How do you clean a green swimming pool?

How do you clean a green swimming pool? Well, it isn’t the best scenario that you want to be in, but if it happens, it happens.

Let’s find out how to make your pool look great again.

People love swimming pools because they offer satisfaction when summer. Yet, maintaining a green swimming pool is not as easy a process as it seems. Noticing that your pool has green water even greener than your yard is not satisfying nor safe for your health.

The more extended period you ignore to clean a green pool, the dirtier it will be. The green swimming pool is a sign of cloudy white water or pool algae growth. People who are away from the pool for a few weeks and years can notice germs and algae growth when they return.

Algae do not require a long time to take off. It needs just a few days or weeks. It all depends on circulation, sunlight, temperature, and contaminants. If you notice green light shade, then the algae just started to grow. On the other hand, if it has darker green color, then it means a pretty big problem.

Reasons for algae growth

We provide you with some of the main reasons why algae grow in your swimming pool and how it can damage your pool surface:

pH imbalance

When the pH in pool water is too alkaline, it can impact the water chemistry balance. While water with high pH does not activate algae growth, it shows that the pool is off balance and allows algae to grow. On the other hand, pH level is too low; it can irritate eyes and damage pool materials. Eventually, pH levels that are off-balance provoke water discoloration.

Lack of Pool Chemicals and Water Testing

Low pool maintaining will not only cause health problems because of bacterial build-up and improper water stability, but it will also result in high-cost damage to the swimming pool liner. You need to change pool water at least every two weeks. If you do not add chlorine into the pool water to kill bacteria and algae, you need to drain the pool every other way. And water without liquid chlorine can become quite unhealthy in just 24 hours.

Weather change

Algae grow in humid and warm conditions. If you experience some weather change in the last few days, you need to expect quite busy cleaning days for your green pool. Monsoons and summer months are ideal periods for algae to grow into your pool area.

Clogged filter

If the pool filter does not work correctly, pool maintenance is an impossible task. Not only will algae continue to grow, but there will also be more debris and microbes that can cause water discoloration. There is no way to clean a green pool overnight. Typically, it will take a lot of effort, money, and time to clean it. Pool owners should not let the pool gets too much dirty, but even those who maintain the pool more often get this type of “green pool problem” occasionally.

So, to avoid the dirty pool green water make sure you learn how to keep your pH and alkalinity in check, so you do not have to meet a green pool ever again. However, the steps to clean a green swimming pool depend on the algae level of growth are the following:

Steps to clean a green pool

Draining the pool

This one is the first and most extreme step to take. But, if the pool is dark green and the pool borders black, then the most effective way is to drain the pool entirely, and acid wash the pool surface. If you can see the water surface at least eight inches, you can treat the green pool chemically. If you cannot see the water’s surface, then pool owners can decide if they want to provide a chemical treatment or completely drain the pool water.

Remove the debris

First of all, you need to use a net to eliminate large debris from the surface. After you clean the green pool, put the net into the water and catch the large debris. If you remove the debris, then the algae cannot feed, and the liquid chlorine will work well. Use a telescopic pole with a skimmer net for skimming the surface.

Use a deep pool net to remove the remains from your pool floor. If the pool has cloudy water and you cannot see the bottom, keep trying until you see debris on the pool’s net. This process will eliminate the growth of algae plant that is “guilty” for green pool..

Lower the pH level

If there is a need to clear a green pool, then definitely the chlorine level is lower. You do not have to do testing. Yet, regarding the pH level, it is best to try to have it below 7.2. Otherwise, the pool will get cloudier in the next few steps. Test the sanitizer level also, but it is evident because of the green color.

Make sure you test the pool’s pH level. You can use a liquid test kit or test strips to test the pH and alkalinity levels. When people who own pools are aware of pH levels, they tend to use muriatic acid and sodium bisulfate to reduce the levels. Plus, the method is relatively easy to use. Follow the manufacturing instructions before adding the product to the pool and test it later to ensure that the level is low.

Add chlorine and non-chlorine chemicals

When you complete the leading cleaning and reduce the pH levels, the next thing that you need to do is to shock the pool. Shocking the pool does not mean to involve electricity, but it points to improve water chemistry. It would be best if you make the pool cleaner by adding chlorine. It will help you to get rid of microbes and algae straight away.

It could help if you regularly shocked the pool, not only once a week during the summer. Put the chemicals in the deep end, but do not forget to put them at pool edges because there is algae growth. After you apply the chemicals, then use the test kit to check the chlorine levels.

Pump and Filter the Water

After 24 hours, you will see a drastic difference in chlorine levels, and your pool water is not green anymore because you shocked the pool previously. When the pool is almost ready, the next thing you need to do is to filter and pump the water. In that way, you will get the water stability back. Now, please turn on the filter and do not turn it off until the process is completed.

While the device is running, brush the ladders, steps, and walls to remove any algae so you can filter out the water. Use a pool clarifier if you want to make the process quicker. Yet, if you decide to use it, make sure the pool filter runs 24 hours and the next day remove dead algae from the water and make sure that the shock is successful. Test the aqua before you dive into the pool and swim as you did before.

Use flocculants to clear the pool.

Despite the whole cleaning process, the pool may remain with cloudy water because of bacteria, high concentration of dirt, microscopic particles, or many other substances resistant to pool chemicals. To avoid these substances remaining in the pool, you need to use flocculants. Adding these organic chemicals will help debris get together so you can easily vacuum it from the pool floor and make your pool crystal clear.

Ending thoughts on the how do you clean a green swimming pool

It is easier to stop something in the first place than repair the damage after it has happened. We recommend you follow the essential tips for pool maintenance to keep the pool color blue. If you tend to keep the green murk held at bay for good, then the best thing to do is to check.

Plus, if you regularly test due to the weather change, it will also keep your pool blue, and people can swim into the pool without worrying about dirty surfaces. The more you test, the more you will maintain the pool clear. The more you keep the pool clear, the less your water will be greener and protect yourself from threatening organisms.

If you enjoyed reading this article on how do you clean a green swimming pool, you should read these as well:

Categorized in:

Pool Tips & Guides

Press ESC to close

Or check our Popular Categories...