Why do swimming pools turn green?

With summer in full swing, you are probably thinking about heading out to your backyard pool (or neighborhood pool) to relax and have fun in the sun while cooling off in the water. Then, when you look outside, you realize that the water is green! Suddenly, your plans have changed. Now, you have to figure out how to address the green water in the pool. The good news is that there are a few ways that you can handle this. Take a look at some of the helpful information that we have put together below to help you with your green pool!

Why Does a Swimming Pool Turn Green?

The reality is that walking out to a green swimming pool is not that unusual, even if it is the bane of any pool owner. The green tint in the water is usually caused by small, microscopic plants that are called algae. The truth is that there are always algae growing in the pool. The job of the chlorine is to keep the algae in check while preventing the water from turning green.

Algae are incredibly small plants. This also means that they grow very quickly. A day or two without proper amounts of chlorine can cause algae to grow out of control, turning the pool water from a beautiful, crystal blow to a gross, green color.

While algae can grow in the pool itself, a green pool requires a thorough inspection. Sometimes, the algae might be coming into the pool through a crack in the pipe or pool wall. There could be an external contaminant that is simply making your job harder. While there could be some situations where you need to reach out to a trained professional, there are also a few immediate solutions that can help you handle the algae that have turned your beautiful pool into a green wasteland.

How Can Pool Owners Fix their Green Pools?

There are a few easy ways that pool owners can treat their green pools in the blink of an eye. First, note that algae tend to start showing up in swimming pools when the chlorine level drops lower than 1 ppm (part per million). This leads to an algae bloom that quickly expands and turns the entire pool green. The way to quickly kill an algal bloom is to use a chlorine shock.

Now, it is important to make sure that people are not in the pool at the time (and because the pool is green, this should not be a problem). Try to make sure this is done either at dusk or overnight. The chlorine in a shock of this manner is not stable, so it could evaporate from the pool, irritating people who are nearby.

The amount of shock you are going to need depends on how dark the water is. For example, if the green is just a light tint, use a double shock, which is 2 pounds of chlorine for every 10,000 pounds of water. On the other hand, black water merits 4 pounds of chlorine for every 10,000 pounds of water.

Once you have administered the shock, the pool water should turn gray and cloudy in a day. Then, the pool filter has to be run continuously until the water is a nice, blue color once again.

Why Is Blue the Ideal Pool Color?

Blue is the right color of pools for a number of reasons. While it is true that chlorine might give pools a slight blue tint, the reality is that most pools are blue because the water is clear and they reflect the gorgeous sky that is above! Because many people are used to blue pools, they place blue tiles in their pools as well. This is another reason why clear water (which is ideal) looks blue.

Visit Dunn Rite Pool Products Today!

Once you have your pool totally clear of algae, think about planning a fun day! At Dunn Rite Pool Products, we carry some of the latest equipment from the top brands! We also make our own toys such as pool basketball and pool volleyball equipment! Contact us today to learn more about our products!

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