The green water in the pool is often due to the presence of algae in the pool. Algae blooms can appear when your pool has a low level of free chlorine. Exposure to high temperatures, heavy rains or poor circulation, without the use of a preventive algaecide, also increases the risk of developing pool algae. Algae growth turns the pool green and algae grow when the pool water lacks chlorine.
The first and most common reason pool water turns green is a lack of chlorine. Without chlorine in the water, the pool will start growing algae quickly. If chlorine is not added to the water once this process starts, algae can grow to a point where the entire pool turns green in a day. The hotter the water, the faster this process will be.
Pool water turns green due to algae in the water. Algae can grow quickly, especially when it's hot like summer, so they can surprise you during the night. This is usually due to an imbalance or lack of chlorine in the water. Algae are a simple plant, which grows in water that offers them food and a hospitable (welcoming) environment.
It doesn't take much for algae to enter your pool. Algae can be transmitted through the air or enter the pool on debris, a bathing suit, or a pool toy. When you find water with nitrogen and phosphorus, which is not protected, algae begin to eat and bloom can appear overnight. Disinfectant makes your pool inhospitable to algae and kills it.
If you don't test often enough and don't add enough bromine or chlorine (or any type of disinfectant you use), you're at high risk of contracting algae in your pool. Mother Nature rarely fits our schedules, and her testing regimen is another one she'll ignore. Many things make it more likely that your pool will need additional testing, as they increase the likelihood of algae blooming. If any of these things happen in your area or in your pool, you're more likely to face algae bloom and you'll want to get tested more often.
Daily or every other day isn't going to be too much. It's time to hit your pool, and by shock we mean superchlorinate. You'll add a lot of chlorine. Even if you normally use a different disinfectant to remove algae, you must fight dirt.
Hitting your pool eliminates exactly zero algae. What it does is kill it, so you can let the filter clean it. No matter what type of filter you use, whether it's a cartridge, sand or diatomaceous earth (DE), you'll need to clean it several times while cleaning the water. You can also consider adding a few things here to help in the process.
An algaecide, which also kills algae, and a flocculant (causes dead algae to accumulate to facilitate filtration) are added after a couple of hours of chlorine circulation. You can also wait until you're pretty sure you have them all, to be sure. At this point, the extra steps may not be worth it. However, if you still have any algae that you haven't seen, it could bloom again quite quickly.
Finally, testing isn't beneficial if you don't also fix what needs to be fixed; keep the water balanced, the disinfectant optimized, and the filter clean and fit to control algae forever. Why is my pool green? Green discoloration is a reaction to algae growing in the pool; it can grow and spread rapidly, especially in hot climates. In fact, on a particularly hot day, a mild case can turn into an algae infection during the night. It is very likely that algae have grown and spread due to an imbalance of chlorine in the water.
Too low chlorine levels are the likely cause of a chemical imbalance that leads to algae formation. When there is not enough chlorine in the pool water, green algae can grow that can float freely or stick to the walls and floor of the pool. Therefore, in many cases, the most efficient way to get rid of algae is by spraying pool water with chlorine. It can be an unpleasant blow when you discover that the normally clear, sky-blue water in your pool turns green during the night.
If a chlorine test, such as the PoolMasterSmart Test 4-Way Pool and Spa Water Chemistry Test Strips, reveals a lower number, add more chlorine to the pool water until it is in the desired range. Sometimes, these metals can react with pool chemicals and release material into the water that alters the chemical balance. Pools with cartridge or sand filters can use liquid chlorine, while pools with diatomaceous earth filters must use granular shock. Do a lot of tests, do tests every day or every other day, when the weather is changing or when a lot of people use your pool.
Since pollen doesn't stick to the pool surface, you won't often see it on the sides of the pool, where algae are commonly found stuck to the walls and bottom of the pool. In fact, this problem can sometimes arise overnight without warning, even if you are cleaning your pool regularly. Metals can be introduced through many sources, such as source water, cheap algaecides, or, if the water is acidic, metal components of the pool, such as copper heating elements. If the green is due to pollen, there may be little to do about minimizing discoloration, unless a building is built around the pool.
Ultimately, the best way to protect your pool is with a solid maintenance program, to avoid problems before they develop. To double the shock treatment, you'll need to add two bags of BioGuard Burn Out Extreme for every 50,000 liters of pool water. If water circulation or chemicals are turned off, algae can bloom and cause the pool to turn cloudy and green. There are several reasons why your pool water can be green in both in-ground and above ground pools, and the solution will be different depending on the type of imbalance you have.
We've partnered with HomeAdvisor to help you find the best pool maintenance and cleaning services in your area. On the other hand, adding too much CYA to the pool can also prevent chlorine from working as it should. . .
