A swimming pool is a highly sought-after amenity in a household or community. For those who live in coastal areas, a swim by the sea does the trick every now and then, but for people who live far from natural water bodies, a swimming pool is a treasured spot for relaxation and entertainment, and can also be the perfect place for friends and family to gather. One of the biggest maintenance challenges faced by pool owners is seeing the water in the pool turn green.
What causes a swimming pool to turn green?
Algae is the main cause of the green unpleasant colour which builds up around the pool. Algae is caused by excess and disproportionate concentrations of chemical nutrients. To achieve a clean pool, there must be a constant effort to not only clean the pool, but to also maintain its chemical balance.
How can you maintain the chemical balance in a swimming pool?
Chlorine – Your pool needs the right levels of chlorine to prevent algae. The right amount of chlorine should be between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million (ppm) which is equal to one milligram per litre of water.
Calcium hardness - The right industry and regulatory approved standards of dissolved calcium are 200–400 ppm in normal swimming pools and 150–250 ppm in private spas.
pH - pH refers to the measure of the acidity in a swimming pool on a scale of 0 to 14. The normal amount of acidity should therefore be between 7.4 and 7.6.
Correct alkalinity – The right level of alkalinity you need in a pool is between 80 to 120 parts per million (ppm).
Chlorination, pH level, total alkalinity (TA) and calcium hardness are therefore vital in achieving the right nutrient and chemical balance in a swimming pool.
Everybody can agree that pools can be temperamental and a green pool is not fun at all, and often hard to fix. Here’s how you can remedy a green pool:
Get a water test The significance of a water test is to make sure you have a clear understanding on what’s affecting the water in your pool from a chemical balance point of view.
Shock your pool Shocking the pool is one of the most effective ways to get the job done. You can shock the pool by using huge amounts of chroline.70% of available chlorine would be the ideal amount to shock your pool. Chlorine naturally gets burnt off by direct sunlight, so consider shocking the pool when the sun has gone down.
Filter Shocking the pool can’t completely clear the water without filtration. You therefore need to turn the filter on for at least 24 hours to get the dead algae out of the water, and ensure that the shock has fully dissipated and the water is completely clear.
Brush You can also clean a green pool by using a heavy industrial brush. This is labour intensive and time consuming but the process takes care of algae on surfaces in and around the pool.
Regular maintenance Regular maintenance shouldn’t be overlooked because it ensures the sustainability of the swimming pool. You can do this on a weekly or monthly basis depending on the availability of time and resources.
Implement the guidelines provided above to assist with maintaining a clean swimming pool.
