- So how does algae get into a saltwater pool?
How do you get rid of it?
How do you keep it from coming back?
Why do some hot dogs still come in packs of six
but hot dog buns come in packs of eight?
All of these questions are frustrating
but only one, only one is unanswerable.
While I can't help you with your next cookout,
I can help you remove algae from a saltwater pool,
so let's dive in.
(upbeat surf music)
- Quick disclaimer:
everyone has their own way to maintain a pool,
but in the end our goal is to help you
and the information in this video's based on
my personal experience in the pool industry
and the research that we've done here at SwimUniversity.com.
And if I've missed anything,
please leave a comment and let me know,
and it'll also help your fellow pool owners.
And if you have an answer to the hot dog question,
leave a comment with that too, seriously.
So before we dive into fixing your pool,
we need to know a little bit about algae and pool chemistry.
There are three different types of algae
that can invade your saltwater pool.
There's green,
there's yellow which is also called mustard algae,
and there's black.
Green is the most common and the easiest to remove.
Yellow and black algae are tough
but not impossible to remove.
They just take a little bit more elbow grease.
The second thing to know is that saltwater pools
are actually chlorine pools.
A device called a saltwater chlorinator
or a saltwater generator converts salt into chlorine
through a process called electrolysis.
So saltwater generators produce chlorine
at a slow steady rate, which is why saltwater pools
are gentler on your skin, on your hair, and on your eyes.
And you're not adding a huge dose of chlorine all at once.
Now while this is one benefit to owning a saltwater pool,
it can be a downside when it comes to algae.
That slow steady chlorine production
makes your pool vulnerable to algae
if you don't keep your water properly balanced.
So how do you get rid of algae once it invades your pool?
Well I'm sorry, but get ready to do some work.
First you wanna brush all your pool surfaces
to remove the algae and your regular pool brush will not do.
You need to get an algae brush
with stainless steel bristles,
unless you have a vinyl liner pool.
In that case you can use a regular nylon-bristled brush
and you just have to 'scrub harder, boy!'
And if you have kids, this is a good time
to teach them about pool care and how
brushing the pool builds character
and promotes strong healthy bones
and turns them into a superhero.
They'll buy it.
Once you've brushed the algae off the walls
and the floor of your pool, vacuum it up.
Make sure to vacuum it away so that you don't send algae
right back in the pool.
You may need to add some water to your pool
after you do this so that you can get it
back up to the ideal level.
After vacuuming you want to test your pool water
and balance it for pH and alkalinity.
You want your pH to be between 7.4 and 7.6
and your alkalinity between 100 parts per million
and 150 parts per million.
125 parts per million being ideal.
Next it's time to shock.
So make sure you use chlorine shock
since your saltwater pool is, like we said earlier,
actually chlorine.
And you need to know how much water your pool holds.
You can visit SwimUniversity.com/pool-calculator
to figure out how much water is in your pool
so that way you don't have to do any math yourself
because life is just too difficult
to have to do math all the time.
Once you know how much shock you normally need
for your pool volume, which is generally about
one pound per 10,000 gallons, you wanna follow
these guidelines to banish algae from your pool.
If you have just a little bit of a green color,
like it's a teal color, you wanna double the usual amount.
So for instance if you have a 20,000 gallon pool
you'd normally use about two bags of shock,
but for this you are gonna need to double it
to four bags o'shock.
If you have a lot of algae, which means it's dark green,
you want to triple that amount, so three times.
And if you have mustard algae,
this stuff can be chlorine resistant.
So you're gonna need to triple shock it to kill it.
And if you have black algae,
well that one's even harder to kill
so you're gonna need to quadruple shock it.
And if your pool is so green that it looks black,
you're gonna either need to triple
or quadruple shock your pool.
Now before you go shocking your pool all willy-nilly,
I highly recommend you watch our video on how to do it.
Also you're gonna wanna shock at night
and keep the filter system running
for at least eight hours afterwards
to let the shock work its killer magic.
Now real quick, if you wanna learn more
about taking care of your pool
with in-depth tutorials and guides you should check out
our pool care handbook and video course.
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This is the ultimate manual for every type of pool
and it's always up to date.
And because you watched this entire video,
you can get 10% off by using the promo code VIDEO.
Just go to www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook
or click the link below.
The following morning your pool water
should look cloudy blue.
That's all that gray dead algae floating around.
However if it's still slightly green,
you're gonna need to shock it again
with the same amount to kill that algae dead.
So after that, I recommend that you run your filter system
24/7 to help clear it up, and you can also use
some clarifier to help you achieve water clarity faster.
So make sure that you test the water
so that your chlorine has returned to the normal level,
and if your water is unbalanced you wanna balance it again.
Get all your levels where they need to be
before you let anybody back into your swimming pool.
So now that you've done all that work to remove algae
you don't wanna have to do it again.
So to keep algae from attacking your pool
in the first place, follow these steps.
Number 1: balance your water chemistry at least once a week.
More often if you're swimming a lot
and you wanna make sure that your chlorine level
stays between one and three parts per million,
ideally three parts per million.
Number 2: you wanna shower before getting into your pool.
It doesn't have to be like a soap and shampoo shower,
just a quick rinse.
Number 3: wash your swimsuits if you've been in a
natural body of water or a public pool.
If you've just been in your own pool
and maintaining the water as normal,
you can just do a rinse, that'll be fine.
Number 4: balance your water chemistry.
Did I say that one already?
Okay, if I did it's worth repeating.
Number 5: you wanna clean your pool toys
and other equipment between uses.
Wipe down floats and other things with diluted bleach
or a bleach-based cleaner to kill algae
and to keep mildew from forming.
You wanna rinse those well to get rid of all the bleach
before you put it back into your pool.
That's gonna protect your equipment.
Number 6: if your saltwater generator has a 'boost mode',
that releases an extra dose of chlorine,
use it weekly or more if necessary.
And just remember to use it at night
after everyone's out of the pool
to give chlorine time to dissipate.
Number 7: balance your water chemistry.
And keep chlorine at three parts per million.
This (beep) is important.
All right, if I missed anything or if you have
any further questions about getting rid of algae
in a saltwater pool, please leave a comment.
And if you wanna learn more about pool maintenance,
troubleshooting, product reviews,
or even taking care of your hot tub,
please subscribe to our channel
for more videos like this one.
That's it, and as always: happy swimming.
(upbeat surf music)