Removing Algae from Your Pool
How to Remove and Prevent Algae in Your Swimming Pool
Do you know how sourdough bread is made? A baker takes flour and water and mixes it together. Then the baker can leave the mixture out on a warm counter and the bacteria that are everywhere (in the air and on your skin) settle into the mixture. After a few days, the bacteria have multiplied and fed on the flour and water and have started to ferment the dough. The bacteria will live as long as they have food. The warmer the climate, the more the bacteria need to be fed and the faster they grow in numbers.
Algae is like this. It is everywhere and it settles in your pool. But it needs a set of conditions before it can explode and set off a bloom in the water. Like the bacteria in the example above, algae proliferates more when the water in your pool is warm. That’s why algae is such a pest in the summer time. You use the pool a lot. The nitrates and pH change in your pool through usage and things like sunscreen and dog hair. When your pool is out of balance and the water is warm – BINGO! – algae now has the perfect place to explode and proliferate.
So how do you best deal with this nasty situation? Test your water using pool water test strips. These are by far the easiest way to do this. If you need backup, you can take a sample of your pool water to any Leslie’s Pool Supply store and they will test your water levels for free. They even have free water bottles that you can take home to gather a sample of pool water to bring back. Adjust your chemicals as needed. Physically clean or brush the pool. This is especially important with black algae. For black algae you should use a pumice stone and scrape the algae off to the best of your ability. Make sure your pool filter is clean and run your pool cleaner for at least 24 hours straight. Shock the pool if necessary. And there are algaecides available if none of this works.
If you’ve struggled with this for years, it may be time to drain the pool and have a professional perform an acid wash of the pool surface. Once the pool surface is restored to a healthier condition, it can be re-filled with clean
water and your pool will be an enjoyable part of your home instead of just another maintenance burden.
Should you have any further questions or need of monthly maintenance service or a yearly tune-up, please call Saturn Pools at 623-869-9699 or contact us online.
Saturn Pool Company is a Phoenix pool builder who excels in making happy customers. We offer new swimming pool construction, swimming pool remodeling, swimming pool repair, spas, bbqs, landscaping, and pool service. If you’re looking for a company with an automated phone system and multiple layers of authority for you to work you way through, you’re not going to be happy with us. People who appreciate being able to call one person for answers or for troubleshooting love Saturn Pools. Still reading? There’s a lot more info online, or by connecting with them on Facebook, or Twitter, or Email.
