High Level Of Calcium Harness
Another mistake people make when shocking a pool is not taking into account the hardness of the water in their area. Heres an example. If you live in an area where tap water has more than 500 ppm of hardness, and you use Calcium Hypochlorite for pool shock, you are, in fact, adding 5 ppm for each pound of chemical used. Make sure to keep the harness levels between 120 to 220 ppm to avoid cloudy pool water after shock.
Psc Ep 8: Why Is My Pool Green After Filling With Fresh Water
I just filled my pool and the waters green. Why did this happen?
Most people are going to assume that its algae, but if its brand new water, thats probably not the cause. Its more likely that you have a lot of metals in the water, copper or iron. Your first instinct when you fill your pool with new water, is to shock it. But that shock then oxidizes the metals, that chemical reaction then causes the green hue in your water. This is common with refills that used well water or even water that hasnt been shocked but instead contains a high level of metals.
Im Running The Filter
Are you running the filter 24/7? That is what we would recommend when trying to clear up a green pool. Its often not even mentioned by customers seeking help, until later when we discover that the pump runs only 8 hours/day, and only at night A big part of algae prevention and algae cure is to keep the circulation and filtration working hard, so your pool chemicals dont have to shoulder such a heavy burden. Run your pump long enough each day to keep the water clear, and run during the day when the sun is beating down on the pool when photosynthesis is happening. For properly sized pool filters, 10-12 hours per day is possible, but for undersized and underperforming filters, running it less will only cause you more water problems. Small filters may need 18-24 hours daily, especially during hot weather, as a prevention against algae. Be sure to use a pump timer, dont rely on your memory or availability to turn on/off the pump each day. That will fail you one day, and can be all it takes to start an algae bloom.
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Three: Shocking The Pool
Once you have a pH reading at around 7 you can start the process of chemically shocking your pool.
To do this youll need liquid chlorine.
First, disburse your chosen form of chlorine to the water evenly around the pool and turn on your filter pump.
Allow this to circulate for several hours.
At this stage, ensure you brush your pool thoroughly.
Its also a good idea to use a quality algaecide as well which is suitable for your pool.
Why Did My Pool Turn Green After I Put Algaecide In It
17 August, 2011
Green pool water is something that many pool owners will face at some point in their pool maintenance and is the result of algae growing in the pool along the walls and bottom of the water. Algaecide is one way to prevent algae, but sometimes once the onset of algae has begun, it can still fight off the chemicals in most common algaecides.
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Filter Well Water Before Entering The Pool
They say prevention is better than cure. Filtering your fill water from the well will be the best option if you want to have less work and more swimming. This is because water sourced from the well and some municipal water sources contain significant amounts of heavy metals, mainly copper and iron.
And in some cases, you may find some more heavy metals, such as zinc, magnesium, aluminum and silver in your pool water.
Each and every metal is oxidized and produces a solution of unique colour when chlorine is added to a pool with these metals:
- Copper: Produces a light green solution or stain.
- Iron: Produces brown/reddish/rusty coloured solution or stain.
- Manganese and Magnesium: Produce purple solution or stain.
- Silver: Forms a black colour stain or solution.
Whichever metal is causing problems in your pool, you can use a pre-filter to filter out these metals before they enter your swimming pool, where they will most likely be oxidized by other pool chemicals and stain your pool or change its water colour.
Moreover, when you prevent metals from your pool, you will save lots of money from buying pool chemicals that are needed to take care of metals once they are inside the pool.
Since I started my pool business, I have been using the Pleatco Disposable Pre-filter. I consider it the most effective pre-filter, because my clients who are using metal ridden fill-water have been sending me positive comments about saving on chemicals and time for maintaining their pools.
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.
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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.
How To Remove Heavy Metals And Control Metal Staining In Your Pool
Treating heavy metals in your pool may be the only option for you when you have no other clean fill-water free of metals to use in the pool. There are a couple of ways you can take care of your pool so that heavy metals such as copper and iron will not affect your swimming pool when oxidized by chlorine.
Once you have an accurate test kit for metals and a few other chemicals we are about to discuss, your pool will never turn color due to different heavy metals.
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Been There Done That Pool Still Green
OK, so if you have checked and double checked all of those things above, and the pool is still green, and not getting better, I can only suspect that the filter is not operating properly, or the water is so choked with solids that it is overwhelming the filter, or both. Assuming that chemistry is perfect, the pool is clean and not filled with debris, and phosphates and nitrates have not contaminated the pool
1. Replace filter media , or install a larger pool filter
2. Replace pool water, even just half of the water, can make a big difference
I hope that this post will help out those wondering Why is my pool still green!?!, in most cases it is:
1. Not enough shock chlorine used to kill the algae
2. High pH or stabilizer levels, or other water chemistry problems affecting chlorine strength
3. Not running the pump and filter long enough each day
4. Phosphate or nitrate contamination in pool
5. Filter media is deteriorated, needs replacing
6. Filter is too small, overwhelmed by the amount of solids
7. Filter or backwash valve is damaged, allowing bypass
8. Pump is drawing in excessive air, reducing water volume
9. Water is choked with solids, very high TDS levels
10. Chlorine is very old, and has lost potency over time
Balance Your Pool Water
Excluding chlorine, are the remaining chemicals in your pool balanced? Balancing your water is an important step that pool owners sometimes forget. The very first thing you want to do is get an accurate reading of your chemical levels.
