How to Prevent and Kill Algae in Your Swimming Pool
Did you know that algae prevention should be part of your pool’s regular maintenance routine?
Today, we look at how to prevent and kill algae in your swimming pool so you can enjoy crystal clear and ready pool water all season long.
What is Algae?
Algae occurs naturally in our environment, and you can find it in nearly all dirt and plant debris. Algae may blow into your pool on the wind, or it can even find its way into your pool through bathers or contaminated pool equipment.
The important thing to realize is that algae are always present, but it’s how you care for your pool that kills and prevents a bloom.
Any number of factors can cause algae to grab hold of your pool. This can often happen in just a few hours on a hot summer day (which is basically all summer in Oklahoma)!
Here are some conditions that cause algae to grow:
- Your water is out of balance.
- You haven’t maintained the right chlorine levels.
- Your pool filtration
- Pool water circulation
- Hot, sunny days
- Not properly taking care of your pool, such as brushing walls and floor and using algicides
In order to bloom and get out of control, algae need food to survive. Your pool is full of that “food” in the way of contaminants. Moreover, if you have a high bather load, your pool is teaming with debris for algae to feed on. Your goal is to keep that algae from blooming.
How Do You Prevent Algae?
First, you want to maintain your pool properly. This means doing the following on a regular basis:
- Sanitize to keep your water clean.
- Shock to remove any contaminants.
- Use algicide to prevent algae and kill it if it creeps into your pool.
In addition, you also want to test your water regularly to maintain balanced, clean, and healthy water. You can bring us a sample, and we’ll test it for free. Then, we’ll provide you with a computer printout that tells you just what your pool needs.
Keep your pool clean, too. It’s also a great idea to brush your pool walls and pool floor every week!
You also want to ensure you pay careful attention to your pool’s circulation, water balance, sanitation, and filtration. You want these to be in full working order. If any of them aren’t, you are creating the perfect opportunity for algae to bloom.
Now, let’s talk about algicide.
Pool Algicide to the Rescue
Algae not only looks bad in your swimming pool, but with it, your pool is no place for swimmers. It creates water that is cloudy, discolored, and may even smell.
When you regularly use an algicide, you can kill existing algae and prevent any future blooms.
It is really important to try and kill algae before it becomes an issue. We recommend algicide for proper pool maintenance in addition to your shock/oxidizers. Algicides are vital to keep your pool clear of any algae growth.
Questions? Contact us at any time! Our expert staff is always here to help! You can also shop in-store or online for our wide selection of pool algicides!
