Algaecide will kill the algae and mold affecting your pool water, but it is best used as an algae preventative. While it does not change the pH balance of your pool water, it will keep algae from growing and work with your chlorine sanitizer to keep those levels balanced.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
So unless you're dealing with mustard algae or black algae, leave the algaecide on the shelf and get ready to shock the heck out of your pool. But when dealing with regular ol' green pool algae, chlorine is your best bet to kill it dead.
Algaecide will kill the algae and mold affecting your pool water, but it is best used as an algae preventative. While it does not change the pH balance of your pool water, it will keep algae from growing and work with your chlorine sanitizer to keep those levels balanced.
pH Balance and Chlorine
Algaecides do not directly affect the pH balance in your pool, but too much algae will raise the pH level. By eliminating algae, the algaecide helps return pH levels to normal. Algaecide also works together with chlorine, helping the chlorine to be more effective against algae and bacteria.
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.
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.
When closing and winterizing your pool, it is important to remember to balance your pool water's chemistry prior to closing and don't forget the algaecide. Algaecide is simple and effective with one quart of winter algaecide typically enough to treat 20,000 gallons of water all winter long.
The most common cause for swimming pool foam is a high organic load that causes the water to thicken. With “thick” water, this means that the surface tension is stronger and bubbles caused by your return jets tend to hang around longer, causing foam.
Algaecides treat and prevent pool algae, but not all algaecides are created equal. To treat green pool water, ensure you select an algaecide that kills green pool algae. After treatment, some dead algae may remain in your pool. Continue to thoroughly brush your pool's surfaces often.
Let the water circulate for at least two hours.
Circulate the water for about 2 hours to ensure the flocculant is fully mixed in, then shut off your pump and let it sit overnight. During this time, the chemical will start to bind the particles together and settle them to the bottom of the pool.
According to research, algae generally thrive in high pH, especially between the range of 8.2 and 8.7. But some algae, often referred to as acidophilic and acidotolerant algae, thrive at very low pH.
Pool algae occurs for many reasons. Low or inconsistent chlorine levels, faulty pool filtration and poor water circulation may be to blame. Preventing pool algae from flourishing helps to keep your pool operational so you can enjoy it all season long. The key to an algae-free pool is regular maintenance.
Pool water turns green because of algae in the water. Algae can grow rapidly, particularly when it's warm like Summer, which is why it can surprise you overnight. This generally comes down to an imbalance or lack of chlorine in the water.
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.
Green Algae
It can grow both on the pool surface, resembling a green, slimy stain, and also suspended in the pool water, causing the water to appear to have a green tint. In severe cases, the algae is concentrated enough so that it is impossible to see the pool bottom, or even the steps.
Registered algaecides include copper sulfate, copper chelates (ethanolamines, ethylene diamines, triethanolamines, triethanolamine + ethylene diamine, and copper citrate/gluconate), endothall (as the mono (N,N-dimethylalkylamine) salt), and formulations containing the active ingredient sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate.
The first thing we recommend for getting rid of pool foam is to use a hand skimmer. It can get rid of most of the foam right away, and with balanced pool water, the rest of the foam should quickly clear up. As we mentioned, algaecide may cause foaming, but there are non-foaming algaecides available.