Getting Rid of Annoying Green Algae Growing on Pool Walls
You know that gross slippery feeling when you run your hand along the pool wall? That’s green algae – little plant-like things growing where they shouldn’t be. If left alone too long, the green stuff spreads quickly and makes swimming pretty disgusting.
Luckily there are easy ways to kill pool wall algae and stop it from coming back next summer. With the right cleaning products and by keeping your pool chemicals balanced, your walls will stay smooth and algae-free. These tips will help anyone easily wipe out the ugly green goo for good!
Why Do I Have Green Algae on My Pool Walls?
Green algae spores blow in from trees, plants, and soil around your yard. They grow best with:
- Lots of sun to perform photosynthesis like plants
- Extra nutrients from dirt, sweat, or other contamination
- Low amounts of pool chemicals allowing them to thrive
Once one bit of green algae takes hold on the perfect spot of rough plaster near water meeting all these requirements, they form colonies that cling stubbornly while releasing more multiplying spores.
Some other things about pool algae that might surprise you:
- Myth: Algae doesn’t really hurt anything.
- Fact: It’s unattractive and decreases water clarity plus can degrade pool materials over time as well as cause bacterial issues. Not good for swimmers’ health or enjoyment!
- Myth: Just shocking or pouring in extra chlorine prevents pool wall algae from ever growing.
- Fact: Proper balanced chemistry providing long-term control works better than periodically overloading chemicals that get depleted quickly.
How Do I Know If I Have Green Algae On My Pool Walls?
Compared to other stuff that might be clouding your water or building up on sides, green algae has unique traits making it recognizable:
- Most obvious is the texture – usually feels slimy and slick if you brush the wall
- Color varies from light mints to deep forest hues and sometimes streaky starburst patterns
- Grows in small clumpy patches at first rather than completely covering entire walls evenly
- Can be scraped off with scrub brushes unlike hard mineral scale builds up
Green pool wall algae clings differently than other common pool problems too:
- White flaky calcium deposits leave hard water ring lines rather than slippery areas
- Biofilm appears somewhat similar but more transparent in cloudy floating sheets not adhering in distinct colonies
- Suspended bacteria make water murky in true liquid suspension unlike on mounted on surfaces
Testing the chemical balance also helps narrow down if the environment is ripe for green pool wall algae blooms indicating corrections are needed.
Scrubbing Away and Killing Established Green Pool Wall Algae
Once you positively identify tenacious green algae invading pool walls, take quick action scrubbing and shocking to promptly purge the nuisance intruder before it spreads further by honing in on root causes.
Hit It Hard With Specialty Shock Treatments
Blasting concentrated sanitizer is step one – oxidizing chemicals rapidly kill algae. Dry shock packages dissolve into a high-level punch when activating in water. Pour it evenly around walls for maximum contact and leave circulating overnight. The next day swollen dead growths will flake apart when scrubbed with brushes.
Shock Brands:
- HTH Pool Shock
- In The Swim Chlorine Shock
- Clorox Pool&Spa Shock XtraBlue
Pro Tip: Wear gloves and goggles handling some shock products to avoid skin or eye irritation! Pre-mix extra strong liquids first too.
Scrub Off All The Dead Stuff
After shocking sitting overnight fully, grab a stiff long long-handled pool brush, equip it with gloves, and thoroughly scrub every single colony you find on walls and the floor. This sweeps away killed gunk and prevents regrowth in the same spots using dead particles like fertilizer full of nutrients.
For very bad pool wall algae, drain water 3 feet down temporarily to reach the upper wall areas easier all around. Scrub floors and ladders well too.
Finish off getting the silt out by vacuuming it all away if lots of loose debris is stirred up during this purging process. Clean filters well afterward also since plenty of nasties filtered out.
Balance Pool Chemistry Right
Green pool wall algae love certain water conditions just like it’s aquatic plant cousins – some warmth, tasty organics to feed on, and weak chlorine. Fix that environment by:
- Total Alkalinity – 60-120ppm
- pH – 7.2 to 7.4
- Calcium Hardness – 200-400 ppm
- Cyanuric Acid – 30-50 ppm (keeps more chlorine stable and working longer)
Test each with inexpensive pool test strip kits. Adjust as needed until each level lands in the ideal range hostile towards algae setting up camp and growing again later. Call a pool company too if you need help getting the recipe right.
How Do I Ensure Algae Never Comes Back Again?
Rounding out comprehensive solve-it-forever pool wall algae removal plans, deploy additional preventative defenses disrupting environment factors green algae relies on establishing future growth cycles:
Use Algaecides Too
Special liquid algaecides act like birth control – they temporarily sterilize water environments stopping reproduction processes. Squirt them around routinely monthly or whenever adding fresh water. Other clarifying aids group together particles for easier removal too. They complement but don’t replace shocks and scrubbing treatments.
Stay Diligent Keeping The Pool Clean
Don’t take nice clear water for granted! It still needs routine checking and filtration to stay balanced just right. Keep baskets and pumps optimized without leaks or cracks spreading issues sneaking by. Clean filters often prevent pressure drops and zones grow stuff unchecked.
Staying vigilant keeps the pool safe all year long!
Common Algae Questions and Answers
Still seek more winning game plans custom fit for destroying green algae plaguing your pool? Check here for more tips:
Question | Answer |
---|---|
How often should I shock my pool to prevent algae from coming back? | About once per week maintain sanitization between swim sessions. Also, hit it with shock if chlorine tests very low or shows high chloramines indicating lots of unseen gunk present needing oxidation lifting contamination levels. |
What pH stops pool wall algae growth best? | Algae thrives in a higher range pH around 7.8-8.5. Keep pools adjusted between 7.2-7.4 using pH reducers to discourage growth without going too low and creating other issues. |
Why does algae keep reappearing in the same spots on my pool walls and floor each year? | Because certain areas have ideal conditions – shadows, less circulation or porous plaster – for attachment and shelter initial growths then spreading outward if left unmanaged by thorough occasional scrubbing and strong chemical distribution reach. |
Is it safe to swim after shocking chemicals are first added? | Wait at least one full day allowing reactions to run their course maximum benefits obtained before reentering avoid inhaling gases off-gassing during the process. Confirm chlorine dropped back below 5 PPM. |
Should I brush before or after adding shock treatments? | Vigorously pre-scrub growths first help better initial contact killing maximum organisms before reinforced protective niches shelter survivors. It’s all about penetration reaching the whole root tangled base structure. |
Stay vigilant in identifying optimal maintenance combinations to conquer uniquely stubborn algae recurring in your backyard year after year. Consistent monitoring and quick responses keep summer fun in the pool where it belongs!