How to Get Rid of Green Water in a Swimming pool

Is the water in your swimming pool green? Depending on weather conditions it can happen fast - almost overnight. Your water looks fine one day and then you get up the next and there it is ugly, green water. The green color you're seeing is a full-scale algae bloom. Algae are microscopic plant life that get into pools by rain or are carried in by dust. Some of them are free floating while others latch on and cling to the sides of the pool. Either way you can clear up your pool water, so don't despair - in a few days your water will be crystal clear again.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pool water chemical test kit
• Unstabilized chlorine (Shock)
• Pool scrub brush

1. What you'll need
   Pool water chemical test kit
   Unstabilized chlorine
   Pool scrub brush

2. Use your test kit to determine the pH level in your pool water. It should be between 7.2 and 7.6. If it is outside of that range add pH Up or pH Down to adjust the level.

3. Scrub the sides and bottom of the pool with the brush to loosen any clinging algae.

4. Add unstabilized Chlorine granules (Shock) to the pool. The amount of Chlorine you add will depend on the capacity of your pool (150 grams for every 10,000 liters or approximately 5 ounces of chlorine for every 2500 gallons of water).

5. Turn on your pump and run your system for a day allowing the Chlorinated water to circulate and get rid of the algae.

6. Vacuum the white residue from the bottom of the pool the next day. The water should have cleared substantially, if it is still looking green repeat the "shock" process.

7. Clean your filter to remove any alga residue.

8. Rebalance your pool water.

Tips & Warnings

• Regularly cleaning and vacuuming your pool as well ensuring the water is kept in balance will minimize the chance of your water going green. (pH should be between 7.2 and 7.6 while the free available Chlorine level should be between 1.0 and 3.0 PPM (parts per million).
• In periods of hot weather or when you have higher than normal swimmer load, "shocking" your pool every two weeks will keep algae away.
• Pool supply stores also sell algaecide you can add to your pool water. These chemicals are usually safe to add at any time (even just before you swim), and they do help control algae
• After "shocking" your pool don't swim for at least a day. The high levels of chlorine can cause eye or skin irritation as well as damaging bathing suits.

[passionpool]

on 3/2/2009 Passion Pool Care can help you if you live in the Scottsdale Phoenix AZ area. wwwlscottsdalepoolrepairservice.com We can answer your questions regarding green pools, pump issues filter issues etc.

[bedddowm]

on 8/18/2008 Well Boohunch36, I have an inground pool with green water too. We shocked the hect out of it and scrubed the walls and we didn't vacuum because how do you see what you are vacuuming?? Our pool place told us to buy mustard algea and we did that, put that in and still the same. My mother is at the point where she wants to shut it down for the year and leave it like that and fool with it next year. This algea is costing alot of money and nothing is working. If you find out something please let me know and I will do the same.

[Boohunch36]

on 7/28/2008 You make it sound so simple to get rid of algea. I have had a bloom for a couple of weeks now. I have vacuumed and scrubbed and shocked and supershocked and ran my pump 24/7 and it is still there. I have bought the most expensive algicide and I guess my algea just has a strong will to live. My last ditch effort before I shut down my pool for the year is to just use the inexpensive algicide that I have used in the past instead of the specialized expensive stuff. I even bought a new sand filter and sand so that isn't the problem. I am at my wits end and wish there truly was an easy way to get rid of the green.

[Bycin]

on 5/2/2008 PC Pool Pal is a Step-by-Step guide to easy pool ownership that contains the top manufacturers most current operating manuals, web-links and instructional videos and todays hottest pool products. With this software you will get all your answers plus computerized water testing for about 19.95 at any pool spa website. If your new to a pool you have to get this cd.

[markmaxwell]

on 7/27/2007 If you use Chlorine tablets in your pool, you are also adding cyanuric acid to the water. Cyanuric acid is the "stabilizer" in the tablets, and it binds with the chlorine so that sunlight does not dissipate the chlorine. Some better pool water test kits can test for the cyanuric acid level - if the level is higher than 75 parts per million (ppm) so much of the chlorine is "bound up" that it will not kill algae and reduces the effectiveness of the chlorine to keep the water safe. The only way to get rid of excess cyanuric acid is to empty the pool and refill. By the way, at high levels 100+ ppm, cyanuric acid is a suspected carcinogen.