What to Do If You Wake up to a Black Pool
If you've been looking forward to swimming season you may be relishing the first dip of the year. If you're relatively new to pool ownership you may pull that pool cover off and get quite a surprise though. You certainly weren't expecting to see something that resembles a swamp or lagoon, so what should you do next?
What Causes This?
There are a number of different factors that can contribute to this rather nasty appearance in this situation, but it's not all that difficult to treat. The discolouration has been caused by microscopic plants or algae growing in the water. There are a large variety of different species and they tend to lay on the surface of the pool water, or be suspended immediately beneath. These plants come in a variety of different colours and so your pool could, in fact, be mustard green, a blue-green or jet black.
Will Chlorine Work?
If your pool has been sitting over the winter period and hasn't been treated then it won't be surprising to see that these plants have taken over. In usual circumstances the people who you get to maintain your pool will make sure that there is a proper amount of chlorine in the mixture. Chlorine will treat algae very effectively and it also provides a sanitised environment so your family can swim safely. Adding a regular amount of chlorine won't make any difference in this particular case and you will have to get a product which is known in the industry as "shock." This has a concentrated amount of calcium hypochlorite which is made for the job.
What to Do
The amount of powder that you should add to the water will vary according to the appearance of the problem. If it looks more of a lighter shade of green then that means that the algae infestation is not as bad as it could be. Use the minimum recommended amount of powder and gradually increase the amount that you put in according to the shade of the water and according to the instructions on the packet, but be ready to put the maximum dosage in if your pool is midnight black.
Choose the Right Time of Day
You should only do this early in the morning or wait until the sun goes down before applying this procedure and don't do it in the heat of the sun. This is because the sunlight will tend to burn off the chemical before it is properly effective.
Clearing It up
If you notice a grey colouration to the pool water the following morning this is also quite normal. This is what happens when the algae dies off and you should simply run the pool filtration system on a continuous basis until the water is clear. This will signify that it is safe to swim at last!
For more information, contact a business such as Leisure Coast Pool Centre.
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