Why Is My Pool Green?

Imagine you’re coming home after a long day at work. You’ve been excited about the thought of getting into your pool with family to relax on the weekend, enjoying the sunshine and the clear blue water. 

Roll on the weekend, right?

That is until you discover your pool has turned green. It’s an alarming nuisance and no one wants to get in the pool while it looks that way. 

Whether your pool has turned a deep, dark green or is building up a light green tint, this month we’re going to help you understand why it’s happening and how you can clean it, and we’ll even offer some extra maintenance tips to help keep your pool looking fantastic.

What causes a pool to turn green?

Many people will think they know why water turns green, but in the case of your pool, it could be because of any number of things.

Let’s look at the most common reasons a pool turns that funny green color:

• Algae – The reason everyone is familiar with, a chemical imbalance is likely encouraging algae to grow in your pool. This is particularly common when the weather starts to warm up and there’s more sunlight. 

• Metal – Some metals, when constantly exposed to water, can oxidate and give off a green color. This could be your pool pump or the ladders – or potentially something metal that has fallen into the pool by accident such as a parasol. 

• Pollen – Giving off a slightly more green-yellow color, large quantities of pollen that drifts into your pool could be causing the problem. You can avoid this with a pool cover if you have a lot of flowers and trees around your pool. 

• Chlorine – An important chemical for your pool, if it isn’t balanced correctly it can have an impact on color due to organisms not being killed off or increased levels of oxidation.

If any of these seem like they might be the cause of discoloration in your pool, don’t worry, we’ll tell you how to clean it next.

How to clean a green pool

Without knowing the specifics about what’s causing your pool to turn green, it’s hard to give a direct answer on the best way to get it back to blue. But here are just some of the things you can do to clean your pool once you do know the cause.

The first steps you should take involve clearing out the algae – if it is actually algae causing the issue. This might require a deep scrubbing of the pool if it’s taken hold via your tiles and pool floor. If it’s surface algae, you might be able to skim a lot of it out. 

You’re not finished there, however.

The reason algae has been able to take hold is due to a chemical imbalance. Boost chlorine levels where required, possibly with the use of a chlorine shock if necessary. Depending on how bad the situation is, you may need to do this several times – always consult pool maintenance professionals if you’re unsure what to do when it comes to pool chemicals.

Finally, if you haven’t got one already, invest in a pool cover to protect your pool from foreign particles disturbing the balance of your water while you aren’t in it. This is more of a preventative measure, but it will help in your efforts while you get the balance back.

Continued pool maintenance

Once your pool is back to brilliant blue, you need to make sure you don’t let things slide back again. If algae or green discoloration has happened once, it’s likely to return if you neglect the pool. Here are some continued maintenance tips for your pool to keep it happy:

• Skimming debris out
• Test chemical balance regularly
• Invest in algaecide if it’s a common issue
• Cover the pool when not in use
• Clean any pool toys and equipment before they go in
• Wash swimwear properly after use
• Inspect your pool tiles and floor for cracks and damage

Need some professional assistance to keep your pool at its best? Let our team of professionals help at Morehead Pools. We offer dedicated maintenance programs to keep your pool in top condition at all times, taking care of cleaning, brushing, skimming, and water chemistry so you don’t have to lift a finger.

Call today and book weekly, bi-weekly, or bi-monthly maintenance in Shreveport and Bossier City on a schedule that suits you.