6 Tips For Pool Algae Control

1. Keep Your Filter Clean

Keeping your filter clean helps in the circulation and removal of fine particles from your pool water.  Think of your filter as your lungs and you are a runner, if your lungs are clogged up you can’t breathe easily and your running ability is cut way back.  The same goes for your pool filter, for if it is clogged up the water can’t get through easily and your recirculation is cut way back.  This gives algae the advantage because the spores are not being filter out fast enough.

The same goes for your pool pump, think of it as your heart.  Again if your heart isn’t pumping to its full capacity your body can’t function to its best.  If your pool pump strainer basket is clogged your circulation is reduced, your filter isn’t working to its capacity algae gets the upper hand.  Always clean your pump strainer basket after vacuuming through your pool skimmer.

2. Keep Your Water Balanced

Water balance is important and should be checked weekly.  Maintaining a 1.5 – 2.0 or higher ppm level of free chlorine is important to keep water clear and sparkling.  Ph is also very important as the higher the ph reading the less effective your chlorine is.  Remember as nitrogen enters your water through swimming and landscape debris you start to form chloramines, this is the strong chlorine order you smell from your pool water is useless in fighting algae blooms.  Super shocking once a month during summer is suggested to keep your combined chlorine level down and your free level up.

3. Keep Phosphates In Check

Phosphates are food for algae, phosphates are in the runoff water from landscaped areas, some are by products from what you add to your pool.  This is food for algae and should be monitored quarterly and reduced or eliminated on a regular basis.  The laundry soap you use for washing clothes and bathing suits contains trace amounts of phosphates, it all adds up to promote algae blooms.  Test and eliminate on a regular basis.

4. Keep Shocking Your Pool

Sometimes pool algae gets the upper hand and when it does super shocking and or using algaecides is necessary.  Brush your walls and floor to put the algae in suspension and super shock and/or add algaecide to knock it back, be sure to clean your filter once your water has cleared.  When using any metal based algaecide such as silver or copper use a sequestering agent to keep the metal in suspension to reduce the risk of staining your interior surface.

5. Keep Your Pool Sanitized

Remember as the weather warms up so does the demand for sanitation.  The UV rays from the sun are always trying to remove the chlorine from you pool water, bather load takes its toll as well along with warmer water.  Sometimes it is necessary to increase your normal addition of chlorine on a weekly basis to twice the amount you used in the winter.  Remember to test your water weekly and add as necessary to keep your water crystal clear.

6. Keep Cleaning

Don’t forget to brush your walls down and vacuum your floor, this is where an automatic pool cleaner is handy as it is cleaning your floor on a regular basis, however you still need to brush your walls and steps, dirt and debris can build up on the surface too small to see with your eye, and is a source of food for algae.

Call The Blue Lagoons for weekly & biweekly service.

Happy Swimming!