Your Above Ground Pool Is Green And It Has Frogs
Your above ground pool turned green. Its bound to happen at least once or twice. Theres always a good reason. You got busy or went on vacation. The pump stopped working or the timer broke and you didnt notice. Maybe you had a big pool party with a bunch of people who couldnt control their bladders? Or, maybe there was a week of bad weather? Whatever the reason, the pool is now green. So, what do we do to get it back to that beautiful clear and healthy state? Let me help.
Why Does Hair Turn Green In A Swimming Pool
If a swimming pool is turning your hair green, you probably already know that chlorine a chemical that keeps your pool sanitary is the culprit. But why does this happen? It has to do with the chemical properties of pool water.
Not only does chlorine kill dangerous bacteria and prevent algae growth, but it also quickly oxidizes the elements in the pool, keeping it swim-safe. Although the use of chlorine is necessary, this can lead to hard metals such as copper, manganese, and iron being oxidized as well. The alteration of these hard metal elements may not present a hazard to your health, but it has some interesting side effects for your hair.
Have you ever seen an old penny with a greenish tint? This is because pennies, which are made of copper, oxidize over time. That simply means that oxygen in the air binds with the copper, turning the element green. Another example of this is the Statue of Liberty, which used to be a brown, coppery color. Its current greenish hue is the result of oxidation over the years.
In the pool, however, this process occurs much more quickly than in hard metals like pennies. When free-floating copper in your pool water is oxidized by chlorine, it turns green and then bonds with your hair. And there you have it an impromptu green hair dye. So to stave off green hair from chlorine, we need to make sure you avoid putting too much shock in your pool and that you keep that oxidized copper from ever sticking to your hair. Heres how:
A Weekend Of Celebration For Bspf President Jamie Smith Md At London Swimming Pool Company
The BSPF Presidents Weekend was held in the historic town of Windsor at The Christopher Hotel, opposite the world-famous and architecturally stunning Eton School. The weekend was hosted by the reigning President, Jamie Smith, Managing Director at London Swimming Pool Company and his wife, Caroline.
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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.
Why Do I Have A Green Pool
When your pool water turns from a lovely shade of blue to a sickly green, theres only one reason: pool algae. If its a light shade of green, the algae has probably just started to take hold. But a deeper green means a bigger problem.
Algae develops when the pools sanitizer levels are too low. If you havent been keeping up with pool water testing and water balancing, or youre not adding enough chlorine, bromine, or whatever type of sanitizer you use, youre practically laying out the welcome mat for algae to come in and make itself at home.
Before we dive in, if you want to stop your pool from turning green ever again, invest in our pool care video course. Youll learn how to keep your pool chemistry in check so you never have to fight a green pool ever again.
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United Chemical Swamp Treat 1 Lb
- Ships as 1 lb bottle
- Transform a swamp back into a clean pool in as little as 24 hours!
- Powerful EPA-registered and patented formula is the ultimate green and black algae killer.
- Easy to use simply vacuum large debris, add Swamp Treat, then shock your pool.
- Accelerates chlorines ability to kill algae and bacteria. Works fast often giving results in as little as a few hours.
- Doesn’t contain copper or silver so it won’t stain your pool.
- Non-toxic formula is safe for swimmers and pets that drink pool water.
- Dosage: 1 lb per 20,000 gallons.
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Transform a “swamp” back into a clean pool in 24 hours!Its powerful EPA registered and patented formula is the ultimate green and black algae killer. Easy to usesimply vacuum large debris, add Swamp Treat, then shock your pool. Accelerates chlorines ability to kill algae and bacteria. Works fast often giving results in as little as a few hours. Doesnt contain copper or silver so it wont stain your pool. Unique formula boosts chlorine so youll have a chlorine residual. Non-toxic formula thats safe for swimmers and pets that drink pool water. Dosage: 1 lb/20,000 gallons.
How To Clear Green Pool Water
- |December 5, 2020
Swimming pools can be tailored to a specific aesthetic , from the shape and size of the pool, to the landscaping around it, right down to the color of the water.
But when we talk about fixing green pool water, were referring to dirty pools where the water suddenly changed, making it toxic to swim in.
The first thing you need to figure out is
Skip to:
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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.
How To Keep Pool From Turning Green: Maintenance Tips For Clear Blue Water
The best way to keep your pool clear and blue is with regular maintenance. There are a number of preventative actions that homeowners can manage on their own, which can be considered pool maintenance for beginners, such as removing debris with a leaf net others are more complex and may be better handled by a professional.
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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.
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.
