Owning a swimming pool is just the best thing. With many of us still staying at home in Australia swimming in your own pool is a great way to keep fit and have fun with close family. But perhaps there’s been a time when you’ve stepped outside expecting to see shimmering clear water and, horror of horrors, you’re greeted with a cloudy green haze that’s about as inviting as jumping into a pool full of baked beans. If this sounds familiar, you probably want to know why your pool water is green and how can you fix it.
Why your pool water is green
This unsightly green haze is a reaction to algae growing in your pool. As the water starts to heat up algae can grow and spread really fast. And, on a particularly hot day, it can escalate overnight from a mild case to an algae infection. Usually, algae have grown and spread because there is an imbalance of chlorine in your pool water.
Should the chlorine levels drop for even a day or two, it can be enough to turn your pool water green, which is why checking the chlorine level frequently is so important. But if it’s already too late and your pool is green, how can you restore it to normal and prevent a recurrence of algae?
Clearing the green
Since the usual cause of algae is a lack of chlorine, the first thing you should do is immediately increase the chlorine level in your pool. In addition to shocking your pool with chlorine, you might want to consider adding an algaecide supplement. It all depends on how bad the problem is and you can determine that by the darkness of the green. With light green pool water, usually shocking with chlorine alone does the trick and clears the water.
If your water is particularly dark, almost black-green, a simple boost of chlorine may not be sufficient. Instead, if it has been left untreated for a long time it’s likely to require professional pool treatment. In this instance, your pool may need to be drained and given a thorough clean by an experienced pool service engineer.
Green gradually turns to blue
Once the algae have gone their separate ways, your pool may still look cloudy at first. However, once you’ve run the pump and filter for twenty-four hours the water should slowly start to return to normal and you’ll be able to start using your pool again.
So, now you know how to get rid of algae, how do you prevent it from recurring?
The answer is simple – cover your pool.
Even in the summer, covering your pool when it’s not in use is a basic step to preventing the growth of algae. Not only does a pool cover act as a barrier, preventing algae from entering the pool, but it also prevents bacteria, bugs and dirt from getting into the pool water, decomposing, and inadvertently providing nutrition to help the algae thrive. Crucially, a pool cover prevents chemical imbalance, particularly the chlorine level, and all it takes is a relatively minor drop in chlorine to allow algae to grow. A pool cover will also keep out the sunlight which algae require to bloom.
If you don’t have a pool cover then perhaps now is the time to invest in one. At Just Covers we design and install top quality pool covers for all shapes and sizes of pools. To find out more about our covers, and to prevent your pool water turning green, check out our website or call our pool experts on 1300 268377.