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General
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Pool Maintenance & Water Issues
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Filtration
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Pool Chemicals
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Pool Equipment
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Spa Management
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Safety Tips
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How To's
How do I treat a Green Pool?
How do I treat a Green Pool?
The most important thing is to act quickly. Pools do not go green over night, although sometimes it may appear that they have.
Millions of algae spores, too tiny to see, multiply rapidly until there are so many that you can actually see them. As they continue to multiply the pool water gets greener and greener.
Take a sample of your pool water to your Pool Pro Professional who will test the water and give you instructions on how to fix it. They will also ask you how green your pool water is. For example, can you see the bottom of your pool? They also need to know how much water is in the pool, what is the interior of the pool, what brand and type of filtration you have, and the brand and horsepower of your pump. If it is a salt pool, they will need to know the brand and model of your chlorinator.
Remember it has taken some time to get to this stage so it may not get fixed overnight either. Do not allow swimmers in the pool until it has returned to its correct sanitary condition.
The pool will need to be ‘bombed’ (depending on the size of your pool) with at least 20L of Pool Pro Liquid Chlorine and circulated to kill the algae spores. Your Pool Pro Professional will advise you what dosage is required.
Once the algae dies, the residue will need to be brushed from the pool surface so it can be removed by the filtration process or vacuumed out, leaving the pool clean and clear. The pool may need to be flocked using Pool Pro Floc which is a coagulant that causes the particles to drop to the bottom of the pool so they can then be vacuumed to waste.
When using Pool Pro Floc it is imperative to closely follow the directions to ensure a successful outcome. Never add it to a pool that has a cartridge filter without taking the cartridge out, and never add it to a pool with a sand filter unless it is set to recirculate.
How do I test my water at home and what does my Pool Pro Professional need to know about my pool?
How do I test my water at home and what does my Pool Pro Professional need to know about my pool?
Firstly you must purchase a Blue Devil Test Kit or Pool Check Test Strips.
Your Pool Pro Professional has a full range of test kits and testing strips which you can use to check your water at home and can advise you of the most effective kit for you. Your test kit will have full instructions on how to use it. Ask your Pool Pro Professional for a Pool Pro Water Test Bottle you can use to take your water samples to the store when required. Water testing at your Pool Pro Professional is FREE!
When you test your water at home, if the tests are within the normal range then all is okay. If the test results are outside the required range, take a water sample to your Pool Pro Professional.
Your Pool Pro Professional will need to know some things about your pool, so print this page and complete the table so you have all the information your Pool Pro Professional needs in order to ensure that your water is properly sanitised and balanced.
What is Algae?
What is Algae?
Many pool owners have problems from time to time with algae. What is it and what can be done to get rid of it? What can we do to avoid the problem recurring?
The following may help answer these questions and help dispel some of the misunderstandings about the how and why of the appearance of algae in swimming pools. It is not really any different to the mould you see in shower recesses. Many household mould killers contain Sodium Hypochlorite (Liquid Chlorine commonly known as bleach) or especially in disinfectants, the chemical used in Pool Pro Algae Control (Benzalkonium Chloride). The strength in pool chemicals is much stronger than in household cleaners.
Algae is a small plant growth which can take on many forms and is closely related to seaweed which itself is a form of algae. As in the case of seaweed, it can come in many shapes and sizes but for the most part Algae found in swimming pools is very small and resembles moss. These tiny microscopic plants feed on nutrients contained in the water. The algae spores or seeds if you like, are already present in the water, transported to the pool by wind or are attached to other debris which finds its way into the pool.
The algae plant requires only air, sunlight, water, phosphates or a good supply of nutrients to grow. They normally grow most profusely in the shallowest water or low flow areas and are usually found around swim outs and steps.
Green algae is the most common. There can be hundreds of thousands algae spores in a ml of water before you ever see them.
Black Algae (Black Spot) clings to walls, floors, grouting and pebbles and is very resistant. It forms a waxy coating and is difficult to remove.
Mustard Algae which is a yellow/green colour is also resistant. It brushes off easily but returns quickly.
You can read more in-depth biology on Algae at the Live Science website by clicking here.
