When you have a swimming pool in your backyard, the idea many of us have is that it will always look completely clear.
However, the reality of owning a swimming pool is far from this, especially when you uncover your swimming pool after the winter months.
While it is possible to have crystal clear water in a swimming pool, this requires a certain amount of upkeep and regular maintenance.
Otherwise, the pool will not look very clear, and algae can even begin to form.
Algae can very quickly lead to green or cloudy water, which is something you will want to avoid as much as possible.
However, it is worth noting that the algae grows naturally, and can be eradicated fairly easily.
If this is something you are currently struggling with, this is the article for you. We will be chatting you through a few easy steps you can take to help remove the green from your swimming pool.
We will also be explaining how you can maintain the water in your pool so that it remains crystal clear.
What Causes Green Water?
Before we discuss how you can clean a green swimming pool, it is useful for you to know the cause of this.
As we have touched upon in our introduction, the green water is caused by algae.
Algae is something that occurs naturally in water, because of a number of reasons. Some of these reasons include unbalanced pH, the weather, and the environment.
While it is fairly harmless when thinking about ponds, it is not ideal to have in your swimming pool.
The algae can cause skin irritations, and it is not recommended swimming in a pool that has green water.
The good thing about algae is that it can be removed and cleaned away fairly quickly.
How Do You Clean A Green Swimming Pool?
Cleaning the algae from your pool is fairly easy to do. To ensure that you can keep the pool as clean as possible, we would recommend keeping on top of the pool maintenance.
Not only is this important for the pool water itself, but it is also important for cleanliness purposes. After all, you want to have a clean and sanitized swimming pool.
The maintenance is fairly easy to keep on top of once you know what you need to do. Daily maintenance and checks are important to carry out, and they will not take too long to do.
To Drain Or Not To Drain
When it comes to whether or not you need to drain your swimming pool before it is cleaned will be down to the individual pool.
If the water is slightly green, and there is not too much algae present, then you will not need to drain the pool.
However, if the pool is very green and unclean, the best option would be to drain it.
In this instance, you will want to remove all of the water from the pool and use a jet wash to help remove the algae and grime stuck to the pool’s edges and floor.
Ideally, you will want to be able to see around six feet below the surface of the pool. If you cannot see below this, the pool will need to be drained completely.
If you can still see through the water, the pool can be treated with chemicals.
Cleaning The Pool
PH Levels
To begin with, you will want to check the pH levels of the pool. If the pH levels are too high, you will need to purchase pH lowering treatment.
The pH levels should be 7.5.
Shocking The Pool
To clear the pool, yo9u will need to shock it using Aqua Chem, which is a chlorine based chemical.
This will kill the bacteria present in the pool, and it will also help to remove the algae.
Scrubbing
If there is still algae stuck to the sides and bottom of the pool, it is useful to scrub these before placing them in the water treatment.
This will help to remove as much of the stubborn algae and bacteria as possible.
The Pump & Filter
If you do not already own a pump and a filter, this is something that is vital to invest in, without either, your pool will not be able to remove the algae and bacteria successfully.
They both help to keep the pool clean and clear.
If you already own these, you will want to ensure that they are cleaned and are working correctly. You will want to backwash the filter, and also change out any old sponges.
Flocking The Pool
After the initial shock, the water of the pool will still be quite dirty or cloudy, this is because there will be residual dirt left over in the water.
To help get rid of this, you will want to use a flocculant treatment to remove this.
Once this has been placed in, you can use a water vacuum to remove any of the leftover dirt.
Algae Killer
To kill the remainder of the algae, you will want to use an algae killer. This will help you to keep on top of the algae, and helps to stop it from causing an issue again.
Summary
After you have carried out these steps, the pool will be ready and safe to use again. While this is a fairly lengthy process, when you know how to do it, it is not too difficult to manage.
While you can do this yourself, alternatively, you can seek professional advice and help too.
After this process has been completed, it is important that you stay on top of the pool and keep it maintained.
Not only will this help to keep the water clean and crystal clear, but it will also prevent the same issues from occurring again, too.
At the start of the warmer months, you will always want to ensure you are cleaning and maintaining your swimming pool thoroughly to help keep on top of the green algae and water.
