The main causes of having algae in the pool are poor water chemistry, poor filtration, or low chlorine levels. Swimwear or pool toys used in natural water may also introduce the algae into the pool. You have to act fast once you notice the early stages of algae. Ignoring it will allow it to multiply and might turn into full-scale algae.
Sad to say, a standard amount of chlorine will not get rid of pool algae. Also, letting the pool filter run will not kill algae spores.
You can get rid of algae in your swimming pool by following the simple steps below. But before we proceed with the steps, you need to prepare first the tools and materials required to remove algae from the pool.
What You Need
- Vacuum
- Stiff pool brush
- Test strip or liquid test kit
- Calcium hypochlorite shock
- Muriatic acid
How to Remove Algae From Pool
Step #1 Vacuum Your Pool Manually
You can’t clean algae with automatic or robotic pool cleaners. Using your filter’s Waste option will need a manual vacuum of your pool. Bypassing your pool’s filter, you can prevent tainted, algae-infested water from returning.
When manually vacuuming your pool, pay close attention to any spots that have algae growing on them. Also, remember to keep your pool’s water level at least halfway up the skimmer when vacuuming and refill as needed. Here’s how to use a manual pool vacuum if you want to know how to do it well.
Step #2 Brush the Floor and Walls
Chlorine can penetrate deeper into the remaining algae if you scrub the algae off of your pool walls. It also facilitates the killing and filtration of pollutants by loosening and dissolving them.
You can clean the walls and floor of your pool by using a long pole and a stiff pool brush.
Check out the corners, cracks, and shadowed locations where algae are most common. Brush the tougher spots first, as your water will become hazy and block your view as you proceed.
Use stainless steel bristled pool brush to remove algae from concrete or gunite pools. In the absence of a nylon bristle pool brush, we recommend the following:
Step #3 Test the Water and Balance
To check the alkalinity and pH of the water, you can use test strips, a digital tool, or a liquid test kit. As soon as you have your water chemistry in check, your sanitizer will be more successful in combating the algae. Pool shock is particularly inhibited by high pH or low alkalinity.
Also, read the guide on the best pool vacuum for algae.
Step #4 Shock the Swimming Pool
Shocking your pool increases the amount of chlorine in the water. For algae-killing purposes, the sanitizer has been given an extra dose. To deal with a more serious algae infestation, use additional shock.
You can effectively treat algae with calcium hypochlorite shock, called cal-hypo shock. Make sure to follow the package’s instructions to decide how much to use based on the size of your pool and the type of algae you have.
- Shocking double dosage of Green Algae (x2)
- Green or Yellow Algae: Three times the shock (x3)
- Quadruple dose of shock: Black Algae (x4)
Don’t forget to shock your pool at night. The sun will eat away at the chlorine in the daytime, preventing the algae from being killed. So that your instruments, like your vacuum head or pool brush, are disinfected while the shock is in the water, place them in the pool’s shallow end.
Ensure that your filter is running for at least eight hours or overnight in order to distribute the shock. Repeat the brushing and shocking technique if there is still a substantial amount of algae in your pool.
Step #5 Remove the Pool Algae
After the algae have been killed by your shock treatment, your water will turn a hazy blue. There is nothing to be alarmed about! It’s just algae that have died. Dead, gray algae particles need to be filtered out since they turn green when they die. For a minimum of eight hours or until the water clears up, run your filter continually.
Step #6 Recheck the Pool Water Quality
Restore the water’s chemical balance and chlorine level before allowing anyone else to use it. The pH, alkalinity, and chlorine levels in your water can be adjusted as needed. In addition, you may want to check your pool’s cyanuric acid and calcium hardness levels since you’ve withdrawn water from the pool and refilled it.
Step #7 Clean Your Pool’s Filter
You just processed a large volume of highly polluted water through your filter. To avoid this, it is essential that the filtration system be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at least once every month. By soaking your filter cartridges in diluted muriatic acid or replacing them totally, you can deep clean your filter cartridges. The moment has come to backwash your sand or DE filters.
Also, read best pool chlorine tablet reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions – (FAQ)
How to remove algae from the pool without a vacuum?
You can clean soft-sided above-ground pools with nylon or rubber brushes. A large pool brush can get the job done quickly, but it may be necessary to use a smaller brush to clean around the edges. Turn on your filter again and agitate the water to remove the remaining particles from the pool.
How to remove dead algae from the pool bottom?
After shocking the water, it will be covered with algae. There is also an unpleasant but fluffy covering of green fibers sticking to the side of the pool. If you have a concrete pool wall, you’ll need a different sort of brush.
For concrete or plaster pools, a wire brush is ideal. A nylon or poly brush is the finest choice for other pools. Thanks to this product, the pool walls, and the liner will remain in excellent condition.
Make sure to scrub the pool walls, even if there aren’t any visible algae. This is a situation when you’ll need assistance. After scrubbing, be careful to rinse the pool walls to remove all of the fallen algae.
Vacuuming the pool’s floor is the next step. It will get rid of any remaining algae and clear up the algae that have gotten lodged in cracks and around drains.
Manually vacuuming the pool after scrubbing it is, of course, a laborious task.
As a result, a robotic pool vacuum is the finest option. If you don’t want to spend the money, you can choose the manual option.
However, you must first thoroughly clean the pool’s floor.
What do dead algae look like?
Dead algae turn white or gray in color and settle to the bottom of the pool. In the event that you’re employing an anti-chlorination product with a clarifier, you’ll be able to see the problem clearly. You can use a pool vacuum and pump to deal with this problem.
Conclusion
If you’re like most people, you never imagined that maintaining a pool would be more work than fun. On the other hand, Pool demands a great deal of time and attention, and you may not be able to afford it.
Fortunately, there are a few simple techniques to keep your pool clean and clear. Shocking it is the quickest and simplest method to take care of it. You can then scrub and vacuum the pool after it has been disinfected. On the other hand, the more difficult procedure may take weeks to complete, depending on the circumstances. It doesn’t matter. Pool care is a must. Now you’ve learned how to remove dead algae from the bottom, the moment has come for you to clean the pool. Share your thoughts with us about the topic by commenting below.