How do we get rid of it?
By removing any one of the elements mentioned above i.e., sunlight, phosphates or nutrients, the algae will not grow. The simplest way of ridding your pool of algae is to remove the nutrients required for algae growth. Shock dosing (with chlorine) of the pool will usually overcome the problem by starving the algae of its nutrients, causing it to die.
However they are extremely hardy little organisms and in some cases, the algae becomes so resistant to the normal sanitiser that treatment with a Pool Pro Algaecide is required. There are many of these available and your Pool Pro Professional can advise on which is best suited to you.
Maintaining correct water balance, sanitiser (chlorine) levels, and not allowing the pool to “go green”, along with occasional shock dosing, will usually keep algae under control. Add to this, a weekly dose of Pool Pro Algae Control as a preventative measure.
Once you have let algae take a hold in your pool, the spores are hidden in filtration and pipes, therefore it is harder to once again take control of it. Prevention is better than cure. Keep algae at bay by always having adequate chlorine in your pool water.
AS WITH ALL CHEMICALS KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN AND STORE IN A COOL DRY PLACE. NEVER MIX CHEMICALS AND NEVER ADD WATER TO CHEMICALS, ALWAYS ADD CHEMICALS TO WATER.
How do I remove black spot algae?
How do I remove black spot algae?
Black spot algae clings to pool surfaces, grout and between pebbles. It is very resistant to treatments and difficult to control. Prevention is much easier than cure.
Firstly prepare the pool water ensuring that the pH level is between 7.2 and 7.4ppm (parts per million).
Black spot algae has a hard crusty shell therefore you must firstly brush the black spots with a stainless steel Pool Pro Algae Brush or for pebble pools a Pool Pro Pebblecrete Algae Brush. This exposes the root growth and assists with the penetration of algaecide.
Add Pool Pro Black Spot Remover as per the instructions on the bottle or from you Pool Pro Professional. This product is copper based which has been found to be the most effective algaecide for black spot algae. Switch on the filter and run for eight hours to circulate. Vacuum the following day and clean filter.
Care should be taken not to overdose with copper based algaecides. In addition, instructions should be carefully adhered to. Over treatment with copper can lead to staining of the pool interior and turn blonde hair green!
When black spot is prolific you would be best advised to have your Pool Pro Professional visit and attend to the problem. In some extreme cases the pool may need to be drained and acid washed.
Never add any alkali material (i.e.: buffer) to the pool when treating with copper based algaecide as this can cause the copper to drop out of suspension and stain the pool interior.
Why is my pool cloudy?
Why is my pool cloudy?
There can be many causes of cloudiness.
The filter may not be running properly or may need cleaning. Make sure you check and clean the filter.
- If you have a sand filter you will need to backwash it.
- If you have a Diatomaceous Earth (DE) filter you will need to remove the candles, clean and re-coat with Diatomaceous Earth.
- If you have a cartridge filter you will need to clean it using Pool Pro Filter Cleaner and Degreaser.
If the water is mildly cloudy add Pool Pro Clarifier or Pool Pro Smart Cubes, or if it is a heavier cloud use Pool Pro Supershine. Then run the filter for 24 hours or for as long as it needs to clear up the water.
If the pool has had heavy use, it could be due to unfilterable swimmer wastes. Superchlorinate or use Pool Pro Impact.
Total Alkalinity could be too high. If so, reduce with Pool Pro Hydrochloric Acid or Pool Pro Dry Acid.
Total dissolved solids, calcium or stabiliser could be too high. Take a pool water sample to your Pool Pro Professional who will test for these things. The solution may be to partly drain the pool and add fresh water
Algae could be clouding the pool water. If so, treat for algae by using Pool Pro Algae Control.
Additionally, increased or high Phosphate levels in water assists the growth of stubborn algae and increases chlorine consumption. If Phosphate levels are high the use of Pool Pro Phospate Remover should be seriously considered. Your Pool Pro Professional can test for Phosphate levels in your pool water
If you are using granular chlorine check that you are not adding it directly to the pool without dissolving it. (This practice can cause water to go cloudy). If so, stop this practice.