in a swimming pool?

Once you have algae in your pool it can be difficult to get rid of it. Sometimes the only way is to empty the pool, clean and refill.

As with most things in life, the prevention is better than the cure.

Follow a proper pool maintenance routine to test, chemically balance and sanitize the pool water to prevent algae growing in your pool. However, you need to take a few extra precautions to ensure algae doesnt take over the pool.

You need to add algaecide at the beginning of summer to kill algae spores when they enter the pool water. This is like putting on sunscreen before going outside into the hot summer sun. Its not a 100% guarantee that you wont get algae but its another useful preventative measure.

You also need to shock the pool every week in the summer or after a period of high usage to kill excess bacteria, contaminants and algae.

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Quick Hacks To Prevent Algae Dust In Your Pool

Ive always believed in the proverb, prevention is better than cure as it saves you both time and money.

As a pool owner, you should always try to stay ahead of the problem and figure out an effective solution when the problem is small.

But, at the same time, you cant completely negate the flourishing of algae in spite of putting your heart and soul.

However, taking preventive measures would definitely, put you on a safer side, and prevent the growth of algae to a large extent.

Take Care Of Your Pump

Well, you cant ignore the importance of a pool pump when it comes to controlling algae growth.

Definitely, your pool pump should function properly in order to circulate your pool water.

Most of you would be aware of the fact that algae blossom in stagnant water so you need to prevent the water from getting stagnant in order to prevent the growth of algae.

Unfortunately, a clogged and under-performing pump would pave the way for algae growth so you need to be very careful with your pump health.

If youre checking and cleaning the pump skimmers and pump strainers twice a week then the algae growth can be kept under control to a large extent.

Moreover, a good rinse-off outside the pool can help you to wash away any spore that is NOT visible from your naked eyes.

D.E. filter, as well as a sand filter, needs to be back washed on a regular basis, and if youre planning to walk a step ahead then you can try cleaning solutions that are specifically made for this purpose.

Use Baking Soda As Algae In Pool Home Remedy

This is another great natural way to get rid of algae in a swimming pool. People like using baking soda to get rid of algae because you can swim immediately after treatment in most cases.

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Also, if its not overused, it will only slightly impact pool water chemistry. It works best as a spot treatment for algae on pool walls and pool floors. Baking soda actually has chemical properties that help it break apart algae. Once you broadcast it over an algae bloom area, you have to then scrub the algae off with a brush.

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Check Out The Water Chemistry

• Examine your pool water to find out the PH level and run a Chlorine Test.
• You will find test strips, digital kits, or liquid kits to test those on amazon or nearby stores.
• If the PH level ranges from 7.2 to 7.8 it is perfect for a swimming pool. Algae attack usually lowers the level.
• For Chlorine, it is to be ensured that the level bounces within 1 to 1.2 ppm.
• Sprinkle some sodium bi-sulfate and that should balance the cases. After this task, wait 2 or 3 hours.
• As it will affect the PH level, rechecking water chemistry is recommended.

Top 4 Articles About Algae In Your Water

As algae in pools are as common on white on rice, weve gone ahead and scoured the internet to compile the top five articles for you. Weve ranked our selection on the sources credibility, relevance, and common sense. We also talked with some of our experts as well.

The different types of algae you might run into include:

• Green algae can cling walls or float in or on top of the water
• Black algae look like black spots and feels slimy to the touch
• Mustard algae looks like sand on the bottom of the pool

No matter which type you have, its important to get rid of it as soon as you can. The articles below will help you do that.

This article from Swim University talks about the types of algae there might be growing, and gives a detailed description of steps that you need to follow to treat an algae outbreak.

First, you need to identify what type of algae is growing in your pool.

Second, get out the vacuum cleaner and manually vacuum the areas where the algae is growing.

Next, brush the sides and bottom of the pool, then test and balance the water.

This is followed by shocking the pool the type of shock you use depends on the algae that you have.

Then you need to run your filter for at least 8 hours. This is followed by another water test.

Finally, to complete the algae eradication, its important to clean your filter to ensure there arent any microscopic algae particles lurking in there.

The main point being is that different types of algae require different treatments.

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What Is Pool Algae

Most people believe that algae are a type of aquatic plant because it is mostly green, appears to grow and some varieties can bloom. But these types of growths are actually an organism that is found in all types of water bodies on earth. The photosynthetic eukaryotic organism group is quite diverse with over 200,000 species of algae.

As with other organisms, these species require nutrients from water sources to the surface. They also flourish and grow rapidly when they have plenty of sunlight but some species of algae can grow in extremely cold temperatures and in limited light conditions.

Only three of these species are commonly found in swimming pools Green algae, black algae, and yellow or mustard algae.

What Is Algae And What Causes It

Whats is algae might not be a popular question since most people know it as the green matter found in stagnant waters like in a pod or a dam. Well, according to Wikipedia, algae is a simple, non-flowering, aquatic plant coming from a large group of species that includes seaweeds and many other single-celled plants. It contains chlorophyll but does not have any real stems, leaves, roots, and vascular tissue.

In simple English, the alga is a type of plant with no stems or leaves, and that grows in water or on damp surfaces. Its merely the green thing you find inside a pod, wet or anywhere with stagnant water.

What causes algae, on the other hand, is a common question asked by quite a several people all over the internet. And to answer you, I can say, the leading causes of algae in a swimming pool is the transfer of algae spores transferred by rain, wind, contaminated swimsuits, and equipment.

