Having a pool in your house is wonderful; it brings joy and relaxation to the homeowners, but only when the water is crystal clear and sanitized. But has it always been clean and clear? No! The pool water may turn green and cloudy, which may look unsatisfactory, so you may have wondered why my pool is green.
Here in this article, we will help you to know the important reasons why the pool gets green & cloudy and some of the solutions using which we can cure it.
Important Reasons: Why is my pool green?
Well, there may be a lot of reasons why the pool gets green, but some are the most important, like the pH value, sanitation, and chemical imbalances of the water. Here we will list some of those reasons below:
Heavy Rains
Rainwater can heavily affect the chemistry and cleanliness of your pool, leading to the growth of algae and green water. The water adds a larger amount of rain and decreases the chlorine content. Chlorine is the substance used to kill algae and bacteria, so less chlorine is ever available for use when it rains.
The Rainwater also washes debris like leaves, pollen, dirt and fertilizers along with them. The algae usually get their meals from these contaminants. This rainwater can affect the pH value and alkalinity of your pool, favoring hydrolysis and earning less effectiveness for chlorine.
Heat Wave
If your pool turns green after a heat wave then most probably a heat wave is the reason behind it. Whenever there is more heat in the surroundings, the chlorine gets vaporized, ultimately giving birth to algae and helping to multiply their numbers.
Warm water makes algae grow upright, especially without circulating or being created regularly in the pool. During the heatwave, the chlorine drop may get affected by maintaining proper conditions, due to which your pool might also become green almost overnight from a mild algae bloom.
Improper Water Circulation
An important water circulation is another common reason for a pool being green that goes unnoticed until it’s a visible problem. Proper water circulation is necessary in order to disperse chlorine and other chemicals uniformly throughout the pool and flush the debris to kill algae blooming.
Whenever a pump does not run long enough, when there is a clogged filter, or if a filter is not working properly, an area of the pool will stagnate, usually in corners and areas of poor water flow. These dead spots, if left untreated, often make perfect breeding grounds for algae, and before too long, this water will fully turn green.
Lack of Maintenance: Cleaning & Chemistry
While algae in the pool turn green with poor maintenance, this condition stems from negligence. Thus, an accumulation of debris like leaves, dirt, and bugs in the absence of regular cleaning has ultimately provided a platform for algae growth. Algae will adhere to pool surfaces without regular brushing and vacuuming, and it will especially thrive in warm or stagnant water.
Besides, ignoring water chemistry calls for levels like chlorine, pH, and alkalinity to fall outside the considered balance. Chlorine is the first line of defense against algae and bacterial attack. But because of either too high or too low pH, it cannot perform the function well. Even if chlorine is in the water, it can lose its effects with poor chemistry, leaving the water exposed.
Birth of Algae: Due to Copper ions
Sometimes, the birth of algae happens due to the presence of Copper ions in the water. Now, a question may arise: how did this copper reach the pool? Well, it comes with entering the corroding metal pipe, old pool equipment, or even from certain algaecides that include copper-based ingredients.
If the copper metal exceeds the balanced percentage in the pool and it is shocked (especially with chlorine), the copper oxidases. This chemical reaction in the pool turns the color of the water into green, which is a little transparent.
How to Fix a Green Pool?
Chlorine is the basic factor that helps to clean the water in the pool. When your pool turns green, and now you want to clean it and make its water crystal clear, here are the following solutions you must try to fix a green pool:
Check Chemical Levels
It’s a crucial factor that helps to remove the green color from the pool. One must check all the chemical levels to identify the main problem, which is causing the pool to turn green when the chlorine level is high. Once you get to know the causing factors now you must look for another solution.
Adjust the Chemical Composition
Whenever the pool is green, besides having a high chlorine content, one must adjust the chemical levels (for example, the alkalinity of water) in the pool. If all the composition is balanced, then he must add algaecide which will make sure to kill the algae and restrain the green color.
Brushing Your Pool
Brushing the pool is very important whether it affects the process of making the pool green or not. This will help to ensure that anything left on the surface of the pool that is generally disturbed by the movement of the water is released so that the filter can take it and remove it during the next backwashing.
Backwash Your Filter
For a period of two or three days, keep the pool system in operation; do not neglect the necessity of backwashing the filter at least once a day- Something that many pool owners forget to do but is terribly important. Backwashing is more than just keeping water flowing; it is the physical removal of dead algae, debris, and sludge that maintains that green glow in your pool.
If you bypass this essential part of pool maintenance, your filter will clog, circulation will drop, and all the contaminants will remain where you do not want them- in your water. Think of backwashing as pushing the reset on your filtration system.
Can Baking Soda Clear My Green Pool?
This is a popular question asked by many people, and the short and direct answer to this, as per the expert, is “No,” baking soda can not clear a green pool because it can’t remove algae. However, if you add baking soda to your pool, then it may raise the alkalinity and pH level, which ultimately can help to solve small growths of black algae.
Conclusion
None will jump into the pool having green water that looks more like a swamp than a summer retreat. The way that brings again the crystal clearance in the pool water is only by knowing the basic cause that is making it green.
The proper chemical balancing in the pool can bring the joy of swimming in the pool and everyone must be cautious about the chlorination and algae factor in the pool water, due to which mostly it gets turned into green.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Clean a Green Pool in 24 Hours?
It can be cleaned by using a combination of chemicals and filter cleaning. Immediately shock the pool with chlorine, add an algaecide and clarifier, and finally run the filter continuously for at least 24 Hours.
Is it Safe to Swim in Green Pool Water?
You must avoid swimming in such pool water, which has a green color, because it may have algae infestation, bacterial contamination, and compromised filter.
How Did My Pool Turn Green Overnight?
The Pool water can turn green overnight due to the overgrowth of algae in the water due to several factors, such as heavy rain and chemical imbalances.
