How to fix a green swimming pool
Having your own pool is meant to be both a joy to look at and enjoy swimming in. The crystal clear water shimmering in the sunlight sets off many properties perfectly, usually with design that has taken a lot of time, money and love to create. Having your treasured pool turn green can be a sorry and upsetting sight which can look like the creature from the black lagoon has taken over residence. What has gone wrong? What did I do? What can I do? These are normally the first questions that spring into an owner’s mind.
What causes the green?
In Thailand, the sun shines, a lot! The sun is responsible for all the greenery on the planet and wants to make some photosynthesis in your nice swimming pool also. Letting the chemistry levels dip even just a little for even a few days, can result in an algae bloom literally overnight. Sometimes, just a very heavy rain downpour can put the pool chemistry into an imbalance and the green will start to grow.
If your pool is now greener than the Incredible Hulk, what can be done to bring it back to normal?
Clean the green
As the green algae has developed due to an excessive dilution of chlorine, the first logical step is to get the pool chemistry back up to an acceptable level. Doing this is known in the industry as ‘chlorine shock’ and sometimes enough to burn out the algae bloom and recover the water. If your pool is edging towards the darker shade of green, the water sometimes needs a little extra help of an algaecide supplement. If the water is towards the black end of the spectrum, draining the pool and a thorough cleaning, may be a much more practical solution and sometimes the only way to get your pool back in order. If this is the case it is recommended you seek advice from a pool professional.
My blue heaven
Assuming you didn’t have to drain your pool, the chlorine shock and algaecide should turn your pool a cloudy grey colour. This is soon cleared by running your pool pump for 24 hours or more and the clouds give way to a wonderful blue once again.
Regular upkeep
Once the pool has recovered it is essential to recheck the chemistry and keep everything in balance from that point on. For small pools this can be done once or twice per week. If your pool is large, approx. 40,000 L or more, this must be done every day to ensure the chemistry is working and not risking another overnight algae outbreak. This can prove to be a juggling act. For medium to large pools it usually makes sense to have a professional care service to check on the pool, clean and balance chemistry accordingly.
Once a routine is worked out, there is little risk of any further algae problems and your beautiful swimming pool can always be kept in pristine condition for everyone to enjoy.