Green Pool Cleanup

What turns a pool green

Algae grows when the sanitizer in the water runs too low to keep up. The usual causes are:

• chlorine that ran out or was never topped up;
• a pump that isn’t running long enough, or a dirty or failing filter;
• heavy rain, storms or a lot of leaves and debris;
• hot weather, which uses up chlorine faster;
• a pool that sat closed or unused without regular care.

Fixing the color without fixing the cause means it comes back, so every cleanup starts by finding out which of these happened.

Our green to clean process

1. Check the cause. We test the water and check the pump, filter and return lines.
2. Clear the debris. Leaves and debris come out first, so the treatment works on the water and not on the mess.
3. Shock and brush. The water gets a heavy dose of sanitizer, and the walls and floor are brushed so the algae can’t hold on.
4. Filter and settle. The pump runs and the filter does the work while the dead algae settles.
5. Vacuum and clean the filter. The dead algae is vacuumed out, and the filter is cleaned or backwashed, because it fills up fast during a cleanup.
6. Balance and check. The water is tested and balanced again. We come back to retest until it’s clear.

In a few cases, such as a pool that has sat green for a long time or has black algae, a partial or full drain is the better way to get it clean. We’ll tell you if yours needs one.

How long does it take?

Most of our franchises clear a green pool in 2 to 4 visits, spaced a day or a few days apart. A light bloom can clear in a couple of days. A pool that has been green for weeks, or has a filter problem, takes longer. Your local team will tell you what to expect once they’ve seen the pool.

Keeping it from coming back

• Regular service. Weekly visits keep the sanitizer and balance where they should be, and that’s what stops a bloom starting.
• Run the pump. The water has to move through the filter every day.
• Keep the filter clean.
• Check after storms. Heavy rain dilutes the chlorine and brings debris in.

Many customers move straight onto weekly service after a cleanup for exactly this reason.