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.
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.
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.
Grab a brush and some baking soda. Bicarbonate, the active ingredient in baking soda, is an effective spot treatment to help kill the algae and loosen it from the wall.
We recommend waiting at least 15 minutes to swim after adding algaecide to your swimming pool. Most algaecides are perfectly safe to swim with.
Chlorine—yep, your typical sanitizer—is much more effective at killing algae than algaecide is. Even if your water gets cloudy and your walls get slimy, chlorine can still kill it. That's because chlorine oxidizes bacteria and single-celled algae, which means they trade electrons.
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.
Natural Cleaning Agents for Pools
Baking soda: This is a great cleaning agent in general that also works well in swimming pools. The active ingredient in baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which breaks up algae and allows you to scrub it and clean it from your pool.
Use a pool brush to vigorously scrub any pool surfaces covered in algae, including the walls, floors, and steps. Apply a green algaecide according to the directions on the label. Let the water circulate for 24 hours, then brush the pool surfaces again. Vacuum or backwash to remove any remaining dead algae.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you have a saltwater pool, your best bet is EasyCare PoolTec. This all-star algaecide that controls and prevents green algae, mustard algae, and black algae while delivering beautiful water clarity. Additionally, it's designed to boost the effectiveness of chlorine in pools that use saltwater chlorinators.
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.
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.
Basically, an algaecide is simply a substance that can kill or mitigate algae, often utilizing copper sulfate or chelated copper. Copper is effective because it basically attaches itself to the algae in your pond and prevents photosynthesis, which causes the algae to die.
Use a mixture of water and white vinegar to spray down the area and kill the algae. Rinse the surface alga off the concrete with a water hose. Next, pour white vinegar directly on the surface and scrub using a brush.
Baking soda can work wonders in a pool. Baking soda can: Help to clear cloudy water and restore the sparkle. Spot-treat algae.
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.
Shock your pool to kill algae, then use an algicide to prevent it from coming back. Shocking your pool and adding an algaecide to the water are two ways to get rid of the sickly green color caused by algae growth, but you shouldn't do these things at the same time.
Add Algaecide After Shocking
Wait for the pH to fall to a safe level for swimming (3 ppm or below) and then add a product such as Pool Time Algicide + Clarifier in the amount recommended in the product instructions. Pour this incrementally into the water as you walk around the pool.
Pour the algaecide dose into the water, depositing it in several areas around the pool. Your swimming pool pump should be running at this time to help circulate the algaecide. Wait about 30 minutes before allowing anyone to swim after the algaecide application.