Why Is Your Pool Green
Before we dive into the how of getting that pool back to blue, lets take a look at why it turned green in the first place.
In most cases, a pool will become green because of an overgrowth of algae, but the causes for this overgrowth can vary.
The main ones are:
- Improper PH balance. A pH level that’s too low can erode pool materials and cause eye irritation, but too high and it will not kill bacteria or algae and can also cause skin irritation. A PH level that is out of balance in either direction can lead to issues with water discoloration .
- Clogged filter. If your filter isnt working , youre obviously going to have trouble keeping it clean. Not only will algae continue to grow, but you could also be breeding bacteria and debris that will discolor the water.
- Change in weather. Algae thrives in warm, humid environments, so if youve recently experienced a change in your weather, youll need to be extra diligent about cleaning the pool.
Hopefully now youve pinned down the culprit of the discolored pool, so lets get down to business!
It may seem like the end of the world when your pool turns into a slimy green mess, but rest-assured, pool owners, Ive got you covered.
If you follow these six simple steps to cleaning your green pool fast, Ill have you back on your floatie in clean water in no time.
Test Your Chemicals Part Two
Whether you needed to top off your pool with a garden hose or not, you should take this moment to rebalance your chemicals again, and especially keep an eye on your pH and alkalinity. If theres one thing that a green pool makes glaringly evident, its that algae can mess up your chemicals. Seriously.
What Does Baking Soda Do For A Pool That Has Become Cloudy
Nobody likes the idea of swimming in a cloudy swimming pool. Its really not recommended for several reasons, including safety reasons. If the cloudiness of your swimming pool water is caused by low pH and alkalinity, then baking soda can help correct this problem.
Pool water often gets to the acidic side much more often than it becomes alkaline. Thats because when it rains, raindrops pick up some of the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution thats always present in the air. This causes rainwater to often be to the acidic side, and that affects the chemistry of the pool water that this rain goes into.
Pool bather load and improper chemical balancing can also make your pool water more acidic. Once the pH and alkalinity in your swimming pool water get too low, that often causes your pool to become cloudy.
You May Like: How To Clean Concrete Pool
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.
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.
Recommended Reading: Vacuums For Intex Pools
Tips For Preventing A Green Swimming Pool
Once you get rid of the green pool water, take the steps necessary to prevent a green swimming pool from happening again. Chances are you dont want to go through these steps again, they arent for the faint of heart!
Use these tips to prevent algae from building up in your pool again:
- Keep up With Pool Maintenance A clean pool means a lower risk of algae growth. Dont just skim your pool, scrub your pool walls and vacuum the floor at least weekly, especially if you notice light green pool water. This prevents the buildup of debris and algae and ensures you dont end up with green pool water.
- Stay on Top of the Filters Check your filter cartridge often. Is it clean residual residue and pool algae? Is it running properly? Water left to sit without filtering will easily build up algae. Check the filter for debris and clean it as often as necessary to ensure its running smoothly.
- Keep the pH Levels Stable Stay on top of your pools pH levels. Check them three times a week. Adjust the pH levels as necessary, keeping them within optimal range of 7.4 to 7.6.
- Check Chlorine Levels Always make sure your pool has the right amount of chlorine . Adjust accordingly to ensure your pool remains algae free.
- Cover Your Pool Its a pain, but always covering your pool limits algae growth. It keeps debris out of the pool when no one is using it. Plus, it keeps the hot sun out of the pool, which can encourage algae growth if the pool water temperature changes quickly.
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.
Recommended Reading: Is The Venetian Pool Open
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.
Prevent Dilution Before It Occurs
The best way to keep your pool water clear is to prevent rainwater from diluting it in the first place. Keep an eye on the weather forecast during swimming season and pull the pool cover in place before any storms settle in over your region. A good quality pool cover is a worthy investment, as cheaper models made with lightweight plastic vinyl are more likely to tear over time and allow the rain to infiltrate the pool. If you dont have a pool cover, you can get a head start on cleanup by adding algaecide to the water and sweeping away any debris in the vicinity of the pool before the rain arrives.
Recommended Reading: Pool Equipment Fence Ideas
Run The Pump & Adjust Calcium Level
Turn on the pump and let it run for at least 8 hours. Calcium is your friend in the fight against copper, so use calcium chloride to raise the level to 350 ppm if its low.
With calcium chloride, 2 ounces per 1,000 gallons will raise the ppm by 10. So if you want to raise it 50 ppm, use 10 ounces per 1,000 gallons.
Help My Pool Water Is Green Your Ultimate Guide To Pool Algae
Wouldnt it be fantastic if you could just set up your pool, fill it with water, and never have to worry about it again? Unfortunately, the sight of green pool water and swimming pool algae is a quick reminder that its not quite that simple.
As with any leisure activity, a swimming pool requires regular maintenance to preserve its integrity. By adhering to regular upkeep, itll prevent you from battling pool algae infestations and the bacteria that feed on it and keep your pool water from turning green.
If your preventative measures have failed and you need to clean algae from your pool, dont worry. Although removing pool algae will require some effort, its resolvable and well worth your time.
In this guide, youll learn how to get rid of algae in your pool, what to do if your pool water is green, how to clean algae from your pool, and more!
Read Also: Mandalay Bay Pool Hours Winter
Lspc Md Becomes Bspf President
Jamie Smith, Managing Director of London Swimming Pool Company has been appointed President of the British Swimming Pool Federation . BSPF embraces bodies that represent the pool and spa industries, including BISHTA, SPATA, PIP and STA, the worlds largest swim teaching and lifesaving organisation. These bodies do excellent work in championing high standards and safety throughout their respective industries. BSPF is the unified voice of the pool and spa industry, engaging with government and other interested parties to keep the industry updated on forthcoming issues that affect the sector.
How To Clear A Green Swimming Pool With Chemicals:
One way to clear a green swimming pool is to use chemicals to do so. In addition to the chemicals you will need some kind of filter system as well because just chemicals alone will not clear up your green water that you have in your in-ground or above ground pool. The first thing you will want to do is to check the chemistry of your water. This will include checking the level of the ALK, PH, and total available chlorine. Make sure to write down all the levels of your chemical readings. You can either use a standard test kit that uses reactants or you can use a test strip type like Aqua Check strips.
Once you have gathered your chemical readings you will want to adjust the chemicals by adding what you need to bring them to the correct levels. This could include adjusting the Alkalinity with sodium bicarbonate as well as adding pH up or down. Dont panic soon you will be a pro and will be telling others how to clear a green swimming pool as well.Now, the next thing you will want to do is to add shock to the pool. You can either add liquid swimming pool shock or powered shock, but of you have a vinyl liner pool you will want to make sure you buy a no burn brand of pool shock so that you do not stain the liner. You will want to triple shock the pool by just tripling the dosage on the package.
Read Also: Does Costco Sell Pool Chlorine
High Phosphate Levels Going Unchecked
Phosphates are chemicals that, when found in high levels in swimming pools, help aid the growth of algae. There are five sources of energy for algae, two of which are sun and water, which will always be available to algae as long as you have water in the pool. The other three sources are nitrates, phosphates, and carbon dioxide. To completely prevent algae growth in your pool, you would want to eliminate as many sources as possible, but by severely limiting one source , you will still have a very high chance of preventing algae blooms. We recommend that at least twice per month during the summer you have your phosphate levels tested by the professionals in either of our retail locations. Once your phosphate level has been determined, your retail associate will recommend the appropriate dosage of Natural Chemistry PhosFREE to reduce your phosphate level.
There you have it. The six very easy steps to ensuring fast and heavy algae growth in your swimming pool. It should go without saying that algae growth in your pool should not be your goal, and if that is the case, then it is essential that you adapt or create a maintenance routine for your swimming pool that does not consist of any of these steps. Pool maintenance is 90% preventative maintenance: the more you do before a problem arises, the fewer issues you will see. But fail to create a maintenance routine, and your pool will quickly turn green before your eyes.
Do I Need To Worry About Pool Phosphates
You may have heard pool pros or other pool owners say that to control algae, you need to control pool phosphates, and use phosphate remover to do so.
We have one word for that: No.
No, you dont need to worry about phosphates, and no, you dont need to use phosphate remover.
Trying to remove phosphates from any environment is like trying to remove dust particles from the air. You will never, ever, ever be able to do it completely. Well, unless you build a clean room. The same is true for phosphates. Theyre everywhere and in everything.
Yes, theyre a food source for algae. But to control pests in your vegetable garden, do you remove the vegetables? Of course not. You kill the pests. The same is true for algae.
Sanitize, sanitize, test, balance, and sanitize some more. And use the money you wouldve spent on phosphate remover on a nice pool float.
Recommended Reading: Cost To Change Chlorine Pool To Saltwater
A Few Finishing Touches To Get Rid Of Pool Algae Faster
While your pool filter will eventually clear up the pool by itself, there are a few things that you can do to speed up the process.
Vacuum again
While your earlier vacuuming may have helped clear up the water, it probably didnt get everything.
So vacuum your pool a second time. This helps to capture the debris you might have missed the first time around.
Clean out the filter often
While your pool clears out the rest of the algae, it stores it in your filter. And it piles up fast.
This is why its important to clean out your filter several times while youre getting rid of algae: its the best way to prevent buildup and keep the algae removal process going smoothly.
Retest your water every 12-24 hours
After spending all that time fixing your green pool, making sure your hard work pays off is important.
So keep testing your water every 12 hours to check if any adjustments are needed to get it in balance.
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.
> > Related: How to clear a cloudy swimming pool
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.
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Iron Stains From Pool
You Didnt Brush Thoroughly
Like a toothbrush is to healthy teeth, a pool brush is to a healthy pool.
From algae, to pollen and other organic debris, your pool walls might still have stuff stuck to them thats causing the green water.
This will be especially present in the pools dead spots. These are areas where the circulation system doesnt quite reach, allowing for pollutants to build up.
When it comes to pool brushes, make sure you have the correct one for your specific pool finish. Steel bristle brushes are ideal for hard surfaces like plaster or concrete, while softer bristles work well for finishes like tile.
The last thing you want to do is scratch your finish or have an inadequate cleaning tool!
