Cleaning a Green Pool
Table of Contents
- Cleaning Green Pools
- Other factors that affect a green pool clean-up include:
- We recommend the following clean-up procedure for green pools
Cleaning Green Pools
It can be done in a few different ways, and there are many factors to consider, so it’s often hard to predict how they will respond to treatment (even for us professionals!)
Often, a green pool will require a fair degree of effort and manual labour to get it clean. However, how much effort depends on how long it has been green and how much debris is in the pool.
Get ready to clean up your green pool! A simple chemical treatment and filtration will do the trick if you can see the bottom and it’s briefly been green. But if your pool has been green for a while, you can’t see the bottom, and it’s filled with leaves and debris, get ready for a more intensive process called floccing.
Other factors that affect a green pool clean-up include:
- Size of the pool
- How long the pool has been green
- How much and what type of debris is at the bottom of the pool
- How good the circulation/pump is
- How new/efficient the filter media or cartridge element is
We recommend the following clean-up procedure for green pools
*1 -6 is for pools that have been green for a short time. Steps 7 onwards are for long-term green pools
- Check the chlorine, pH, and alkalinity levels at the pool shop & pick up any chemicals you need, such as extra chlorine, acid/pH increaser, algaecide, clarifier & floc if necessary.
- Empty the skimmer & pump baskets & detach the suction cleaner & remove the vacuum plate.
- Backwashing the filter thoroughly and checking the pressure when finished (changing the gauge if it’s not working) is essential.
- Clear your pool of debris by thoroughly raking or scooping the bottom and brushing the walls. Removing as much waste as possible now is essential because it will need to be removed eventually. And the more you can remove now, the better. Use an algae brush appropriate for the surface of your pool. Don’t wait until the pool is clear to give it a thorough scrub, as this could make it green and cloudy again.
- Chemicals to add: non-copper algaecide such as 1lt of Pool Pro Copper-Free Algaecide, chlorine-like Pool Pro Granula Chlorine & acid (depending on pH), and strong clarifier such as the Pool Pro Super Shine as directed by your pool professional.
- Leave filter running non-stop for 48 hrs, backwash thoroughly once daily, and maintain a high chlorine level until transparent.
- If you don’t see any significant improvement in 48 hours, retest the chlorine and pH levels. Make sure the chlorine level is above 3.0ppm and the pH is above 7.6.
- Add liquid floc, run the filter pump for two hours, re-circulate, and turn the system off. Allow floc to settle for 48 hrs.
- If the pool water is clear and the debris has settled to the bottom, ensure the pool is fully topped up with water, then vacuum the pool to waste.
- Sometimes, you must vacuum to waste more than once as the water level drops too low before you finish. Leave the equipment set up, and don’t disturb the remaining debris. Refill the pool and finish the job.
- Check chlorine, pH, and Alkalinity levels and adjust as necessary. Add a clarifier and filter the pool to clear any remaining cloudiness.
- If, after floccing, the pool does not clear and settle within 48 hours, it will likely not. The best option is to re-check the water balance for chlorine, pH, and alkalinity and adjust as necessary. Then restart the filtering process by backwashing once daily. If there is no improvement after 48 hours, you will likely have to replace the filter media or cartridge element or floc the pool again.
- Once the pool is clear, you must thoroughly test and balance the water.
Call us on (03) 9758 3777 to determine your treatment options/requirements.
