For swimming pool owners, very few things are as annoying as looking over your pool and seeing green. This means that algae have begun to multiply and grow in your pool in large numbers. A limited amount of algae is always found almost any body of water including swimming pools. Generally, the chlorine and pool filter combine to overpower these small amounts of growth, and the green never appears. The problem is how to get rid of it and keep it from returning.
Test the ph level of your pool.
When the ph level gets too high, the chlorine will stop working as well to defeat and kill the algae growth. Without the chlorine doing its job, the algae will begin to win the war. Your pool will turn green very quickly with the algae bloom. Testing the ph level is mandatory if you are going to beat this problem.
Work to first restore the ph to the proper level.
Swimming pool should maintain a ph level between 7.2 and 7.6 for optimum algae control. To lower the ph level, you will need to add acid to your pool water. This can be done by pouring in acid in liquid form or with acid powder. Either will work. Treat the pool and test it every hour or so until you have achieved the correct ph.
Once the ph is right, shock the pool.
Use a good commercial shock product to begin killing off the algae as quickly as possible. Within 24 hours, your pool should be clearing up. If it is not making sufficient progress, you may need to shock it a second time. Continue to monitor the ph level during this time and treat if needed. Eventually, these treatments will result in all of the algae being destroyed.
It is time to remove the left over debris from the algae. If there is staining left from the algae bloom on the pool liner, use a brush and scrub as much of it off as possible. Vacuum the pool thoroughly to remove any residue from the algae. Once the pool has been vacuumed, you will need to back flush your pump and filter to remove all of the dead algae trapped there.
Use a product to kill algae for the rest of the season to prevent the return of the green.
Several good commercial algae killing products are available at pool centers. By adding this to your pool every week or so, you should avoid a repeat of the green pool. Make sure that you close the pool correctly in the fall, and open it properly in the spring to keep from facing this again next year. You may need an acid wash in the spring if there is heavy staining that could not be scrubbed away. This stain will have pieces of algae hiding in it. An acid wash will get rid of the stain and the algae.
