Cleaning a Green Pool

• Pool water turns green due to algae buildup caused either by neglect or a pH imbalance. The pool environment is a sensitive one in which the pH and alkalinity levels must be kept consistent in order to avoid the encroachment of algae and other types of fungus that thrive in warm, wet places. If your pool water has turned green, the first thing you should do is check the pH and alkaline levels and make any necessary corrections. Depending on the type of pool you have, you'll need to add either chlorine or salt to get the chemical levels back to normal.
  
  You can "shock" the pool over a period of a few days by adding large amounts of chlorine to the water to get rid of algae and bacteria. The dirtier the pool, the more chlorine you will need to add. Start by adding 3 to 4 gallons of chlorine to the water. Check it the next day, and if you don't see any change, add another 3 to 4 gallons of chlorine. Continue to do this until you see that the water is changing color, either to a cloudy white or light green. You can also add an algaecide to the water at the same time.
  
  As you are shocking the pool, begin to run your filter 24 hours a day until the pool is clean. You can also backwash three or four times a day to speed up the process. If you are not familiar with backwashing, you can use the guides on poolandspa.com as a reference.
  
  When your pool water begins to resume its normal coloring, look for debris on the bottom of the pool. If the debris is mainly small, you can use your pool vacuum to clean it up; however if the debris is large, you should call a professional service or else you are likely to damage your vacuum filter.
  
  

Preventive Pool Care

• You can avoid algae buildup in your pool in the future by regularly checking the chemical and pH levels. This is not hard to do, and you can easily learn to do this yourself and avoid paying professionals. Regular maintenance of the chemical levels will go a long way to prevent future algae buildup.