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If you are looking for instructional information about the steps involved with cleaning up a green swimming pool then this page (and video) will definitely help you to do this. "Green to clean" is the slang name for the pool service of fixing green water in a pool, usually within the shortest amount of time possible. So calling a local pool company for a green to clean service for example would involve multiple trips to your home for vacuuming, brushing and most especially chemical maintenance in the water over a few days time. While you can actually clear up a green pool in as little as 12 to 24 hours (in some cases) most will take between three to seven days to clear fully with about five days being average for a green to clean pool.
The difference in the amount of time it can take for a green to clean pool is due to the different conditions the water can be in, combined with the quality of the pool filtration system including number of pipes, size of pipes, flow rates, filter type and filter size. Also the volume of the pool will make a significant difference as well. The larger the pool the harder it is to turn it around when it is green, the longer the chemicals take to work, the more of them you need, and the greater the amount of time required to complete one turn over of the pool volume through the filtration set. In short, smaller pools are easier and faster to clear up than larger ones. Let's dive into the steps required to change your pool from green to clean:
Green to clean pool steps - No matter what kind of swimming pool that you have the steps to take it from green to clean will be the same. You need to scoop the debris floating on the pool and keep the strainer baskets clean on the pump and the skimmer. You need to brush down the walls and floor often, up to and including daily for very green pools. You will need to watch closely the pressure on your filter gauge and clean your pool filter as it becomes blocked with debris. Most of all, and the thing which will actually change the water from green to clear is, the water chemistry. There are a host of variables which you need to know, and balance, in order for your pool water to be clear. If the water is green there is almost certainly one, if not multiple things, wrong with your water chemistry currently If you know what to look for in your water chemistry tests you can usually tell at a glance exactly what is wrong and what it will take to clear up your green water. This is why detailed water testing is so important if you want to actually fix you green water.
Run your filtration system 24/7 to clear green water - Even if you typically run a reduced operating schedule for your pool pump every day you will want to be running it 24/7 until the water has cleared up. If you have green water in your pool this is no time to be pinching pennies on your pump operating costs. Be sure to clean your filter and note the clean operational pressure on your filter. When the pressure increases around 7 PSI this indicates it is time to clean the filter again. This can happen often and quickly when you have green pool water so watch your pressure closely. Never let your pool system operate above 30 PSI for any pool. So clean operational pressure plus 7 PSI, or 30 PSI total, whichever comes first - this is how you know when it is time to perform your filter cleaning maintenance.
When to NOT run your pool pump clearing green water - The only time you should not run your pool pump when you are cleaning green water would be if you are attempting to use a flocculant in your pool water. These are designed to coagulate impurities within the water together and sink them to the bottom of the pool. This requires that your pool filtration system be turned off for a period of time, usually overnight, and then in the morning you vacuum the debris which has settled onto the floor to waste (not into the filter). Floc treatments are something that pool professionals use to aggressive and quickly clear green pools, but you should be aware that this can be a problem for your filter depending on what kind you have. Usually you must bypass your filter media for treatments like this, which is easy on a sand filter, and harder on any other filter. Exposing your filter media to flocculants can cause damage to them. Most pools will not need flocculant to clear green water. Simply run your filtration system and adjust the chemistry to the ideal ranges and the pool will clear without additional treatments being required.
Green to clean pool water chemistry - In almost every case the problem with green water that will not clear is a result of one or more of your fundamental water chemistry parameters being out of place. Testing and rectifying this problem will almost certainly result in the pool clearing up in about 24 hours or less. Most commonly, the CYA of the pool is too high and this is preventing your chlorine from working properly, or the presence of combined chlorine is stopping the water from clearing up. You really need to go through your water chemistry systematically but jumping ahead, these two common offenders are something I would be looking for in your water test results. A pool with CYA too high or a pool with high combined chlorine levels will not clear even if you are doing every other thing correctly.
Many pool owners jump to changing their pool filter, or their pool filter media when they have a green pool that will not seem to clear up. In almost every case this is a misstep that is costing you money but not actually helping the problem. Rarely is the cause of green water in a pool from a failed pool filter. Yes it is possible, but very very unlikely versus a host of more likely problems, most of which relate to water chemistry and not filtration media. If you are thinking to change your filter media or upgrading your filter due to green water I would encourage you to revisit the water chemistry results first as there likely is a problem there that needs resolution.
Watching this long for video discussion about clearing up green to clean pools will help a great deal to learn more about the order of operations to fix a green pool but also many of the potential problems you can encounter in your pool. Start with the most common / worst offending causes for green water and make sure you do not have any of these. Run your pool filter 24/7 and consider using floc treatments if your pool is extremely green. Be sure to watch your filter pressure and clean when the filter pressure rises 7 PSI or so above clean operation pressures for your pool. Do not leave a solar blanket or pool cover on during the daytime when you are trying to clear up your water. Scoop, brush and vacuum your pool as often as it looks like it needs it, once per week at minimum. More if you have a lot of debris in your pool. Keep your skimmer and pump strainer baskets clear of debris. If you follow these steps you will almost certainly take your pool from green to clean!
Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool and spa specialist from Ontario Canada. With over 10,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the 2018 Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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