Keeping the pool clear and clean is the goal of every pool manager, but the growth of algae often becomes a problem. Algae can cause turbidity, green color, and even produce odor, affecting the beauty of the pool and user experience. If not handled in time, it may also breed bacteria and endanger health. Algae has become the most concerned issue for pool maintainers. As a veteran swimming pool chemical manufacturer, we will answer your questions about algae treatment in this article.
Before solving these problems, let us first understand what algae is and how it is produced.
What is pool algae?
Algae are tiny organisms (included plant, bacteria and fungi) that are widely found in the natural environment. They grow through photosynthesis and usually reproduce in large numbers when there is plenty of sunlight, high organic content in the water, and insufficient disinfectant concentration. Common pool algae include the following:
1. Blue algae: Blue algae often multiply in warm, eutrophic water. Blue algae problems in swimming pools not only cause the water to become turbid, but may also emit odors, affecting the beauty and user experience of the swimming pool.
2. Green algae: The most common type, green in color, easily makes the water turbid.
3. Black algae: Usually attached to the wall of the pool, forming black or dark blue spots.
4. Yellow algae (also known as mustard algae): yellow or golden in color, common in corners where water flow is not smooth.
5. Pink algae: Bacteria or fungi that looks like pink or red slime. They are not algae and are treated in a different way.
Causes of algae growth
Algae spores are everywhere. They can enter your pool through rain, soil, and even wind. Once the spores enter your pool, they will grow rapidly and in large quantities when certain conditions are met. Algae growth is usually related to the following factors:
- Insufficient free chlorine in the water..
- Insufficient or inefficient operation of the filtration system.
- Irregular pool maintenance and accumulation of impurities.
- Large amounts of external pollutants (such as leaves, soil, or impurities brought in by swimmers).
Knowing the causes of algae growth, we can take targeted measures to deal with it.
Ways to kill algae in swimming pools – shock
When a large amount of algae is found in a swimming pool, the most direct way is to perform a “chlorine shock”. By increasing the residual chlorine concentration in the swimming pool in a short period of time, the algae can be effectively killed.
1. Clean impurities in the pool
Salvage floating objects in the water, and use brushes and pool cleaning robots to scrub the pool walls and bottom. Finally, absorb and remove the debris.
2. Test water quality
Use test strips or test kits to test the following key indicators:
Free chlorine: Is it below the normal range (1-3 ppm).
pH: Is it outside the ideal range (7.2-7.8).
Alkalinity: Is it maintained between 80-120 ppm.
Total dissolved solids (TDS) and phosphates: High phosphates may cause algae growth.
Adjust the indicators to a reasonable range to ensure that the basic water conditions are suitable for treatment.
3. Chlorine shock
①First, you need to choose a suitable chlorine shock agent. Common ones are NaDCC (sodium dichloroisocyanurate) granules and CHC (calcium hypochlorite) granules.
②Calculate the dosage based on the effective chlorine content of the shock agent you choose and the volume of pool water. Generally, it is recommended to increase the free chlorine level of the pool to 8-10ppm.
③Dissolving agent
The chlorine granules need to be dissolved in a container before adding to the pool to avoid the granules from settling on the bottom of the pool and causing damage (especially above-ground pools). If calcium hypochlorite is used, it needs to be dissolved, left to stand, and then the supernatant is taken.
4. Flocculation
After treatment, the pool water will be turbid to varying degrees due to the death of algae. Add pool water flocculants to make the killed algae and impurities in the pool water condense and settle to the bottom of the pool.
5. Use a pool cleaning robot to absorb and remove impurities that have settled to the bottom of the pool. Make the water clear and clean.
6. After cleaning, wait until the free chlorine drops to the normal range, re-test the pool water chemical level, and adjust the pH value, effective chlorine content, calcium hardness, total alkalinity, etc. to the specified range.
7. Add algaecide. Algaecide is a chemical agent specifically for algae, which is particularly effective for stubborn algae (such as black algae). It is divided into copper-based algaecides, quaternary ammonium salt algaecides, and multi-functional formulas. Choose an algaecide suitable for your pool, put it into the pool and circulate it. The purpose is to prevent algae from regenerating.
Notes:
Let the circulation pump run for at least 6-8 hours.
Avoid swimming immediately after shock, retest the water quality, usually wait until the free chlorine concentration drops to 1-3 ppm before entering the pool. Clean the filter regularly to avoid impurities that affect water circulation.
Wear protective gloves and goggles during use to avoid direct contact with the agent.
Rapidly killing algae in the pool requires a combination of chemical treatment, physical cleaning and preventive measures. Through efficient chlorine shock, professional algaecides and optimized water quality management, the clarity of the pool can be quickly restored. At the same time, daily maintenance and external pollution control are the key to keeping the pool clean for a long time.
Post time: Dec-06-2024