Green Pool Woes

Pool water turning green and cloudy is a common problem many people face. Algae formation due to chemical imbalance is the culprit behind it. Treating the pool water with chlorine can help you get rid of it, but you need to do it in proper steps.

Here are the best steps to make your green pool water clear and hygienic again.   

Evaluate the water chemistry

Not all green pools can be fixed with these simple steps. So, you first need to determine if the water in your pool is treatable. To do so, look into your pool, and if six to eight inches deep surface is visible, chemical treatment will work. Otherwise, if your pool water is too green or black, it’s best to drain it, get the pool washed with acid, and refill it.

Test the pool water

You need to do a pH test on the water to determine its pH level because when you treat high pH water with chlorine, it can turn the pool cloudy. You can use pH test strips or kits for this purpose. If the pH is above 7.2, adding a gallon of muriatic acid can help lower it.

You don’t need to test green pool water for chlorine because the lack of choline caused this problem in the first place. So, there won’t be much chlorine in a green pool, and you would need to add a significant amount of it to deal with the problem.

Chlorine treatment

You can treat your pool with chlorine once its pH is below 7.2. Ten gallons of liquid chlorine or five pounds of granular chlorine is recommended. Turn on the pump and spray or sprinkle the chlorine evenly on the entire pool area. After some time, treat it with an algaecide.

Filter the pool

If you have a sand filter, first backwash it for five minutes and new sand filter powder. Then treat it with chlorine and turn on the drain for a day. For a diatomaceous earth filter, use a DE power instead of sand powder. If you have a cartridge filter, pay attention to its condition and wash it properly.

Brush and refilter the pool

You will start getting results a day after treating your pool with chlorine and algaecide, but it will still be a bit cloudy. So, you need to brush it several times and filter it again to get rid of cloudiness. Sand filters require up to a week. You should clean the cartridge filter twice every day until the cloudiness goes away.

If you still find a green pool 24 hours after treating it with chlorine, it can be due to excessive phosphate or cyanuric acid.

Maintain the pool

Once you have cleared your green pool, you need to make sure it remains that way. For this, you need to make sure you have a proper chlorination system, so there is never a lack of chlorine.

If you are unable to clear your green pool or it needs the services of a professional, we’ll be glad to help.

East Coast Pool Care provides Tampa and surrounding area pools with quality pool and spa care with exceptional expertise at an affordable cost. We provide biweekly rates for cleaning and maintenance service. Other services we perform include troubleshooting, diagnostics and pool equipment repair, including pump repair, filter repair,  pool heater repair, salt systems repairs, pool lighting repairs, and spa equipment repairs. We service fountains and water features.Emergency service is available. Call (813)755-8544.