Sapphire Complete Pool Care Inc.

Algae overgrowth is the most common cause of a green pool.

Algae is the main culprit for turning your pool water green. Normally, water circulation, natural die-off in cooler weather, and the right chemical balance keep algae in check. But if the circulation or chemical levels are off, algae can thrive and turn your pool cloudy and green. While algae naturally occurs in ponds and streams, having too much of it in a swimming pool can be a bigger health concern. Its presence may indicate a dangerous imbalance and potential bacteria growth. It’s best to hold off on swimming until the water is clear again.

Pollen and Metals can be the problem

Pollen’s natural greenish-yellow color can make your pool look gross, and so can the rusting metal parts in the pool like the pump and ladder. Sometimes these metals can mix with the pool chemicals and mess up the water chemistry. To keep pollen out, cover your pool when you’re not using it. And get a pool expert to make sure your equipment is in good shape.

Chlorine levels might be low. 

The smell of a chlorinated pool can totally take you back to those epic childhood summers, right? But hey, in a well-kept pool, you shouldn’t even be catching a whiff of it. Chlorine does its thing by purifying water, just like the stuff in your tap, making sure it’s safe to gulp down. It’s like a superhero, taking out all the bad stuff that could mess with us. When the levels are spot-on, chlorine knocks out the algae, but watch out – if there’s not enough, that green stuff will start creeping in. And here’s the kicker: too much chlorine and you’ll end up with a whole new shade of green in your pool, thanks to those metals getting mixed up. If you’re struggling to keep things balanced, chat with a pool pro about some other ways to keep your pool sparkling.

The pH may be too high. 

Maintaining the right pH balance in your pool is super important. You want the water to be kinda neutral, around 7.3 to 7.6 on the pH scale. If it gets too high (over 7.8), the chlorine won’t do its job properly. So, even if you’re adding the right amount of chlorine, it won’t be effective and you’ll end up with algae. If this happens, you gotta use something like sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid to bring the pH back down.

The filter

Your pool’s filter has a crucial job, dude. It sucks up all the small junk and dirt from the water, and gets rid of algae and pollen as the water is pushed through. That’s why the filter looks mostly green when you clean or change it. If you’re thinking, “Why is my pool all cloudy?” then the filter is probably the culprit. Maybe you’re not running the filter long enough to clean the water thoroughly. In warm weather, the pool filter should be running for like 8 hours a day, and if there’s a bunch of people using it, it might need to run even longer. If you’re running it for long enough, the filter might just need a good cleaning or even replacing. Cartridge filters should be cleaned every 2 to 6 weeks, DE filters should be backwashed every 1 to 3 months, and sand filters should be backwashed every 1 to 4 weeks. And if that doesn’t fix the problem, it might be time to get a new filter and pump.

Test the pool’s phosphate levels. 

Phosphates in the water can totally be like a food source for algae, you know? So, if the level of phosphates in your pool water (which you can check with a basic pool water chemistry test) is too high, then basically your pool becomes an all-you-can-eat buffet for algae. The solution to this is to balance the level of chlorine or another sanitizer. Some websites might tell you to aggressively scrub the water and walls, or to dump heavy phosphate remover chemicals in your pool, but trust me, those chemicals won’t do the trick. Only balancing the chlorine levels will make a real difference.