The Expert way to rid your pool of Algae | Jay Sunde

Your swimming pool is the centerpiece of your garden. It’s the part of your property that you and your guests are immediately drawn in warm weather. Even better, a home pool can be a buzz of social activity, especially throughout the summer months. However, all that can change if your home pool is ever compromised by an algae bloom.

What is Algae?

Algae are made up of infinitesimally small photosynthetic marine organisms, ones which use chlorophyll to turn carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy. The only problem is that while a single alga might be infinitesimally small, warm, sunny weather can see algae blooms take hold in as little as a single evening. Worse, there is no sure fire way to ever prevent a bloom. This is due to the fact that algae spores themselves are often prevalent in rain and even the air itself.

How to Remedy an Algae Bloom  

If you use a preventative algaecide on a weekly basis, this can help prevent algae blooms from taking hold. However when blooms do take hold, it’s important to keep in mind that your regular algaecide might not be enough to remedy the situation on its own. Instead, you will likely want to consider shocking your pool with chlorine in order to kill off each individual alga.

Prior to beginning shock treatment, you will need to scrub the wall sides of your pool in order to break the cell walls of any algae that might have attached to these areas. As a rule, you should always use a pool brush suitable for your pool type. Usually, this will mean using a steel brush for concrete pools, versus using a less abrasive nylon brush for pools with vinyl sides.

Shocking your Pool

Once you have scrubbed your pool, it will be time to add your chlorine shock to the water. In most cases, you will need 3 pounds of shock for every 10,000 gallons of water that your pool holds. That said, black algae or stubborn blooms can occasionally require triple and even quadruple shock treatments prior to a bloom being completely thwarted.

Shock itself is a granular chemical and to get the best results, it is always worth pouring some shock into some water first in order to ensure that the shock itself dissolves completely. Whatever you do, though, never pour water onto shock itself as this can release dangerous chlorine gas vapors.

Using Algaecide to Combat Algae

A second way to rid your pool of algae can involve using ammonia or silver and copper based algaecide. These work by effectively killing algae, however, it should be noted that ammonia based algaecides are not always effective when dealing with black algae blooms.

Of course, the best option is sometimes to use a combination of both shock and algaecide treatments. However, pool owners need to be aware that if following a combination treatment program, algaecide should always be used first and left for at least a day prior to shock being used also.

Staying safe when Ridding your Pool of Algae

If algae treatments are applied as per their instructions, most pool owners will be able to successfully combat an algae bloom in as little as 1-3 days. However, it’s of paramount importance never to mix chemicals or apply chemicals in any way other than that recommended by your shock or algaecides manufacturer. Lastly, (and for your own safety) never reenter a pool until your pool chlorine level is back to between 1 part per million and 4 parts per million.