Green Algae and How To Treat It

Green Algae

WHAT CAUSES THE GREEN?

                In most cases, green pools are caused by neglect in attention to chemistry or circulation. The green color is free-floating algae, but sometimes is can cling to walls as well. Neglecting water chemistry or procrastinating with your sanitizer regiment will put you at higher risk of having a green pool.

HOW TO RID THE GREEN:

v  Remove the debris from the floor of the pool and brush the pool walls and floor. (Continue to do so as you work through treating the pool.)

v  Adjust your pH back to a neutral 7.2-7.6.

v  With pump running we recommend you add BioGuard Algae Complete dosed to match the gallonage of the pool.

v  Add a sanitizer alongside the Algae Complete from the above step. The Algae Complete will work to open up the algae and make it vulnerable, where as the sanitizer will infiltrate and kill the Green in the water system. It is recommended to follow the instruction of a pool care professional for dosages of sanitizer to add based on gallonage of the pool and severity of the current state of the water system in question. Proper sanitizers for chorine, salt system, or bromine pools are listed below:

Ø  Super Shock or ReFresh (Commonly called CalHypo)

Ø  Smart Shock or Colleys Stabilized Granular (Commonly called TriChlor)

Ø  Liquid Chlorine

v  Continue to run the pump and filter system for 24-48 hours backwashing or cleaning the filters as needed. It is important to have a functional pressure gauge to monitor pressure inside of the filter as it works to filter out the dead algae.

v  Recheck pH levels and adjust as needed.

Ø  Adding sanitizers in larger than normal volume tend to raise the pH in the pool system.

v  If the pool is still green after 24 hours, but lighter in color repeat the sanitizer step using ½ the suggested amount of sanitizer and backwash/clean the filter again as needed for an additional 24 hours.

v  After the pool is back to blue, it will most likely be very cloudy and in need of filtering to snap back to clear. Filter systems need to be ran continuously until the pool is clear and filters need to be backwashed/cleaned regularly throughout this clearing process. If you would like to clear the pool faster and more efficiently, we recommend using BioGuard Pool 911 to clear water quickly.

v  Most importantly, once you have achieved a pool that is back to “normal”, it is important to chemically clean the sand, cartridge, or DE filter. We recommend using BioGuard Strip-Kwik to clean and strip the sand. For cartridge filters or DE systems, we recommend using Jacks Magic Power Blue Spray Cleaner or BioGuard Kleen It to kill any remaining Green found in the filter system. This step is incredibly important to ensure the system does not end up with a reoccurring Green problem.

**NOTE: Biguanide pools need to treat for Green differently than Chlorine/Bromine Pools. Failure to treat them differently can result in damage to the pool and equipment.

HOW TO PREVENT GREEN POOLS:

·         Make sure to be running your pump and filter system 10 – 12 hours a day minimum, and make sure this is set to operate during the day. This recommendation of time is based on normal pool volume and pool temperature. Extenuating situations and systems exist that will need to operate for longer durations that this even.

·         Be sure to have your system running efficiently.

Ø  Check to make sure pressure in your filter is at a normal level.

Ø  Check your pump prime is full and water is moving efficiently.

Ø  Make sure to keep skimmer baskets and pump baskets free of debris to keep flow at a normal level.

·         The key to keeping a pool from turning green more than anything, is water chemistry. Be sure to keep your sanitizer level at an optimal level, keep pH levels in range, and keep your Alkalinity levels in check. Failure to keep these three main chemistry components in check will result in pool water and equipment issues.

**NOTE: Be sure to read all label directions before adding any products to your swimming pool.

Importance Of Testing Your Water After Opening

Pool opening season is here! You see your pool is crystal clear and you may be ready to dive right in BUT before you do, it is important to have your water tested within 24-48 hours of starting your equipment after your pool is opened.

Clear water can still be HIGHLY ACIDIC water. Acidic water can severely damage your pool and its equipment within days of operation.

Poor water quality can lead to:

·         Corrosion and damage of pool equipment (especially the components in heaters!)

·         Damage to ALL pool surfaces (vinyl liners, gunite & fiberglass)

·         Discoloration or Fading of Vinyl Liner Patterns

·         Additional, potentially costly, expenses to return the pool to a useable condition

·         Cloudy, murky and unsightly water

·         Swimmer eye and skin irritation

·         AND MORE!!

Here at Colley’s Pools & Spas, all 4 of our locations offer COMPLIMENTARY computerized water testing. While your water may look clear and safe, it has been sitting stagnant all winter and may be unsafe for swimming and damaging to the pool and equipment!

Maintaining quality pool water is vital to keeping your pool and pool equipment in tip-top shape all summer long. Frequent water tests (we recommend weekly, but at minimum, twice a month) will help you figure out which chemicals you need, which helps increase the longevity of your pool and its equipment and, in turn, SAVES YOU MONEY! Just because your pool water looks clear- doesn’t mean it is safe!

Testing your pool water with Colley’s Pools & Spas is easy!

1.    Use a Colley’s water sample bottle or any clean container.

2.    Take the sample away from jets and skimmer.

3.    Dip container upside down until elbow deep, then take the sample.

4.    Bring it into one of our 4 locations for a COMPLIMENTARY water test.

Based on the computerized outcome, our pool experts can recommend which chemicals you may need to improve your water quality.

Unbalanced Water Chemistry Can Cause Discoloration

Filter Cleaning Tips

To a large extent, as the filter goes, so goes the pool and spa. With that in mind, here's a short review of five basics of filter efficiency that will help keep your pools and spas clean and clear.

1) Clean the Filter on Schedule

Regular cleanings are essential to maintain proper circulation, remove debris that is sitting in the filter clogging flow and consuming chlorine as it goes by, and to help prevent degradation of the filter itself, whether it's sand, cartridge or DE.

2) Slow Down

Slower circulation speeds provided by variable-speed pumps help the filter in different ways, notably by keeping debris from being embedded. When water is moving continuously and more slowly through the filter, it allows the filter to operate more efficiently to keep the pool water cleaner, cleared and the water chemistry more balanced

3) Use a Filter Cleaning Product on Cartridges

Week to week, a good spray-down can remove debris from a cartridge filter and get it back in action quickly, but on a regular basis, cartridge filters need a good chemical cleaning to restore their effectiveness. "For cartridge filters, in addition to rinsing, specially formulated filter cleaners are necessary. But, using an enzymatic cleaner to get rid of oils and grease before using an acid cleaner can be of great benefit," says Jamie Novak, brand manager, BioLab.

4) Purge the Plumbing

Most people are unaware that in the pipes of pools and spas, biofilm grows along the walls and becomes a fortress for bacteria, which can cause problems. An enzymatic product with surfactants to dislodge and displace that build up will move it through to the main body where it can be filtered or treated with shock.

5) Replace the Filter Media

Of course, whether you're using sand, diatomaceous earth (DE) or cartridge media, nothing lasts forever. Everything needs to be replaced at some point. Pool or spa owners using cartridge filters should have a spare set available to rotate cartridges each time they are rinsed or cleaned, as it is important to replace with dry filters every time. Sand filter media should be replaced every five to seven years, ensuring that the sand particles still have the sharp edges necessary to catch and remove contaminants.

Meticulous care of filters is an investment in your pool. In the case of filters, you're putting in the time and effort to keep filters in prime working condition, so they will keep your pool clean!