In home swimming pools, algae is a common problem that you can easily fix on your own. Algae are live plants that can show up out of the blue. It can block filters, slow down the flow of water, and make your pool chemicals less effective. Low bleach levels, heavy rain, and high temperatures can all make algae grow and make things worse.
What Causes Algae Dust in a Swimming Pool?
The best places for algae to grow are warm, wet, and sunny. Yes, that’s a great way to describe most swimming pools in the summer.
Spores of algae can get into the pool on the wind, or people can bring them in by touching dirt and leaves. There are nutrients like phosphate that are often found in pools that can help the algae grow. Phosphate can get into the pool from people, animals, plants, and even some chemicals.
Some things we call algae, like blue-green algae, black algae, and pink algae, are really bacteria. In either case, algae is also a place where germs can grow, which means that it might not be safe to touch.
Algae love it when the sun beats down on your swimming pool in the summer. This is very true if the pool hasn’t been fixed or cleaned.
Here’s how to get rid of algae in the pool, step by step.
What Kinds of Bacteria are There, and How Do You Get Rid Of Them?
- Green algae can stick to the water or the wall. Brush the pool, shock it, and add Algaecide 60 to get rid of it.
- It feels sticky and looks like black spots. Brush the algae away hard and add Algaecide 60 to get rid of it.
- The mustard algae in the pool bottom looks like sand. Brush the algae away hard and add Algaecide 60 to get rid of it.
- If there is a lot of algae in the pool, add flocculant (floc) to the water and clean up the algae that has clumped together on the bottom of the pool.
Algae Dust: 8 Effective Ways to Get Rid of Algae in Your Pool
1. Green Algae
“Green” algae is the type that you most often see in swimming pools.
Algae can be blue-green, yellow-green, or dark green. It may float freely in the water, making it a hazy green color, or it may stick to the wall, leaving green spots.
If you brush, shock, and use algaecide in the right amounts, green algae is pretty easy to get rid of.
Treatment
Check the pH level of the pool water the right way to make sure it’s right. If you need to, balance the pH of the water.
To raise the chlorine level above 3 parts per million, pools that have been cleaned with chlorine should first be brushed well and then shocked.
Also, make sure the water has a lot of Algaecide 60 in it. During this process, keep checking the pool’s filter to make sure the water flows properly.
If you want to get rid of all the bacteria, you might have to do this a few times.
2. Black Algae
Blue-green algae is what “Black Algae” is really. It grows in cracks and gaps on pool surfaces, especially those made of plaster.
Most of the time, black algae grows in shady parts of the pool, but not always. Because of their rough surfaces, concrete or plaster pools are more likely to have black algae.
It has a thick layer of slime and “skeletal growths” that keep chlorine from getting through.
Most of the time, black algae doesn’t make the water cloudier. It only makes the surface of your pool look like it has black spots on it.
Treatment
Analyze and balance the water the right way.
You MUST brush the algae very well before and during treatment to “break open” the slime layer. This is a very important step. You won’t get any benefit from the treatment if you skip it.
Give the pool a strong shock and keep brushing the black algae. A lot of Algaecide 60 should be added.
3. Mustard Algae
Mustard algae is a type of green algae that doesn’t get killed by chlorine. It is yellow-green to brown in color.
It looks a lot like sand or dirt on the pool’s bottom or sides.
Treatment: The same as for black algae.
When algae are really bad in a pool, you might have to take them right out of the pool.
To do this, brush the algae off the walls and then add “floc” to the water. It makes the algae stick together and settle down. As soon as it stops moving, take it out of the pool right away.
If you want to floc a pool, be sure to carefully follow the advice on the bottle.
We already said that salt chlorine makers are the best way to keep your pool clear of algae. They make sure that your pool always has a steady supply of natural chlorine. They will also let you, as the pool owner, leave your pool for a few days without having to check on it too often. When you return, the water will be clear and algae-free.
Natural Home Remedies For Algae Dust in Pools
- Salt: A lot of people use salt to clean their pools instead of poisons like chlorine. Salt is safer, cheaper, and more natural than chlorine. A process called electrolysis makes salt work to break down dirt and germs. The salt chlorine maker can add salt to your pool.
- Orenda water treatment: This natural process gets rid of the phosphate and other nutrients that algae need to grow. If the bacteria don’t have food, they can’t grow and thrive. This treatment doesn’t need much to get rid of phosphate and other nutrients.
- Ionic pool cleaner: This cleaner works by adding copper and silver to the water, which stops germs from growing.
- Sound waves: The cells in algae move and break apart in this cleaner that uses sound waves.
Note: This tool shouldn’t be used by itself, but it works well when used with other tactics. - Light that is ultraviolet: A lot of people choose to make ozone with generators that use ultraviolet light or power. Oxidation is the process by which the ozone cleans the pool.
Have fun and enjoy your swimming!