When the algae conditions are right, the spores can quickly spread and take over your swimming pool in a short time. Sunlight, warm weather, poor water circulation, and carbon dioxide or nitrites in water can contribute to the rapid growth of algae. Its close to impossible to keep algae out of your swimming pool. So, the best defense id is to create and maintain a hostile environment for the algae to prevent it from setting foot in your pool.

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Get The Right Chemicals

Different sanitizer, different chemicals. Instead of a pink algae algaecide youll want to add a biguanide algaecide instead. This applies to algaecide in generalthe normal stuff just isnt good to biguanide pools.

Youll also want to add an oxidizer instead of pool shock. Youll still want to triple or quadruple your usual dose to really make sure that pink slime is in for a reckoning.

What Are The Different Types Of Pool Algae

Knowing what type of pool algae you have will help you treat it. First, figure out what color algae is in your pool. Then, keep reading for a complete step-by-step walkthrough on how to get rid of algae.

• Green pool algae is the most common and easiest algae to kill. However, this floating-green algae spreads quickly, clouding up your pool water and causing green slime on pool surfaces. Getting rid of green algae involves vacuuming and brushing your pool, then shocking and filtering your water.
• Yellow pool algae, also called brown or mustard algae, is a rarer form of algae found in humid climates. It looks like globs of pollen or sand that cling to the shady corners of your pool. And unfortunately, it is chlorine-resistant. Killing mustard algae involves multiple rounds of brushing your pool surfaces and adding extra shock to your pool water. If youre wondering if you have yellow algae, check out our guide on how to get rid of mustard algae in a pool.
• Black pool algae is actually a bacteria. Its roots dig into concrete surfaces, making it extremely tough to kill. Getting rid of black algae requires several rounds of deep cleaning, and it will grow back quickly if you arent thorough. If youre wondering if you have black algae, check out our complete guide on how to diagnose and kill black algae in your pool.

What is pink algae?

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Time To Bring Out The Vacuum

Two types of vacuum cleaners can do the pool cleaning job these days.

1. The Robotic Vaccum Cleaner

• This is the most efficient as you just need to plug it in and lower it carefully in the pool.
• After a few minutes it will be done with tidying and you should switch off the power and empty its filter.

2. The Manual Vaccum Cleaner

• While working with this, you put yourself in the pool too and clean every inch of the pool floor.

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.

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Commit To A Deep Clean

The grunt work comes firstyoull need to uproot that algae before you can make sure its gone for good. Scrub your pool floors and walls using a brush like the patented 360-Degree Bristles Pool Brush, which was developed by pool maintenance experts to help get tight corners without any of the aches or pains associated with a good clean.

Once youve scrubbed your walls, floors, and steps clean, remove large debris like leaves and twigs with a skimmer net on a telescopic pole, and then vacuum out all the algae to wasteor, if youve invested for the long haul, turn on your powerful robotic pool cleaner and clean it out automatically. You dont want any algae to circulate back out, or youll be here again before you know it.

As algae found a home in your above-ground pool due to poor circulation? Above-ground pumps are notorious for not firing up, but the Copper Force Above Ground Pool Pump, has a start capacitor to circumvent this very issue. According to customer Doug Paar, The pump is very quiet and has good pressure. I would recommend.

How To Eradicate Algae

The best way to kill algae in your pool involves several steps. The process is generally the same for all types of pool algae. Well cover the process of how to get rid of algae in your swimming pool, then answer some frequently asked questions.

The Process:

Manually vacuum your pool Automatic pool cleaners dont detect where algae have built up. Also, they usually cant access hard to reach areas where green pool algae like to hide. Manually vacuuming your pool allows you to clean algae from your pool and pay special attention to areas built up with pool algae.

Brushing the floor and walls of your pool Scrubbing the algae off the structure of your pool allows your sanitizers and chemical shock to kill algae in your pool effectively. In scrubbing off the pool algae, it can then get picked up and filtered out. Using a stiff-bristled brush will allow you to scrub off tough stains like ones formed from black pool algae.

Test and balance your water Testing your pools pH balance and alkalinity will indicate what the water needs to regain balance. A proper pH balance allows your sanitizer to work effectively against the algae. In contrast, a high pH or low alkalinity inhibits the effect of any shock treatment.

Retest the water Once youve completed a chemical treatment to get algae out of your pool, test the water again. Testing for pH balance and alkalinity ensures the chemicals maintain their effectiveness, which is the best way to get rid of green algae in your pool.

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Types Of Algae And How They Differ

In the pool industry, the over 21,000 types of algae are usually classed into three or four groups by color. Green, black, and yellow algae are all similar but slightly different from each other in terms of treatment. Some people include pink algae, which is actually a bacterial film, and white algae, as well.

Green algae are the most common and the easiest to treat. It may form on the sides of the pool or it may be free-floating. Green pools occur when enough free-floating algae of this type are present in the water. Its often caused by a lack of proper sanitation but can be removed by a chlorine chemical shock.

Yellow algae, which is also called mustard algae or brown algae, tend to occur on sheltered surfaces. This may be the floor or the walls of your pool making it harder to get rid of than green algae. To remove yellow algae, shock your pool with twice the amount of chlorine you would use for a typical shock treatment. Run the pump and filter for 24 hours after brushing the walls and floors aggressively.

Black algae usually show up as spots on the walls, and it is extremely persistent but relatively rare. Black algae have a hard outer shell that protects the cells inside. Removal can be difficult, but not impossible. To remove black algae from your pool, scrape as much as you can off the walls and shock your pool with three times the amount of chlorine you would use for a typical shock treatment.