How to remedy your green pool

PROPERTY NEWS - A swimming pool is a highly sought-after amenity in a household or community. For those who live in coastal areas, a swim by the sea does the trick every now and then, but for people who live far from natural water bodies, a swimming pool is a treasured spot for relaxation and entertainment, and can also be the perfect place for friends and family to gather.

One of the biggest maintenance challenges faced by pool owners is seeing the water in the pool turn green.

How can you maintain the chemical balance in a swimming pool?

Chlorination, pH level, total alkalinity (TA) and calcium hardness are vital in achieving the right nutrient and chemical balance in a swimming pool.

Chlorine: Your pool needs the right levels of chlorine to prevent algae. The right amount of chlorine should be between 1.0 and 3.0 parts per million (ppm) which is equal to one milligram per litre of water.
Calcium hardness: The correct industry and regulatory approved standards of dissolved calcium are 200 to 400ppm in normal swimming pools and 150 to 250ppm in private spas.
pH - pH: This refers to the measure of the acidity in a swimming pool on a scale of 0 to 14. The normal amount of acidity should be between 7,4 and 7,6.
Correct alkalinity: The right level of alkalinity you need in a pool is 80 to 120ppm.

Everybody agrees that pools can be temperamental and a green pool is not fun at all, and often hard to fix.

Here's how you can remedy a green pool:

Get a water test: A water test gives you a clear understanding of what's affecting the water in your pool from a chemical balance point of view.
Shock your pool: Shocking the pool is one of the most effective ways to get the job done. You can shock the pool by using huge amounts of chlorine. The ideal amount to shock your pool is 70% of available chlorine. Chlorine naturally gets burnt off by direct sunlight, so consider shocking the pool when the sun has gone down.
Filter: Shocking the pool can't completely clear the water without filtration. You need to turn the filter on for at least 24 hours to get the dead algae out of the water, and ensure that the shock has fully dissipated and the water is completely clear.
Brush: You can also clean a green pool by using a heavy industrial brush. This is labour-intensive and time-consuming, but the process takes care of algae on surfaces in and around the pool.