How to Determine the Best Way to Clean a Green Swimming Pool

This article is based on working with an inground concrete Swimming Pool.

Nothing is more disturbing than to see a swimming pool that's suppose to be inviting, but instead, looks like a dark green lagoon. A breeding nest for mosquitoes, and goodness only knows what else.

Maybe it got this way because you just purchased a home with the pool in this condition. Maybe it's a summer home, and you came back to it with it looking this way. Whatever the reason, it's fixable.

NOTE: This photo is not of our pool, because our pool is crystal clear, however, it is one that we had to do some work on. Here's how to clean a green pool, and make it available to swim in again when it appears that it's a lost cause.

Things You'll Need

• Algaecide
• Lots of Chlorine
• Scrub Brush
• Elbow grease (going to take some scrubbing)

Instructions

1. 

   First.... don't waste your time staring at the big hole in the ground wondering if someone dumped pea soup in it. Get to work, and start emptying this bad boy. I know, emptying an inground pool is taking the chance of the pool popping out of the ground. This is why you call your local pool supply store and find out if they think it would be safe. It all depends on how much it's rained in your area.

2. Or you could purchase hundreds and hundreds of dollars in pool chemicals, and it would take a month or so for it to eventually clear up. It also depends on how green the pool is. In this case, the pool water was actually thick in consistency. Plus, you can't even see the bottom, so goodness only knows what's hidden under the green goop.

3. Let's decide that since this pool is so bad that you're having to deal with, we're going to go ahead and empty it, because it hasn't rained in quite awhile, so the ground is dry enough that the pool would not pop out of the ground.

   Turn the pool pump to bottom drain, and use this method to pump the pool as low as you can get it.

4. 

   As the pool is emptying, use chlorine to spray the walls of the pool.

   NOTE: We are working on a concrete inground pool.

   Let the chlorine soak into the concrete, and then go back and scrub the walls with more chlorine. You can not use too much chlorine to clean these walls. If you're working on a pool that has a sparkle grain as the surface, you will have to dilute the chlorine with water before srubbing. A pump sprayer would probably work best on pools with these sort of walls.

   NOTE: The crack around the patio of this pool was not caused by draining it. It was caused due to the foundation dropping years before this pool was drained.

5. 

   As soon as the pool is cleaned, to the best you can get it, start filling up the pool immediately. You can not wait overnight to fill it, because you don't want to take any chances of the pool popping, so start filling it up ASAP.

6. 

   Once the pool is full, pour about 2 1/2 gallons of chlorine in the pool. Check the pH, and adjust it accordingly with chemicals. Let the pump run for 24 hours before adjusting it to only run during the day. It would be best to clean the filter if it's a sand filter, or replace the cartridge if it's a cartridge filter. Only do this after the pool is filled with clean water. The pool will be cloudy at first. This is a normal reaction to the chemicals. This will clear up within 24 - 48 hours.

7. 

   Once the chlorine drops back down to normal, you're pool is ready for swimming.

8. 

   With the proper monthly maintenance, a pool can give you a life time of enjoyment. This pool to the left is 15 years old (mine), and with the proper chemicals and vacuuming, it will stay this way.

Tips & Warnings

• If your pool dealer indicate that the ground water is too high to empty an inground pool, then you'll have to take the other route, and use the chemicals to clean the pool without emptying it. That's an entirely different article. ;)