Your family wants to use the swimming pool but the water doesn’t look good. Here’s how to solve simple swimming pool problems so you can get back to enjoying the water.
Problem: Algae can easily take root in the pool walls and spread quickly, sometimes within hours. The most common type of algae is green but other types include yellow/mustard and black.
Solution: Use an algaecide designed to combat the type of algae in your pool. To prevent algae, use an algaecide regularly.
Problem: Cloudy Water can be caused by many things, including unbalanced water and poor filtration. If the problem is not the fault of equipment, it could be caused by algae, total dissolved solids (TDS), body oils, low sanitizer levels or high pH or calcium hardness levels.
Solution: Shocking the water will usually clear up cloudiness, especially if the cause is algae. If shocking doesn’t work, a clarifier will help the filtration system do the job. To prevent further problems, use a clarifier regularly, making sure that it is compatible with the sanitization system you’re using.
Problem: Stains can be caused by organic debris that gets into the water or by metals that come out of solutions when the water isn’t kept in balance.
Solution: To prevent a re-occurrence, balance the water before treating the stain. Your pool or spa supply store will have a stain remover that’s designed to treat the type of stain you have. Keep the water balanced and use a stain preventive or metal remover when starting up your pool or spa and whenever fresh water is added.
Problem: Scale most often occurs when pH, total alkalinity or calcium hardness levels are high. The result is white, gray or brown deposits on the pool surface. Scale can damage equipment.
Solution: Again, make sure the water is properly balanced, then use a scale-removing solution and thoroughly brush the walls to suspend the scale so the filter can trap it. A special tile cleaner may be needed to remove deposits from the waterline where they’re most noticeable. Prevent a reoccurrence by keeping the water balanced.
Problem: Discolored water is most often caused by algae and metals. For example, manganese can give the water a brown, black or lavender color while copper can give the water a greenish tinge and iron can cause a brownish hue.
Solution: For discolored water caused by algae, follow the instructions above. If the problem is metal, use a sequestering agent to keep the metal in solution. A flocculent will cluster the metal particles so they can be filtered out. If your water source has a high mineral content, use a metal remover whenever you add fresh water to the pool or spa and keep the water balanced.
Problem: Eye and skin irritations are usually caused by improper pH levels that cause red, burning eyes, itchy skin and rashes. Your pool may also have an insufficient level of sanitizer.
Solution: Test the water to find out whether any water-balance factors are out of their ideal range and then shock the pool water to get rid of chloramines. Shock the water consistently to get rid of unwanted chloramines and keep the water balanced.
Problem: Scum is caused by a combination of impurities such as body oils, soaps, cosmetics and lotions. Scum is rarely harmful but it can be unpleasant.
Solution: Use an over-the-counter tub and tile cleaner to scrub away the scum, using as little as possible to minimize the amount of cleaner getting into the water. Have swimmers shower before entering the pool or spa and use a scum-absorbing product to trap scum before it has a chance to cling to the walls of the pool.