How to fix a green pool

Pool water turns green because of algae in the water. Algae can grow rapidly, particularly when it’s warm like Summer, which is why it can surprise you overnight. This generally comes down to an imbalance or lack of chlorine in the water.

Chlorine is an effective sanitiser; however letting chlorine levels drop for even a day can start an algae outbreak. So, it’s important to check your chlorine levels frequently to save you any nasty surprises.

Follow these steps to clear the green:

The fastest and most effective way to clear algae in your pool is to boost your chlorine levels through a shock treatment and an algaecide supplement. For the best results, try using BioGuard Burn Out Extreme supplemented with BioGuard MSA Extreme.

Note: If your shock chlorine is unstabilised it’s important you wait until your pool is covered by shade and darkness. The sun burns unstabilised chlorine much faster than stabilised chlorine.

1) Follow the formula of:

One 600g bag of BioGuard Burn Out Extreme treats a 50,000 litre pool.

When you’re shocking your pool, make sure to keep the pool filter and pump running for at least 10 hours during and after the treatment.

2) To follow the above formula, you must also determine how much algae is in your pool. This is relatively easy and is dependent on three variations of colour.

Light green/teal water:

This indicates a low level of algae in the water and will require the shock formula above. You will need to add one bag of BioGuard Burn Out Extreme to every 50,000L of pool water.

Green or dark green:

This generally signifies a medium amount of algae in the water. Requiring double the shock treatment. To double the shock treatment, you will need to add two bags of BioGuard Burn Out Extreme to every 50,000L of pool water.

Black-green water:

At this point, you may need to seek professional help. In some cases, your pool may need to be drained and cleaned by a qualified professional.

IMPORTANT: All shock treatments need to be supplemented with an algaecide. BioGuard MSA Extreme is a highly concentrated copper-based algaecide powerful enough to kill all types of algae in swimming pools. Using MSA Extreme has added flocculants and clarifiers eradicating algae swiftly and successfully.

3) “But my water is still cloudy?!”

Fear not – once the algae has been killed, it will turn a cloudy, near grey, blue colour. To get your pool back to the crystal clear waters you enjoy, you’ll need to run your pump and filter and introduce BioGuard Super Clear Clarifying Tabs.

After following these steps your pool should be crystal clear. Now you can get back to relaxing pool side!

Remember, prevention is better than the cure. A green pool can be avoided if you prevent algae from growing in your swimming pool. Add an algaecide to your regular maintenance schedule like BioGuard AlgiGuard, to your pool water monthly.