Getting rid of algae when it has come can be very cost-intensive and time-consuming, Your best bet is to actually prevent it. So how does one do that? It’s not that difficult, it’s all about pool maintenance.
Clean Your Pool
First, you want to make sure your pool is very clean. Make sure to scrub the walls and floor of your pool regularly. Pay attention to the corners, crevices and spaces between the tiles, these are the kind of places algae like to hide, before then taking route.
Make sure leaves and debris which find their way into the pool are taken care of as soon as possible.
Make sure your pool filtration system is working well and is the right size for your pool. Don’t forget your pump, and every other thing that has to do with you pool circulation. Stagnant water is a good breeding ground for all sorts, but with moving water, microorganisms have more difficulty thriving. So ideally your pool pump should run 24/7. However, this might be too expensive for some to maintain. Therefore ensure your pool pump runs at least 10 hours a day. You can break up the running into different times of the day.
Pool Chemistry
We already know the role pool chemistry has to play in keeping algae at bay. So first things first, always test your water for the right pH balance, and the presence of other chemicals such as chlorine, phosphate, cyanuric acid and alkalinity. High pH plus low chlorine levels can give rise to algae blooms, so you want to always check this out. You can learn more about pool chemistry at www.ownthepool.com
Your pH levels must not go above 7.6. If you find that your water pH level is above this, then you’d have to reduce the pH. You can do this by using a pH reducer such as sodium bisulphate. Ideally, you want your pH levels to be somewhere between 7.2 to 7.6. Also, make sure alkalinity is between 80 ppm – 120. ppm. Chlorine levels should be between 1 and 4 ppm.
Don’t forget to add algaecides, these kill algae before they have time to multiply. Other chemicals like Potassium tetraborate, phosphate removers, and chlorine enhancers should be added to the water to make it algae proof.
How about when it is too late and algae has already made a home in your pool, what do you do?
How to Fight Algae and Reclaim Your Pool
Clean Your Pool
Vacuum your pool manually. Automatic vacuums are not built for fighting algae. As you vacuum focus on those parts of the with algae. Also, make sure that you are cleaning directly to waste and not to the filter. Don’t forget to scrub the pool walls to take off the algae, focusing on the edges and the cracks.
Make sure your filter is clean also, algae could be lurking in there, and you don’t want it coming back into the water.
Pay Attention to Your Water Chemistry
So test for pH levels, alkalinity, chlorine levels and other chemicals. This will enable you to know what is missing or too much. If pH is high, bring it low. If it’s too alkaline reduce it also.
Finally, shock your pool. This is like the major treatment for algae. This basically means you’re adding a high dose of chlorine to your pool. Calcium hypochlorite shock is good for this purpose. Normally pool owners shock their pool from time to time. However, when treating algae, you’ll need to even increase the amount you’d use.
Usually, the packaging of your shock comes with dosage instruction. For treating green algae, multiply your normal shock dosage by 2. For dark green or yellow algae, multiply it by 3 and for black algae, by 4.
Make sure you shock at night, otherwise the sun will reduce the effectiveness.
Finally, clean off the residue of the dead algae, and also leave your equipment in the shallow end of the pool for a while, when shocking. This will kill algae which may have gotten onto them.
So you can see algae is not a death sentence for your pool. All you need to do is make sure your pool is clean, and the chemistry is balanced.