One final note on algaecide: Contact algaecide is different from liquid algaecide. Many liquid algaecides don't work in cold water, and we don't recommend using them even in the warm months.
Algaecide is simple and effective with one quart of winter algaecide typically enough to treat 20,000 gallons of water all winter long. By simply adding algaecide to your water prior to closing, you can prevent algae growth from occurring during the cold, winter months which makes for an easier opening in the spring.
Algaecide should be used after each shock treatment, so it has a better chance to support your chlorine as it works its magic. Be sure to shock your pool first, then when the chlorine levels of your pool return to normal, add the correct amount of algaecide to several places around your pool while your pump is running.
Algaecide is the best way to prevent algae from growing in your unused pool. Generally, the colder the winter, the longer-lasting algaecide you'll want. Some winter algaecides last up to three months. You should pour in the algaecide on the last day you use the pool for the season and let the pump run for 24 hours.
Algae growth is stopped at temperatures below 40° F, but some algae can continue to survive, and like weeds in a lawn, can go dormant over the winter, coming back to life in early spring, weeks before you open the pool.
A: Algae can be tough little buggers. An estimated 72,500 algal species exist worldwide, and some of them can thrive in inhospitable conditions, including areas with ice and snow. With a handful of nutrients and a little bit of light, they're able to grow – even in the 39 degree water under the ice in your lake.
Green discoloration in a swimming pool is caused by the growth of algae, a type of green aquatic plant that floats on the surface of water. Algae usually flourishes in warm water but can still take over your pool in winter if given half a chance.
It's a good idea to shock the water a few days before closing the pool and then adding the algaecide the day you shut it down and cover it. It's recommended that you treat the water for algae problems before covering the pool and the same goes for any type of metal that has been sitting in the water all summer.
The presence of too much algaecide can lead to a foamy pool water. Small bubbles will begin to be produced as the water is pushed through the return jet and back into the pool. Do not confuse these bubbles and foam with another common problem, which is air in your pool lines.
Winter Pool Algaecide is highly effective at preventing all forms of algae. Polymer pool algaecide stays strong all winter providing dependable control of algae growth throughout the winter season. Unique winterizing algaecide is specifically formulated to fight cold weather algae for up to 5 months in a covered pool.
While shocking and adding algaecide is effective in getting rid of algae, it should not be done together. This is because when you mix chlorine and algaecide together, it renders both of them useless. Hence, you should first shock the pool and wait for the chlorine levels to fall below 5 PPM.
Add a dose of algaecide, bring your chlorine level high by shocking, and run the filter continuously until the problem clears. The next day you should vacuum up the dead algae and backwash your filter. Algae thrives in hot weather and in pools with low or no chlorine.
If you add algaecide, keep in mind that some algaecide contains copper, which can actually make a pool cloudy. If the cloudiness persists 24 hours after shocking, then it's possible that you used a poor-quality chlorine shock.
Once attached, winter algaecide destroys the algae cell by rupturing the cell membrane. Long lasting, and treats up to 20,000 gallons. For best results, especially for mesh covered pools, add one bottle at closing, and another bottle when the outside air temperatures once again reach 60 degrees in the spring.
Now is the time to add Pool Clarifier and let it circulate for 12 hours. This will clump the algae together into vaccumable pieces. Shut your pump off and let the cloudiness settle. This may take up to a few days for very cloudy pools.
Algaecide should be added to your pool water on a weekly basis. Preventing algae is the key to fun in your pool. Algaecides act as a backup to your normal sanitization program and prevent algae from starting and growing in the pool. Algaecide should be added after every shock treatment.
The algaecide in the kit can cause some foam if there is no algae in the pool to destroy – it lingers around with nothing to kill. Spring time algaecides use surfactants to work and these molecules can react with agitation to cause froth.
Pools can immediately turn green after shocking when they have metals like copper in the water. These metals oxidise when exposed to high levels of chlorine which makes the pool water turn green. Adding a metal control product such as Zodiac Metal Remover will help to restore the pool water.
What's important for you to know: You shouldn't swim in a pool that's green until you test the chemical levels, like the officials in Rio did before the diving event began. It's the balance of things like chlorine, pH, and alkalinity in a pool that keeps it sterilized.
Baking Soda and Green, Blue, or Yellow Algae
You'll need to use an algaecide to kill the algae and superchlorinate your pool to clear the water. After this treatment, test your pH and alkalinity and add baking soda to raise alkalinity to at least 100 ppm and pH to between 7.2 and 7.8.
Much like the veggies in your garden, when the water is cold algae won't grow. Algae is not happy if the water is below 50 degrees. The winter kit chemicals dissipate after a few weeks, but they help keep your chemicals balanced and the pool clear until your water turns into a popsicle.
In general, when the water temperatures start to climb above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, this causes oxygen levels to drop. This can be dangerous for fish, and it promotes the growth of algae. The ideal temperature for a pond is typically about 68 to 74 degrees at most during the summer months.
During winter, the contribution of oxygen from photosynthesis by green plants and algae is greatly reduced. This is caused by the normal fall die-off of plants and algae due to cold water. Additionally, those green plants that remain produce less oxygen because their metabolism slows in cold water.