By Sam Rory
What makes swimming pool water change to green color is the growth of algae caused by chemical imbalance. Having sufficient chlorine in your pool makes it difficult for algae to form and this explains why shocking your pool with chlorine is a crucial part of maintaining your backyard swimming pool. Below is a detailed guide on how to clean a green swimming pool;
- Establish Whether Chemistry can be Corrected
If your pool water is too green, the steps given here might not be enough. You may need to get the pool emptied and cleansed with acid instead of the usual “shocking”. In worst-case scenarios where the water is not green but black, draining the pool is the ideal thing to do to save time and resources although it will cost you to refill the pool again. After establishing that the pool can be treated chemically, follow these other steps.
- Test the Water
A green pool indicates that there is no chlorine or very little if any. It is not necessary to test for chlorine but rather, the pH level of the water. This is because a very high pH has the water turning very cloudy after shocking it. Normally, a shocked pool gets cloudy until all the algae and other impurities are cleaned out.
You can test the pH using a test kit and the ideal level should be below 7.2. If it is higher than this, add a gallon of muriatic acid. After shocking the pool, wait for about for hour then test the pH again.
- Shock the Pool
When the pH is below 7.2, you can shock the pool with chlorine powder. You can buy chlorine in plenty instead of buying the small packages sold at pool stores, this can save you a lot of money since you will be needing small amounts of chlorine in the future. Turn on the filter pump to pour chlorine uniformly over the water. You can also add a good algaecide after a few hours and flocking agent to make the dead algae granules collect together.
- Pump and Filter
This step depends on the type of your filter.
For a Diatomaceous Earth Filter, backwash it first then put fresh DE powder. Shock the pool and leave the pump on for 24 hours while ensuring that the pool drain is not clogged. If you have a sand filter, follow the same procedure as the DE filter but have the backwash time for approximately five minutes. For Cartridge Filters, ensure it is in good condition and rinse it well.
- Brushing and Filtration
You will note an incredible change within 24 hours of chemical circulation. The pool will no longer be green but it may be cloudy and may require thorough brushing and filtration for a few days. You then need to maintain your pool to ensure it remains functional, you can incorporate the help of a swimming pool services company to cut on the hurdles of handling your swimming pool alone.
