How To Fix Cloudy Green Pool Water

Swimming pool owners often worry about the color of their pool water, especially if they have to fix cloudy green pool water – and rightly so!

If you notice that your pool water is becoming discolored, and turning cloudy green, then this is a sure sign that something is up with your pool!

However, if you’ve never had this problem before, you might well have absolutely no idea what’s causing it! Is it a big problem? And is there anything you can do about it?

Well, don’t worry, as we’ll tell you what the likely cause of this green pool water coloration is, and how you can take the right steps to fixing it! And we’ll also tell you how to make sure the problem never happens again!

Why Does Pool Water Turn Green?

If you’ve noticed that the water in your pool is taking on an unwanted green coloration, the most likely source of the problem is a buildup of algae in the water.

Generally, this is caused because there isn’t enough of the required chemical in the water to kill the algae.

SO, whether you’re using chlorine or some other chemical to control the growth of algae in your pool, a green swimming pool is a sign that your chemical treatment isn’t working.

In most cases, this means that there simply isn’t a high enough level of the sanitizing agent in the water.

Is It Too Far Gone?

The regular treatment for a pool that’s started to have the water turn green involves a process of cleaning, chemical attack on the algae, and filtration. However, in some cases, this isn’t enough to fix the problem.

If the algae buildup is too extreme, then you won’t be able to stop the algae infestation merely by a chlorine pool shock.

Instead, if the buildup is severe the only way to fix the problem will be to drain the pool completely, and have it professionally cleaned.

This can be expensive, of course – which is why it’s so important to maintain the correct levels of chemicals in the water in the first place.

How To Fix Your Cloudy Green Swimming Pool Water Like A Pro

Luckily, if the algae infestation isn;t too bad, it’s actually possible to fix the pool without having to go to the expensive and time-consuming task of having it drained, cleaned, and refilled.

If you catch the algae just in time, before it gets too bad, then you’ll be able to fix it yourself with chemical treatment and a bit of elbow grease.

Of course, if after all of this, you can’t manage the algae growth, then you might well have to go through the expensive process of draining and cleaning the pool.

This might even involve having to acid-wash the walls and floor of the pool! Follow our 5 easy step guide below to clear up that cloudy green pool water.

1. Clean The Pool Surfaces

First of all, you’ll need to thoroughly clean the surfaces of the pool. This can be difficult while the pool is still filled, but it’s possible to do if the algae growth isn’t excessive.

Every surface will have to be thoroughly scrubbed with a pool brush in order to loosen any algae deposits that have formed.

If you don’t do this step, you’re just asking for the algae to come back, as larger areas of growth might survive the pool shock.

This will just lead to the algae returning, so take the time to do this step thoroughly in order to be sure of the best chances of success.

2. Test The Water

Testing the pool water is key to understanding exactly what the issue is, and the right steps you need to take in order to start fixing it.

If the chemistry of your pool is off, you’re inviting algae growth – so getting it right is of course important for making sure algae growth doesn’t happen in the first place!

Before shocking the pool, your water pH level should be around 7.5, and your alkalinity level should be in the region of 100 to 150 ppm. We recommend using a quality pool water testing kit to measure these levels.

If the pool water doesn’t match this, then you’ll need to add the appropriate chemicals to your pool in order to get it ready for shocking.

3. Pool Shock To Kill Algae

A chlorine based pool shock is the only way to be sure of killing the algae, This is true no matter whether you use chlorine in your pool or not.

Depending on how much algae you have, and how far gone the infestation is, you might have to increase the amount of pool shock that you use by a lot.

It’s also possible that you’ll need to shock the pool once again after you’ve filtered the water, to be sure that it’s completely dealt with. Hopefully this will help to clear out the problem!

4. Run The Swimming Pool Filter

As mentioned before, once you’ve shocked the water, then you’ll have to run the inground pool filter in order to clear out the algae from the water.

If the algae wasn’t too strongly set in, then you might be able to get away with running the filter for as little as 8 hours to clear all the algae from the water.

However, you’re probably better off running it for at least 24, just to make sure. You’ll need to run it for even longer if the growth was more severe.

Also, it might be a good idea to replace the filter cartridge after filtration, in order to have the algae fully gone from the system.

Finally, you might have to reshock the pool after filtration.

5. Stop The Algae From Returning

The absolute best way to make sure that the algae doesn’t return to your pool is to keep the chemical balance of the pool right.

No matter what chemical you rely on to sanitize your pool, you have to make sure that you’re adding the right amount in order to keep algae from growing in your pool.

Clean the filter regularly, and consider running the filter more often so that it can do its job of processing the pool water.

Do this, and maintain the chemical balance of the pool, and you’re giving yourself the best chance of keeping algae at bay and not having to worry about fixing cloudy green pool water again!

Our Conclusion on Clearing Up Pool Water That Is Cloudy & Green

Hopefully this guide has helped you to find out why your pool water is turning a cloudy green color, and how to fix and prevent it! Simply follow the steps above, give it some time and you should be good to go.