Swimming Pool Algae Has Taken Over Our Pool....And Our Lives!
by Nikki
Last year, my husband and I bought our dream house. We were so excited because the house has a pool and we love to entertain. Neither of us had experience with pools and long story short, we had a green swimming pool all summer. It seemed like once the first bit of pool algae came it never left and it kept getting worse and worse. We spend hundreds of dollars on chemicals and just as many hours vacuuming it. We were at the pool supply store several times a week. But it seemed that no matter what we did, we were never truly able to get rid of it. By the end of the season we were so frustrated we just closed the pool and vowed to deal with it next year. Well now that year has come and we are way over heads. We don't know where to start to get rid of all the dead algae and what to do to make sure that this doesn't happen again this year. We are willing to do the work and spend the time on maintenance so that we can actually use our pool this year. I think we should just drain it and start over but my husband is afraid that the heat will damage the liner if there's no water in the pool. Please help us!! Thanks for your questions Nikki I really feel sorry for home owners in your situation. I've been in alot of backyards with green pools and the new owners are frustrated and concerned about their investment turning green. First you need to be sure the pool water level is correct, about 1/3 - 1/2 up from the bottom of the skimmer. Clean or backwash your filtration system, depending on what you have. Swimming Pool Sand Filters..Inground Maintenance..Above Ground..Care Scoop out as much debris from the pool as you can using a good leaf rake, not a blue skimmer. Be sure the skimmers and/or drains are clear of any debris, as much as you can. Get a Taylor Reagent FAS-DPD K-2005 or 2006 pool water test kit. You local pool store will either have this or they can get it. Swimming Pool Water Testing Kit..Chlorine Level..Chemistry.. Next, get the total alkalinity and pool pH level in line. Swimming Pool Tips..Maintenance..Above Ground..Inground..Care Swimming Pool pH Levels..Chemistry..Alkalinity..Water..Care Pool Alkalinity In Swimming Pools...Chemistry..Care..pH..Cloudy Pool Water. Once you have those in order it's time to really shock your pool. Get your pool pH level down to about 7.0ppm because swimming pool chlorine is more active and efficient at a lower pH level. I don't see the size of your pool in your question so this link will help: Swimming Pool Shock..How To.. Calcium Hypochlorite..Chlorine..Care..Maintenance If the swimming pool algae is really bad I would do 1 1/2 times the amount of pool chlorine. Bring the chlorine level up to 15ppm - 17ppm. Once the pool algae starts to die it will probably turn white and you'll have cloudy pool water. This is normal so just keep filtering 24/7 and backwashing once per day. These are excellent links for clearing up green pool water: Remove Swimming Pool Algae..Green..Chemistry..Care.. Swimming Pool Green Pool Water..Algae..Chemistry..Care It might take a few days for the water to become clear, but it will through proper filtering and backwashing. With swimming pool algae the main issue is to get the chlorine level up high enough to kill off the algae. You basically have to "put the hammer down" so to speak, and then work from there. You pool chlorine will start to naturally decrease due to the sun and heat. Once the pool water has cleared you can work on getting your cyanuric acid level (CYA) in line; Adjust Your Swimming Pool Chlorine..Chemistry..Salt Water Maintenance..Inground and keep it there with Tri-chlor chlorine tablets. Swimming Pool Chlorine Tablets..1 Inch..3..Care..Chemistry Once your swimming pool is right you can keep it crystal clear using the right swimming pool maintenance tips. Swimming Pool Chemistry..Care..Inground Maintenance..Salt Water..Weekly.. I hope this helps. Let me know when you can again swim in your pool. You can also keep me up-to-date on your progress and I know that other readers will have the same issues of green pool water and swimming pool algae. All the best Robert |
