Swimming pool algae is a type of common organism that can grow in almost any body of water including swimming pools. Algae is a health hazardous and can clog your pool filter badly enough that you have to replace your whole filter system which can be very expensive.
Types of Algae
While there are many types of swimming pool algae the most popular one is green algae. This is a type of algae that comes in many different colors such as dark green, blue green, yellow green, light green. This type of algae can be very dangerous to your pool. It can clog your filters and can cause surface damage if left unchecked. Green algae can either be wall clinging or free floating. Another type of algae is black algae. This type of algae usually grows in the shade but not always. Black algae normally starts in cracks and crevices of your swimming pool. It is an especially difficult algae to treat and requires a specialized type of chlorine, or other chemical to eradicate it. A copper based algaecide is a good option to remove black algae. The other major type of algae is mustard or yellow algae. This type of algae is more common in the southern parts of the country. Mustard algae is often confused with sand or dirt. The way to tell whether it’s algae or sand is run your finger along it. If it is slimy then it’s algae. If it is gritty then it is dirt.
What Do I do if I Have Algae in My Pool?
If you have algae in your swimming pool then there are a few options. If you have green algae then you can usually get rid of it with an aggressive shocking. You can also try a pool sanitizer with copper or silver ions in them. If you have black algae then a good idea would be to use a copper based algaecide. You also need to give the pool a good rough thorough brushing before putting in the algaecide and another rough thorough brushing after putting in the algaecide as well as during the process to remove the slime layer. Mustard algae is another difficult algae and requires high levels of chlorine to break it up, although it can often survive even when attacked with a high volume of chlorine. You must give your pool a thorough brushing before and during the treatment to break up the slime layer. If you do not do this step it could prevent the treatment from working properly.