As you know, having your own private swimming pool is a luxury that many people covet. The benefits of having a pool are numerous — increased health, decreased stress, and added value to your home to name but a few. However, one of the biggest bugbears for pool owners is uninvited guests, and I’m not talking about that awkward uncle of yours. The intruders in question are algae. One of the most frustrating things about owning a pool is keeping it clean and safe for your family and friends to enjoy. Having a pool that’s unsafe to use turns your pool into an expensive ornament at best, or a dangerous eyesore at worst.
Why Removing Algae is Important?
While algae in itself isn’t necessarily life-threatening, the fact algae is able to grow in your pool means that the chlorine levels are not only too low to kill the algae, but also are too low to kill off the other dangerous pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and amoebae that could also be lurking in your pool. In addition, left untreated, the water could turn so murky that a struggling bather might not be seen.
Top 4 Articles About Algae in your pool or Spa.
As algae in pools are as common on white on rice, we’ve gone ahead and scoured the internet to compile the top five articles for you. We’ve ranked our selection on the source’s credibility, relevance, and common sense. We also talked with some of our experts as well.
The different types of algae you might run into include:
- Green algae can cling walls or float in or on top of the water
- Black algae look like black spots and feels slimy to the touch
- Mustard algae looks like sand on the bottom of the pool
No matter which type you have, it’s important to get rid of it as soon as you can. The articles below will help you do that.
#4 How to Get Rid of Algae in Your Pool
This article from Swim University talks about the types of algae there might be growing, and gives a detailed description of steps that you need to follow to treat an algae outbreak. First, you need to identify what type of algae is growing in your pool. Second, get out the vacuum cleaner and manually vacuum the areas where the algae is growing. Next, brush the sides and bottom of the pool, then test and balance the water. This is followed by shocking the pool – the type of shock you use depends on the algae that you have. Then you need to run your filter for at least 8 hours. This is followed by another water test. Finally, to complete the algae eradication, it’s important to clean your filter to ensure there aren’t any microscopic algae particles lurking in there.
#3 Color-Coded Tips for Treating Algae in the Swimming Pool
The focus on this article is identifying what kind of algae is growing in your pool through analysis of its’ color. The main point being is that different types of algae require different treatments.
Green algae indicates there is poor water circulation or the sanitizer levels in the pool are low. It’s easy to combat by increasing chlorine levels or by adding an algaecide. It’s actually very easy to avoid green algae by maintaining correct chemical levels in your pool.
Black algae grows in the pits in the plaster on the sides and bottom of your pool and thrives when the water isn’t circulating properly. It’s one of the most tenacious algaes to get rid of, but with careful and repeated scrubbing, it can be removed as long as the pool chemistry is correct.
Mustard algae is the most irritating of the three algaes to deal with. First, it can be problematic to correctly identify as it could pass as pollen or sand particles. Second, it can appear in chemically balanced pools. Third, it’s easily transmitted from rain, or previously contaminated pool equipment. Treating it can be done with an algaecide specially formulated to eradicate mustard algae.
Knowing what kind of algae you have will inform the type of treatment you need to use to make sure you get rid of the algae for good.
#2 How to Get Rid of Pool Algae: Guide to Easily Removing and Preventing Pool Algae
Our penultimate article of choice is one from The Pool Cleaner Blog. It first takes the reader through the reasons why algae is in your pool. He then goes on to detail the types of algae you might have. There is also a helpful video that informs you how to test for the dreaded black algae. This is followed by a list of the equipment you will need in order to get rid of the algae, both for easy and hard cases, and for the flocculant method. The steps for all three cases are laid out in simple, easy to follow instructions. The article concludes with helpful tips to prevent algae outbreaks.
#1 Here’s How To (Quickly) Get Rid Of Pool Algae NOW
This article from the Pool Care Guy was easily the most comprehensive and informative article we found. Not only does it give clear instructions on the 13 steps off getting rid of algae, it also contains embedded YouTube videos, which guide you through the algae elimination process painlessly and simply. He also talks about the reasons why different types of algae might be growing in your pool and gives great tips in how to avoid it as much as possible.
What Did We Learn?
Algae in swimming pools is extremely common. However, it’s crucial not to procrastinate and deal with treating it as soon as possible to ensure that it doesn’t get worse. It’s important to identify which type of algae you have and then follow the appropriate steps to work on eliminating it based on the type it is. By using the knowledge gained in these articles, you’ll be able to enjoy your pool all year long.