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Best Way To Clean Green Pool In 24 Hours
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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Okay My Pool Is Green So What
Alright, stand next to your pool and look down. Are you sure you want to swim in that? And if you dont feel like dealing with it right this moment, consider this: although the algae that occurs in pools wont hurt you directly, its a killer for your chemical balance. Your sanitizer and chemicals will exhaust themselves working against it and have no strength left over for the other microscopic bad guys of your pool. And when that happens, the potentially harmful bacteria that your sanitizer is supposed to neutralize is surrounding you and yours on every swim. Not only does it look grossand by the way, is grossbut it can also make you sick. On the same page now? Lets get it out of there.
Is it not just your pool thats green but your hair, too? Make sure your chlorine is operating at the lowest, safest, and most consistent levels possible with the Salt Ways Eco Friendly Salt Chlorine Generator. Its ultra-reliable and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Pool Still Not Clear After 5 Days
If you have followed all the instructions and your pool isnt clear in 5 days, then you could have pump or filter issues. Call a pool repair company to avoid any more damage.
You have spent a lot of money at this point and have to let a professional handle it. Your pool technician will give you a pat on the back for trying and then clean it the way it needs to be. That is why they are professionals, they have the experience needed to clear green water and dirty pools.
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How To Treat Mustard Algae
Mustard algae is yellow in color, and its rarer than green algae. Its also more difficult to remove. Mustard algae typically looks like yellowish-brown or dirt-colored spots on the floor and walls of your pool, often in shadier spots. Although mustard algae is fairly easy to brush away from the pool surface, it can quickly return.
One of the main reasons why mustard algae is so difficult to remove is that it can adhere to anything that enters the pool. Once you remove the algae, thoroughly clean everything that has been in touch with the water, including toys and swimsuits. To remove mustard algae from your pool, follow these steps:
- Test and balance your pool chemical levels using a test kit.
- Boost any residual chlorine by adding a quality pool shock product according to label directions.
- Use a pool brush to vigorously scrub the surfaces where the algae has grown.
- Use a vacuum or backwash the pool to remove the dead algae.
- Apply a mustard algaecide following the label directions.
- Allow the water to circulate for 24 hours.
- Use a pool vacuum or backwash the pool again to remove the remaining dead algae. In persistent cases, brush the pool and apply algaecide once more after two to four days.
After treating, test and balance your pool chemicals and levels again. The ideal ranges are:
- Free chlorine
- pH
How Pool Algae Affects Your Health
Can you swim with algae in the pool? In some instances, it may be an obvious sign not to enter if the pool water is green and contaminated, and thick with algae. But if there are few pool algae spots and no slime, you can swim in the pool.
It isnt the swimming pool algae per se that presents health risks. Instead, its the bacteria that feed on algae that are unsafe. When pool algae infestations grow out of control and your pool is turning green, there are more harmful bacteria in these environments. Suppose you swim in infected green pool water. In that case, you risk ingesting the contaminated water and can suffer from diarrhea, fever, or other digestive issues.
Swimming in a pool that is turning green and appears contaminated with algae means you are likely swimming with substantial amounts of harmful bacteria. Skin exposed to the bacteria is prone to irritation, and swimmers are likely to contract a skin rash or a more severe skin infection.
Green pool water is a reliable indication that there could be slimy algae pasted on the pools steps and bottom. Swimming pool algae is a slippery surface for your bare feet. Slippery green algae plus green pool water equals a potentially dangerous fall. Slick surfaces in the pool ladders, seats, metal handles also pose a slipping risk if theyre covered in pool algae.
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It Wasnt Caused By Algae
Did you know that algae growth isnt the only reason your swimming pool water can turn a murky shade of green?
The first is water with high copper content. This primarily happens when first opening your pool. You fill it up, shock the pool, and then it goes green.
It all depends on how much copper the water source contains. Well water is notorious for having high copper levels, so your pool will be more susceptible to turning green if this is where you get your water from.
Copper is a metal prone to oxidation . When shock chlorine oxidizes the copper, it turns green and thats what youre seeing in the pool. To get rid of it youll need to raise the pools calcium hardness by adding calcium chloride.
The other culprit can be high levels of pollen. Tree pollen, grass pollen, weed and ragweed pollen can easily get into the pool water when its pollen season.
Pollen floats around in the water, so its easy enough to remove by skimming, filtering, and brushing your pool clean. In some cases it can be stubborn, so you may have to bust out a pool vacuum and perform this cleaning ritual a few times to remove every speck.
Your best line of defense against pollen is staying on top of your pool maintenance. Running your filtration system is key, as a stagnant pool is one that will develop problems.
Ensure your pump and filters are always at optimal performance, skim the pool multiple times a day, and maintain your backyard surroundings to reduce pollen levels.
