Just the other day, we got a call from a potential customer who was having challenges with taking care of his swimming pool. They explained to us that they were specifically having issues with algae. This is the time of year that we begin to hear these complaints because the water is warming up, the wind has caused water chemistry changes and when these occur, algae can bloom. The first thing they told us was their pH was 7.6 and their chlorine was reading 5 parts per million (ppm). So why are part of my steps and skimmer area having algae issues? When we hear this, our first thought is phosphates. Phosphates are a food for algae and get into your swimming pool from the wind, soils, and debris. So even with proper levels of chlorine, you might see algae in your pool. To dig a little deeper we asked the potential customer if there has been a lot of debris in their pool. Due to the fact that they have large trees all around their swimming pool, they have had to remove leaves, pollen, and other debris on a regular basis because of the excess winds. Based on what we were told, phosphates sound like the issue and the higher levels of phosphates mean more nutrients for algae growth!

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of things you can do to prevent phosphates from entering the pool but you can be diligent in having the levels checked several times a year and we would highly recommend doing this a couple of times during the springtime. You can also be pro-active in removing dirt, debris, and vegetation from the pool as soon as possible instead of allowing it to sit on the surface or bottom of the pool. Phosphate removers can also be extremely effective if used following the directions based on the size of your pool. Many people think more is better but this is definitely not the case with phosphate removers.  Remember, if you have algae growth in your swimming pool and you are reading adequate amounts of sanitizer, it usually indicates a phosphate problem.

It turns out that when we arrived at this residence, they deal with lots of debris in the pool as you can tell from the picture above. They are typically skimming out debris in the pool several times a week but find it challenging to keep on top of it. Their phosphates tested at 800 parts per billion (ppb) and after using a phosphate remover they are now down to 0. Remember this isn’t an uncommon problem and we can help. Contact us today to learn more!