You could have inadequate filtration for your pool's size or low or inconsistent chlorine levels. Bad water circulation with dead spots or pool imbalance in your pool chemicals are also two big culprits. One or any of these factors can kick off a pool algae bloom that spreads across your pool.
Sanitize your pool. Chlorine serves as a great sanitizer and can effectively kill algae. If you're already dealing with tell-tale green water, a concentrated chlorine shock treatment will clean your pool. A chlorine shock treatment works best at night, without the rays of the sun burning it off.
If your pool is green and cloudy, it's likely an algae problem. Algae can persist in a pool even after shocking. A green pool – especially one that turned green overnight or after rain, can also be from a pool pump that isn't properly circulating water or an issue with your filtering system.
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.
If the pH becomes too high (over 7.8), it prevents the chlorine from doing its job. If you're not checking the pH and it has risen too much, you could be adding the right amount of chlorine, but it can't work correctly, and algae will begin to grow.
Algae will remain in your pool after shock if you've had insufficient chlorine and an overabundance of metal elements in the pool water. Therefore, to start the cleaning process. Remove all the debris from the pool with a leaf net and then let the smaller dirt fragments settle.
The green color in the water means that there is algae present, and the only thing that will get rid of algae is a sanitizer (chlorine). Sometimes just putting one chlorine tablet just isn't enough chlorine.
There are several reasons why your free chlorine levels are still low after shocking your water: Other pool chemicals are out of balance: Without the right amount of pH or cyanuric acid in your water, your chlorine levels can fluctuate. So make sure these are balanced before shocking your pool.
Improper pH levels: Ideally, your pool should have a pH of right around 7.4. If your pH changes for some reason, it will allow algae and bacteria to thrive. Most likely, if the pH level in your pool is wrong, it will develop green water.
Green pool water is often caused by the presence of algae in your pool. Algae blooms can appear when your pool has a low Free Chlorine. Exposure to high heat, heavy rain or poor circulation, without the use of a preventative algaecide, also increase your risk of developing pool algae.
Can you over shock a green pool? No. The more chlorine shock you add to a green pool, the better chance it has to kill off all the algae. Follow the normal shock treatment based on the size of your pool and you can double, triple, or quadruple the dose to kill algae.
Adding shock to your pool super-chlorinates your water. And this extra dose of sanitizer will kill algae growth. The more serious your pool algae problem, the more shock you'll need. We recommend using calcium hypochlorite shock, or cal-hypo shock, as an effective algae treatment.
You need to raise the level of your chlorine – shock the pool – and maintain that high level until all the algae is dead. This may take 3 to 4 days. RUN THE FILTER 24 HOURS A DAY. You must maintain that high level of chlorine.
Whether mild or severe, it isn't recommended. Significant amounts of swimming pool algae welcome a breeding ground of harmful bacteria that feed on algae. These bacteria pose health risks to swimmers, most commonly resulting in a skin rash. It can also cause various bacterial infections of the ears or eyes.
"Shocking” refers to the process of adding chlorine or non-chlorine pool chemicals to the water in order to raise the "free chlorine” level. The goal is to raise this level to a point where contaminants such as algae, chloramines and bacteria are destroyed.
The simple answer is yes, you can over shock a pool. This is when the chlorine level in the water becomes too high and can be harmful to swimmers. When you shock your pool, you are raising the chlorine level to 10 times its normal level. This is done to kill off any bacteria or algae that may be present in your pool.
It's often recommended to shock your pool once a week. If you don't do it every week, you should at least do it every other week. This is necessary to maintain your pool's water chemistry. If you have a lot of people over in your pool or have a party, you may want to shock your pool more frequently.
If you're dealing with algae or a build-up of organic contaminants, use cal-hypo shock. If you're shocking as part of regular pool maintenance, it's fine to use any type of shock. Just know that dichlor shock will raise your cyanuric acid levels.
Chlorine shock is usually the best way to get rid of green algae. However, an algaecide may become necessary if you're fighting more chlorine-resistant algae, such as mustard algae or black algae. Even then, the pool algaecide should work with chlorine or other sanitizers – not as an alternative to them.
Shock Your Pool
Shocking is the process of adding chemicals to your pool to raise chlorine levels and kill bacteria and algae. We recommend using a calcium hypochlorite shock to treat your algae problems.
Using baking soda in your pool is one of the easiest but most efficient ways to get your backyard ready for summer. This pool idea is loved by experts who recommend using this homemade remedy to increase the alkalinity and pH level of your pool – and treat black algal growth on your swimming pool wall.
Adrian Harrison, Director at My Perfect Pool, similarly explains that algae growth is caused by lack of maintenance. Some key factors include low chlorine levels, excessive sediment in the water, and the failure to brush the pool walls and floor.
A pool turns green when there is algae in the water. There are several reasons why algae could grow, but it is most commonly caused by prolonged exposure to the sun, rain and temperature spikes. These factors affect the chemical balance of the pool and result in the pool turning cloudy and/or green.