The slimy feel on your pool walls is an early indication of algae growth. To stop algae growth in its tracks, clean the pool filter first. Before adding any chemicals to the pool, make sure you have a clean filter.
If you feel sticky after swimming, it's likely because your pool is dirty and needs treatment. Stickiness can also be due to pH imbalances, chemical changes, or various contaminants in the water. Taking a shower can help reduce feeling sticky after swimming.
The slimy and often smelly film that floats on the water's surface is a distinct green color, so look carefully for it before going for a swim. If there's an off-smell, don't go for a swim and don't let your dog take a plunge either.
Chlorine is a slimy-feeling material when it gets wet. If you have chlorine dust or residue on your fingers and then touch the pool water, the pool water will feel slimy. Avoid this by wearing gloves when dealing with all pool chemicals, and never add water to chlorine; only add chlorine to the water.
There are two main causes of oily film on your water: hydrogen sulfide, and iron bacteria.
A film on top of the water in a swimming pool can be the result of several things. A lack of water circulation may be creating stagnant water. Or, dust, pollen and other air pollutants may be settling in the water, requiring pool skimming and filtering. In rare cases a film can represent a problem in water chemistry.
Imbalanced Pool Chemicals
Low calcium hardness means your pool water is soft, and soft water is prone to foam. We recommend adding calcium chloride to raise the levels and prevent foam if your pool has low calcium hardness. Low calcium levels are the second most common cause of pool foam.
High pH soft water will generally feel slick/slimy. (Try adding varying amounts of baking soda to a bowl and washing your hands in it).
Slippery water is caused by the ion exchange process. In a water softener, calcium and magnesium minerals — which are responsible for hard water — are exchanged for equal amounts of sodium, or salt ions. As a result, soft water contains a small amount of sodium.
Pink algae in pools forms as a slimy pink or clear layer over the pool's surface and fixtures, and while there is not one determined cause, it's most often the result of improper water and pool maintenance and poor water circulation.
The simple answer is No. Baking soda cannot be used to clear up a cloudy pool because it is a base. Bases raise PH levels, which causes the water to turn cloudy. Some people suggest using baking soda as a quick fix to high alkalinity levels, but it's not reliable as a pool chemical.
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.
Use white vinegar to create a homemade defoamer solution. Add 1 part white vinegar to every 10 parts of water to make the defoamer. For example, a 100-gallon kiddie pool would require 10 gallons of vinegar to work effectively. White vinegar also works as a defoamer in hot tubs, spas and carpet steam cleaners.
Swimming pools use chlorine as the main sanitizer. This chemical is responsible for keeping the water free of bacteria, which helps prevent algae and other problems associated with a dirty pool. A film can form on the water from a combination of body oils, lotions, and dirt that build up due to heavy usage.
Defoaming – Soap
If you don't have any table salt on hand, use 1 tsp. of dishwashing soap. The dishwashing soap will break down the carpet cleaning solution as it is returned to the carpet cleaning machine or shampooer. Add the teaspoon of dishwashing soap to the dirty water accumulation tank.
Commonly used antifoaming agents are certain alcohols (cetostearyl alcohol), insoluble oils (castor oil), stearates, polydimethylsiloxanes and other silicones derivatives, ether and glycols (Karakashev and Grozdanova, 2012).
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.
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.
But is it safe to swim in a pool with algae? 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.
To get rid of cloudiness, you will have to do a liquid chlorine shock to raise the level of free chlorine (since the chlorine produced by the generator is not enough; a chlorine generator just assists you in maintaining the level of free chlorine).