Why Pool Water Turns Green

Before sharing our pool cleaning tips, let’s talk about the reason your pool water probably turned green. It is, in fact, algae growing in the water, that makes it turn green. A chemical imbalance is what triggers the algae growth.

Steps You Can Follow to Clean Your Green Pool Water

Analyze the Condition of Your Pool

In order to begin cleaning your pool, you first need to examine how green it is. If the pool is full of algae, it will most likely require you to hire a professional cleaning service because you will need to drain all of the pool water and acid wash the bottom to remove all the algae.

Remove Debris

Check the bottom of the pool for any large debris and remove it using a leaf net, if possible. It is not recommended you use a pool skimmer, because you will just end up stirring up the water and making it look worse than it was. Just try and remove the debris as careful as possible without stirring up the water. Also if you are unable to see the bottom of the pool, do not try and vacuum it. You will risk clogging or damaging the filter, skimmer and even the underground plumbing pipes.

Test the Water

It is essential to test the water to know its chemical composition and if there is any chlorine in it. You must test the water for pH, and, if the pH is on the higher side, you will want to shock the water which will make the pool cloudy. If this happens, you need to filter all the water in your pool for at least a day. To test the pH of your pool water, use a top-quality test kit and keep the pH at 7.2 or lower.

When dealing with a high pH value, you can lower it by adding a gallon of muriatic acid. This will make the pool a bit acidic for swimming, but it will give the best pH level for shocking. After shocking and filtering the water, test the pH level again.

Shock the Pool

After attaining the required pH level, you can now start shocking the pool. For this process, add granular chlorine into the pool. You can buy a 25-pound container, which provides more than the required amount of granular chlorine. You can buy the one pound bags for regulars use but buying in bulk will save you money.

To shock your green pool, you need to use five pounds of granular chlorine. You can also use 10 gallons of liquid chlorine.

The best time to shock the pool is after the sun has gone down. Shocking the pool in the sun will affect chemical levels and can cause problems that might cost you more money.

Keep the filter pump “On” and spread the chlorine evenly over the pool water. Make sure to cover the entire pool with the chemicals and continue adding the chlorine until you have used all five pounds and the bag is empty. In addition, you can also use a high-quality algaecide.

It is best to add the algaecide after circulating the water for a few hours. Aside from this, you can also add a flocking agent, which will allow the dead algae particles to clump together.

Pumping and Filtering

Depending on the type of filter, you can use the following steps to clean the pool water.

Cartridge Filter

Before filtering the pool, make sure that your filter is in good condition. If you find it is dirty, rinse it thoroughly prior to using it.

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) Filter

If your pool is equipped with a DE filter, you need to backwash it before taking any further steps. Once backwashed, put in some fresh DE powder and shock the pool as discussed in the process above. After that, you need to run the pump for no less than 24 hours.

Sand Filter

For this process, you need to follow the same procedure as mentioned in the case of the DE filter. However, you have to backwash the filter for no less than five minutes, then proceed.

Brushing and Filtration

After filtering the pool water for 24 hours after adding the chemicals, you will observe a positive transformation. Although the pool water is no more green, you may find it a bit cloudy.

To keep the pool water clean, you need a lot of filtration and brushing. Continue this process for at least 2 to 3 days. For removing stubborn green algae, you must brush.

After Care & Maintenance

Once the water is mostly clear, you may notice some debris on the bottom of the pool. If there is just a small amount of debris then you can use a skimmer to scoop it up or use a pool vacuum and let it do its thing. If there is more debris than you can skim or vacuum, you may want to call a pool technician to professionally vacuum it. This will save your filter from wear and tear as well as clogged pipes.

Cleaning Products & Pool Chemicals

Be sure that you are purchasing the right cleaning products and pool chemicals to keep your pool clean and clear. All of these can be found at a local pool supply stores or at online pool suppliers.

• Water testing kit
• Pool vacuum
• Algaecide
• pH chemicals
• Shock chlorine
• Chlorine tablets
• Liquid or powder chlorine

Bottom Line

After cleaning your green pool water, it should be easy for you to keep up the appearance of your pool with proper care and maintenance. If the pool is too green and the above steps fail to clear it up, it maybe time to contact a professional pool cleaner for a thorough cleaning of your pool.