Pool algae can be caused by poor filtration, out-of-balance water, low or inconsistent chlorine levels, or poor water circulation.
If you have a light green pool, you need to shock your pool in order to kill algae. Algae feeds off high pH levels and chlorine isn't as effective when your pH is high. You will need to lower your pH using hydrochloric acid. Start off with 1 to 2 litres.
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.
Use a vacuum or backwash the pool to remove the dead algae. Apply a mustard algaecide following the label directions. Allow the water to circulate for 24 hours.
How long will it take to clear the pool? A fiberglass pool in its worst condition can be algae-free in 24 hours. For a vinyl liner pool, the process can take 3-4 days. For a concrete pool, this can take a week or more.
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.
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.
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.
We suggest that you act on this type of algae quickly as its roots (algal spores) can penetrate into the pool cement and cause permanent damage and discoloration to your pool interior if it is not treated quickly.
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.
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.
Even high quality copper-based and silver-based algaecides will cause foamy pool water, if too much is applied.
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.
Surprisingly enough, too much chlorine can also cause your pool water to discolor, but no algae can grow in water with high chlorine levels.
Chlorine is still one of the most effective killers of algae so doing a super-chlorination of 10-20 ppm of chlorine can go a long way towards wiping out the algae. Liquid chlorine is an ideal shock for algae because it is fast acting and does not add cyanuric acid (CYA) or calcium to the water.
For existing algae growth in pools, having a cover can make the situation worse. Here are some of how covers may create conditions for algae growth: Covers increase water temperature: Algae love warm water, so if you raise the temperature, you can expect any spores to thrive unless you take preventative measures.
It's pretty tough to over-shock your pool; shocking your pool two days in a row with the proper dosage for your pool volume shouldn't be a problem – and in fact, is sometimes even needed to rid your pool of algae and other contaminants.
Does baking soda kill algae in pools? Only algaecides can "kill" algae in pool water. However, baking soda can help clear up algae. Use both so you can restore sparkly, clean water!
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.
Green or Dark Green Pool Water:
This means there's a medium amount of algae in your water and you'll need to triple shock your pool. Triple shocking requires 3 pounds for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
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.
Dead algae has a distinct appearance, looking grayish in color and dusty when it accumulates in the bottom of the pool. Once the pool water is clear, it's easy to see down there.