Preventing Algae Growth in Swimming Pools

As the temperatures start warming up it isn’t uncommon for us to see an increase in green swimming pools. With the current situation going on in the world we must take care of our swimming pools during COVID-19 and when the water is warm having unbalanced water chemistry or lack of filtration will potentially cause your pool to turn green and quick!

The bottom line is, clearing green pools can be challenging and time-consuming. Green, algae-filled swimming pools occur for a variety of reasons. Algae love warm water and if you don’t know what to look for or how to remove it, it can be extremely frustrating and challenging. The purpose of this blog post is to discuss why algae blooms occur and how clearing green pools can be done in a few simple steps.

The following are some of the main reasons why your pool water turns green:

1. Lack of chlorine
2. Lack of filtration
3. Dirty filters or sand
4. Leaks in your filtration equipment

First, chlorine is necessary to prevent the growth of algae in your swimming pool. Many swimming pool owners will use granulated, liquid, and tabs to increase the levels of chlorine in their pool. If you have a salt system that is another way to introduce this vital sanitizer into your swimming pool. No matter what you choose to use (and there are benefits of using one over the other) you must have a minimum of 3 parts per million (ppm) during the summer months. If you have a lot of swimmers or during times of storms this level might need to increase to 5 ppm. This is a simple step that can turn a green pool to blue quickly. Another chemical that needs to be monitored is Cyanuric Acid (CYA) because it prevents chlorine loss but if you have too much (normal range is 30 – 50 ppm) it can prevent chlorine from working efficiently and cause an increase in free chlorine levels to kill algae.

Next, the lack of filtration is another reason why algae will grow in your swimming pool. Typically, most swimming pool owners try to save on electricity during the wintertime so they lower the number of hours that they filter their pool. Please note, your pool should filter a minimum of 10 hours a night. If you have a larger pool this number might need to increase. This is vital for the circulation of the water and chemicals and to prevent the growth of algae. This is also a great time to make sure your sand is good and your filters are clean. If you haven’t checked any of them in awhile it might be a good time to take your filter apart and perform a thorough inspection. Also, make sure to inspect all your equipment for leaks which can decrease filtration effectiveness.

In conclusion, the two most common reasons why algae grow in your swimming pool is because of the lack of chlorine and inadequate filter run times. If you should have any other questions, please contact us today!