If you dont have a home testing kit, we recommend either purchasing one or taking a water sample to a local pool store and testing it there. Getting the most recent and the most accurate chemical readings is imperative before adding any additional chemicals.
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Vacuum Your Pool To Waste
Once you start removing algae and debris from your pool, you obviously dont want anything you take out to make its way back in. So your first step is to vacuum the pool to Waste.
Set the valve on your filter to Waste, then vacuum away, removing as much algae and sediment from the bottom of the pool as you can.
Determining If Your Pool Has A High Demand For Chlorine
The quickest way to determine if your pool is experiencing a high demand for chlorine is to perform a test for free and total chlorine.
Free chlorine shows the level of disinfecting chlorine available to sanitize your pool. Free chlorine isnt interacting with contaminants, yet. Total chlorine is the amount of chlorine, used or not, in your water.
In the test, if your free chlorine reading matches your total chlorine reading, your pool is NOT experiencing a high demand for chlorine. This is a normal reading.
However, if your free chlorine reading is different than your total chlorine reading, then theres a problem. You shouldnt have a free chlorine reading of 3 and a total chlorine reading of 7.
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How To Clear A Green Pool In 5 Days Or Less
Do you have a green pool without meaning to at all? That definitely wont be any fun to swim in, or to look at. Dont worry, though. All is not lost.
You dont have to drain your pool and start over. You can send that algae packing, and then take steps to keep it from coming back.
Is Your Filter Running For Long Enough
If your pool pump is not running for long enough each day then it is possible that the water is not being filtered sufficiently enough allowing the water to become green.
You have to let the pool filter run for long enough each day to at least filter the total volume of the pool once. This often works out at around eight hours.
To work out how long yours should run for read my article How long should you run a pool pump
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Why Is My Pool Still Green After Adding Chlorine
by Teserra Outdoors | Sep 21, 2020 | Swimming Pool Maintenance
Is your pool still green after shock? A common DIY issue. Normally a pool cleaning service or the next step of DIY will tackle these next three things to take your pool back to its crystal clear shape: the filtration system, the correct chemicals, and patience. We recommend a professional to clean the pool or teach the techniques, especially when dealing with pool chemicals. Here are some guidelines for taking your pool from green to refreshing clear.
S For Clearing Metal Stains In Your Pool
To clear metal stains in your swimming pool, simply follow these steps. I have included links to the products that I use.
Don’t we all just want our pool water to be beautifully clear?
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Fixing Cloudy Green Pool Water
There is some water worth fixing and some that is too far gone. You can fix green pool water by using appropriate chemicals and filtration if it has not been green and cloudy very long as in weeks .
Your pool may be a better candidate for a drain and acid wash if:
1.) It is a dense and dark green where you cannot see more than a foot or two into it.
2.) It has algae built up on the walls and surfaces in a carpeting affect.
3.) It has more than a few contractor size trash bags of debris at the bottom.
4.) You have a sand filter.
If you have #1 or #2 going on then I would suggest a drain and acid wash right off. If you have #3 and / or #4 can mean it takes a lot more time and money to turn it around and that money and time might be better spent on a drain and acid wash if you can get that done for just a little more.
To fix cloudy green water:
1.) Make sure your filter is running properly and the pressure is not too high. Backwash it if you have that option before starting this process.
2.) Make sure the skimmer baskets and pump basket are empty.
3.) Set your pool to suck from the main drain. Try to get approximately ½ the suction from the drain. You may need to shut off the skimmers ½¾s of the way each to pull more from the drain. This is important to get the cloudy water pulled out of the pool and through the filter.
4.) Shock the pool and add some algaecide or yellow out depending on the color of algae.
Can Too Much Chlorine Make Your Pool Green
When the levels are properly balanced, chlorine will keep the algae at bay, but the water will slowly begin to turn green as the algae take over if theres not enough. But be carefuladding too much chlorine in pool water can cause those metals to oxidize and turn the pool a different shade of green.
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Proactive Final Step: Kill And Flocc
You may also want to consider adding a few things here to help the process. An algaecide, which also kills algae, and a flocculant added after a couple of hours of the chlorine circulating. You can also wait until you are pretty sure you got all of them, to be sure.
At this point, the extra steps may not seem worth it. However, if you still have any algae that you missed, it could bloom again fairly quickly. You dont want that.
Does Too Much Chlorine Make Pool Cloudy
An excessive amount of pool chemicals can cause your water to be cloudy. That includes: high pH, high alkalinity, high chlorine or other sanitizers, and high calcium hardness.
Why is my pool still green after shock and algaecide? When your pools pH balance isnt stable, your pool will turn greenish and dull. If you shocked your pool with chemical agents, take a pH sample and level it accordingly.
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Reasons Why Your Pool Is Still Green Or Cloudy After Shocking
Nothing beats going for a dip in your pool on a beautiful summer day. You go to your backyard only to be greeted with a pool that looks like its been on a week-long bender.
Thats right. Youve got a green pool! 🙁
Unfortunately this is a scenario that occurs more often than not. Previously we have talked aboutHow to Fix a Green Pool where we covered the following steps to clear up your water.
Note: If you want to quickly clear sweat and urine contamination and swim on the same day, consider using OxyFresh, a non-chlorine shock treatment that makes your pool swim-ready in as little as 15 minutes!
But for some reason sometimes the pool is still green or cloudy even after shocking. Why?!
First of all, dont worry, sometimes pools turn green after shocking. But provided you have added enough shock to your pool, here are the most common reasons why you pool is still green and how you can fix it:
