Clean Or Replace Your Filter Media
If your filter has unchecked microscopic deposits of algae, its going to circulate all those spores back into your pool. No, thank you. This is one of the common errors of pool owners, and one reason why some wonder why the pool shock they used didnt work at all.
To keep that algae gone, its a good idea to clean your filter, meaning a chemical rinse if you have a cartridge filter and a backwash if you have a sand or D.E. filter. But an even better idea? Just replace the filter media entirely.
Maintaining Your Pool In Balance
Tips for maintaining your pool:
How often to clean your filter:
- DE filters: Backwash once a month.
- Sand filters: Backwash once every two weeks. Be sure to backwash your sand filter for a minimum of four minutes otherwise, you will see filthy water shooting back into the pool.
- Cartridge filters: Clean it every three to four weeks, unless you see algae in the pool, in which case you should clean more often. Here’s more about how to clean a cartridge filter. Soak in trisodium phosphate every three months.
Bonus Step: Algaecide Is Your New Friend
Though you dont have to, this is a great idea if your pool has gotten algae more than just this once. You might be wondering why I havent mentioned it before: thats because pool shock is actually much more effective at killing algae. But algaecide is a great preventative measure. After youve cleaned and shocked and your chlorine level has fallen below 5 ppm, add a dose of algaecide and give your pool an extra scrub to make sure any microscopic algae spores are detached.
Did you know rain can also introduce algae spores into your pool? Make sure your cover is light and secureand the rain is kept out of your poolwith the Sunnora 800 Standard Cover Pump. Its fully submersible, comes with a specialized pre-filter to prevent clogging, and comes with a one year warranty.
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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.
Fourth Step: Pump And Filter
Why is my pool still green after adding chlorine? Check your filter for clogs from the haze-jade green water. So depending on your filter, run it for a few days like you would do on ordinary occasions. If you want quick results, backwash your filter four times. Make this frequent to prevent your filter from clogging.
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How To Get Rid Of Green Water In A Swimming Pool
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It’s never fun to pull back your pool cover and see that the water has turned green and swampy. That means algae has temporarily taken over, and you’ll need to thoroughly clean and treat your pool before you can start swimming. Read on to learn how to get rid of the dreaded green water.
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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Why Your Pool Turns Green And Cloudy
While the rain itself doesnt generally harm your pool, it can dilute the carefully balanced chemistry in the water. This can alter your pH levels and dilute the chlorine or other sanitizers, allowing algae or other contaminants to gain a foothold. Once the algae spores have the proper conditions to grow, they multiply very quickly, which is why your clear pool can turn green overnight. A pool full of algae isnt just unsightly it presents potential health problems for bathers in the form of skin irritation, ear and eye infections, and gastrointestinal illness. Its also possible for run-off from the storm to bring unwanted chemicals like nitrates and phosphates into the pool, further clouding the water.
Winter Water Chemistry Problems
If you close your pool clean, with water balanced, and a winter kit, or an appropriate amount of sanitizer and algaecide, you can expect those chemicals to last about 5 months.
For pools that open green each year, something extra is needed. I use Pool Magic with Phos Free for problem pools. Pools that have green spring openings usually have a phosphate problem, although they may also have cover problems and/or water level problems.
The most important thing to note with winter pool chemicals is that more will be needed if you have contaminants entering the pool, be they full sized leaves, or dust that washes off the trees. More will also be needed when the temperature of the water rises.
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What To Do If Your Pool Turns Green
For those with professional pool care, this shouldnt be an issue you ever encounter, and for Beyond Blue Pools weekly service clients youre covered by a rock-solid Algae-Free Guarantee. However, for homeowners who take care of their own pools or for those with a problem pool company, the experts at Beyond Blue Pools have some important advice wed like to share with you.
Depending on your pools chemistry, draining and refilling your pool may well be the best option, however, if your cyanuric acid and calcium levels are within proper range, then this is the recovery program to turn your pool from green back to blue in just a few days.
Why Does My Pool Keep Turning Green
Recurring algae can be a problem for many pool owners and can have several contributing factors.
Some of the main causes of pool algae are:
- Heat
- Letting chemicals get out of balance
- Transferred from one pool to another
Recurring algae is usually Mustard Algae. It is a yellowish green color that usually starts growing on the pool walls and on the pool floor. It will then turn the pool water green.
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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.
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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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.
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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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.
Let The Filter Do The Work
Shocking your pool removes exactly zero algae. What it does is kill it, so you can then let the filter clean it out. No matter what type of filter you use, be it a cartridge, sand, or diatomaceous earth youll need to clean it out several times while it clears the water.
If you have a DE filter, you need to backwash it before you start the process, and add fresh DE.
Allow the filter to run for at least 24 hours, after the treatment. Then, you can scrub the pool when you clean the filter, and then let it run again. You are going to repeat that process until the pool is clear.
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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.
Make Sure Your Water Level Is Correct
Many pools automatically drain excess water on their own, but if yours does not youll need to remove some water to get back to the proper level before you start rebalancing the chemicals. You can open the drain, backwash the sand filter, or follow whatever the proper procedure is for your installation to get the water back down to around the center of the skimmer float.
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Basic Chemical Requirements For Clear Pool Water
Just to summarize, these are three basic chemical requirements for a pool that stays clear.
How To Take Your Pool From Green To Blue
Getting your pool from ugly green to beautiful blue isnt rocket science, but it does take an experts touch and care.
To that end, its best if you hire a professional pool service that is capable of conducting a full cleaning and chemical rebalancing of your pool.
Upon arrival, your pool cleaner will measure the pH of the pool to avoid acidification, and check the equipment to ensure everything is in working order.
Assuming the pH is in the proper range and your equipment is working properly, your pool cleaner will shock the pool to eliminate the algae and restore the waters natural sparking color.
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How To Get Rid Of Green Water In Your Pool
If your pool has already turned green, you should first try and figure out what is causing the problem. Most causes can be solved on your own, but if your pool water is high in oxidized metals or suffering from another kind of chemical imbalance, youll likely need the services of a professional.
If you arent sure what the cause is, or have an especially disgusting case that youd rather not mess with, Pinnacle Pool Services will be able to make your pool as good as new for you with quick and reliable swimmingpool maintenanceservices.
To prevent the future discoloration of your pool, you should maintain it with regular cleaning, whether you do that yourself or hire a pool cleaning service. Either way, its good to run your pump everyday and stay on top of cleaning out or replacing the filters occasionally. The proper amount of pool chemicals should be maintained in your pool during swim season. Proper chlorine levels can be measured through their own tests. To make sure that the pH is correct in your pool, use a pH strip at least twice a week. It shouldn’t measure above 7.6. Having a net and pool vacuum are a bonus that will keep your pool sparkling clean.
Get Trusted Pool Maintenance and Cleaning Services in Atlanta
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.
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Why Does A Thunderstorm Make My Pool Turn Green
A thunderstorm will sometimes turn an outdoor swimming pool green this article tells you why.
Its all about the nitrogen.
Thunderstorms have lightning and rain as well as a few resounding claps of thunder.
The flashes of lightning, apart from lighting up a night sky, create nitrogen in the atmosphere and the rain washes that nitrogen down and into your pool.
Nitrogen is a plant food, and a very good one. The algae in your pool, and there are always traces in even the best maintained pool, are plants and so they thrive on the extra nitrogen that is washed down when the heavens open.
Algae are microscopic and so, when there are just a few of them, they are invisible to the human eye but feeding on the nitrogen, they bloom and multiply very quickly until there are enough to turn the pool water green and murky.
So thats why it happens, but of course you dont want it to happen. So what can you do about algae?
