How To Avoid Algae Growth In Your Pool
Let’s Talk About How To Avoid Algae.
Whether you’re a new pool owner or an experienced one, you will probably run into algae at some point. When algae isn’t dealt with right away, it will have the chance to grow, bloom, and turn your pool completely green. While a green pool is reversible, it will lead to stains and equipment issues if left alone for too long. Before we discuss how to avoid algae, let’s go over the different types.
Types of Algae
Green Algae:
The most commonly know type of algae is green algae. You will find this slimy type of algae floating in the water and attaching to the walls of your pool. Green algae will cause the pool water to appear cloudy with a green tint. Growth of this algae is usually due to inadequate filtration and sanitation. Luckily, this common algae is also the easiest to get rid of.
Yellow (Mustard) Algae:
This type of algae is rare, but clingy. Yellow algae usually thrives in the shady areas of your pool and clings hard onto the pool’s walls and equipment rather than floating. Not only does it attach itself to the walls, but it will cling to pool toys, swimsuits, floats, and anything else that enters the pool. It can be hard to completely remove yellow algae as it happens to be chlorine resistant. When dealing with yellow algae, it must be dealt with aggressively in order to avoid the risk of it coming back.
Black Algae:
This type of algae is the most stubborn of them all. It is very difficult to remove black algae completely because its roots will maneuver their way into concrete surfaces. Unless those roots are destroyed during the initial treatment, black algae will easily grow back again. It is also challenging to remove black algae due to the fact that is has a protective layer that makes it resistant to chemicals.
CALL TODAY! 480-659-1347
How to Prevent Algae Blooms in Your Pool
There is a variety of preventive measures you can take to help avoid algae thriving in your pool. Taking the time to carry out these regular maintenance procedures will ensure a clean, and healthy pool for you and your loved ones to enjoy.
1) Circulation System in Good Condition
Having a circulation system that runs properly is crucial to clean pool water. In order to keep it in good condition, you’ll want to make sure you regularly empty the skimmer and pump baskets. Do this at least on a weekly basis. During Monsoon Season in Arizona, we recommend checking them more often as more debris is likely to make its way into your pool. When cleaning them out, also be sure to inspect and immediately replace them any time they crack or break. Taking the time to empty these baskets will allow the water and pool chemicals to be distributed evenly in your pool.
In addition to cleaning out the baskets, regular maintenance should be done to your filter as well. Even with a properly running filter, it’s bound to become dirty and worn down after a while. If you have a cartridge filter, we recommend taking the cartridge out to clean it whenever the pressure rises 8-10 psi over the standard starting pressure. For Sand and DE filters, its best to backwash whenever the pressure rises 5-10 psi over the standard starting pressure. We also recommend using a special cleaner on these two once every season.
2) Brushing Your Pool
We recommend brushing your pool at least once a week. Stubborn algae loves to thrive on the walls, floors, and steps of your pool. Algae can actually dig their roots into crevices in the shell of your pool if left alone for long enough. Removing them will be even harder if they are given the chance to do so.
*Make sure you get the right brush for the type of pool surface you have.
3) Vacuum Your Pool
While brushing is effective, you should vacuum your pool as well. Vacuuming allows you to remove algae spores that may sink to the bottom of the pool after brushing it. There are automatic and manual pool vacuums to choose from. If you use an automatic one, we still recommend vacuuming manually each week so you can remove any algae that an automatic one may miss.
4) Correct Sanitizer Levels
It’s inevitable that algae will find its way to your pool. However, It’s important to have the right levels of sanitizer in order to hinder the algae’s growth. The majority of pool owners use chlorine to sanitize their pool. The easiest way to ensure the sanitizer stays in the correct range is to use a floating chlorinator. This will put out a continuous stream of chlorine into your pool and allows it to evenly distribute. In general, pool chemistry is a huge component to a healthy pool. Not only should you keep chlorine at the right level, but you need to keep ALL pool chemicals balanced. We recommend testing your pool water regularly to ensure all levels are where they should be.
5) Regularly Shocking The Pool
Another great preventative measure is to shock your pool each week. If you can’t that often, we recommend doing it at least every other week. Shocking your pool will kill off lingering algae spores that the sanitizer didn’t get. This is like an extra layer of protection against algae and will help keep your sanitizer levels where they should be.
6) Using Algaecide
Algaecide is commonly known for treating an algae bloom, but it was technically made to prevent it in the first place. While it can help prevent algae, it can’t be the only thing you rely on. If you do decide to use an algaecide, make sure you use it in conjunction with everything else stated above.
Bottom Line: Regular Maintenance Is Key
Based off of the preventative tips above, it’s safe to assume that regular maintenance is the best answer for how to avoid algae in your pool. Whether you DIY or hire a pool company, weekly maintenance is crucial and should be done year-round. Cleaning your pool, testing & balancing chemicals, and inspecting your equipment on a weekly basis will help keep your pool healthy, clean, and algae-free. Even with proper maintenance, algae can sometimes find a way to hide in hard-to-reach areas of the pool (e.g. corners, steps, ladders). So be sure to always keep a close eye on your pool, especially those areas where algae likes to hide.
For DIY pool owners, always be sure to read instructions when using equipment or chemicals for the first time. Also take the time to really educate yourself all about your pool, it’s equipment, and the best ways to care for it. While you can do it yourself, there is more to it than a lot of new pool owners realize. We want to make sure you give it proper care and do it safely so increasing your pool knowledge is a must!
If you don’t have the time to do it yourself or would simply rather put it in the hands of a pro, we got you covered. For a service quote or more information on how to prevent algae, contact Aquaman Pools and we are more than happy to help.