Expert Advice and Pool Cleaning Tips from Tampa’s Leading Pool Service Company – Simply Pools LLC
Help my pool is green! We got you covered. Often times neglected or trouble pools need extra attention to get them up and running in a stable condition.
Tampa Bay is THE place to get green pool water. Our high temperatures and long rainy seasons spawn algae growth giving the appearance of green or black pool water. Additionally, vacation homes left unattended or bank owned property homes are sure to be green or black by the time a homeowner is present. Simply Pools specializes in green pool cleaning – turning your pool from green to blue! Some can be done quicker than others depending on your type of pool filter, equipment, and level of debris and algae found in the pool. On average green or black pools take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks, while less severe cases can clear up in just 1 day!
Most homeowners that have let their pools turn green [or black] don’t have the time or energy to service their swimming pool on their own. We offer several service packages that can help maintain your pool, keeping it blue all year long. Of course every swimming pool is unique, yes they are just like snow flakes, so the process for cleaning each unique pool is always different. Here are the steps a technician will generally take to turn that green pool around.
1. Inspect pool and pump equipment, flow of swimming pool water, filter elements and condition of pool. You can usually determine how much algae is in the pool by whether or not you can see the your swimming pool steps. If you can see the bottom step you’re not looking too bad, but if the top step isn’t visible I recommend calling a professional.
2. Recommend and fix any broken equipment or leaks that can prevent the green pool from improving. Pool and pump leaks could be the cause of your green swimming pool. Your water level should be half way up the skimmer at all times. During the summer pools will often loose a few inches of water during the week, however if it’s been one day and you notice a significant decrease in water level, you likely have a leak. Adding additional water will dilute your chemicals in your pool, rendering them less effective and allowing room for algae growth.
3. Administer high amounts of chlorine and chemicals to kill the algae. During this process we often use a chemical called flock. Flock will break down the debris in your swimming pool allowing it to fall to the floor. If debris is floating the only method for removing it is through your skimmer. Flock will enable you to move to step 4, vacuuming your pool. Chemical levels including pH, chlorine and alkalinity should also be adjusted. Your pH level should stay at around 7.2 – 7.6. Each chemical effects one another and your chlorine is much more effective when your pH level is correct.
4. Clean the filter very frequently to remove the filtered debris and ensure the pool filter is working at maximum capacity. Depending on your type of filter this could mean simply backwashing your pool or manually cleaning your cartridge filter. You can find steps oh how to clean your cartridge filter here. The pool pump should be run 24hrs per day, until the condition improves.
5. Once the algae has fallen to the floor, it can now be vacuumed to waste and netted. Vacuuming the debris to waste, simply means that you are not running the debris through your filter. With green or black pools the high level of debris will ruin a cartridge filter.
6. Continuously repeat filter cleanings, chemical checks and vacuuming till the condition of the green pool improves.
Most pools that are green or in rough condition have some type of nonfunctional equipment to begin with. For example if your main drain doesn’t work, your pool isn’t circulating correctly, which will make it more difficult for your pool to properly filter algae. Or if your pool timer is broken, you may be forgetting to run your pool pump an adequate amount of time to prevent algae growth.
For more information or to receive a quote from a pool technician please call 813.374.5819 for more information.