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 (1) Having a hard time cleaning your own pool?

 This very long page in our web-site is intended to help you maintain your
 own pool - while also keeping it perfectly "CLEAN AND CLEAR".  This portion
 of our web-site was developed by a small group of highly qualified swimming
 pool maintenance personel who are currently working full-time for VISION
 POOL SERVICE - cleaning and maintaining well over 800 swimming pools
 in the Orange County area of southern California. 

NOTE:  You may read the term "CLEAN AND CLEAR" many times throughout this narrative procedure.  Please understand: The term "CLEAN AND CLEAR" is required to accurately describe a "DARN-GOOD-LOOKING" swimming pool.

In the process, we will also recommend the use of specific swimming pool maintenance EQUIPMENT - which we have found to be "PREFERRED" in order to perform "ABOVE-AVERAGE" in this highly service oriented business. 

Our goal is to provide you with an unbiased information source to help you maintain your own pool.  If you have any problems or if questions arise that are not answered in this section, just click on the "CONTACT-US" hyperlink at the top (and bottom) of this page.  We are continually striving to add to this section to improve the average homeowners ability to clean and maintain their own swimming pool. 

First, let's cover a few "BASICS" that are fundamental to keeping your pool looking "CLEAN AND CLEAR". 

(2) Water Level:

Maintain your pool water level halfway up the skimmer box opening.  A pool should lose no more than 1/4" of water per day (approximate).  If you notice a greater loss than that, you should suspect - and look-for - a leak in your pool - or in your pool's plumbing system. 

If you add an inch or so of water to your pool each time you service it, you will probably just keep up with normal evaporation.  If you wait a few weeks until the water is several inches low, it may take hours to fill.  When and if this happens, never leave the water turned on - unattended - since you may forget to turn it off.  (I'm afraid this has happened to me - more than once)...

After rains, you may need to lower the pool water level.  Use your submersible pump and a backwash hose (or a spare vacuum hose) for the discharge.  Alternatively, you can run the pool's normal circulation system - and turn the main valve to "WASTE".  If you use this method, remember to return all valves to their "NORMAL circulation" position after your finished adjusting the level of your water. 

(3) Equipment Check:

Start with the circulation system - by following the path of the water.  Clean out the pool's skimmer basket by emptying it into your trash can or a garbage bag.  Next, open up the pump's strainer basket (in the front-end of the pump), and clean it out.  After this is completed, check the pressure on the filter gauge, since there is no need to do this prior to cleaning out the skimmer and strainer baskets.  If they are full, the filter pressure will be low - and will come back-up after cleaning the baskets.  If the pressure is high, the filter may need to be dismantled and cleaned.  CLEANING your filter is another subject that will be covered later in this narrative description. 

Now, check the heater for leaves or debris.  Turn the heater on and off a few times to make sure it is operating properly.  While the heater is running, turn the pump off.  The heater should shut-off by itslef when the pressure from the pump drops.  This is an important sfety check.  If it does not shut-off by itself, call a professional pool maintenance outfit to check into this problem. 

Now, check the time-clock for the time-of-day, setting for the daily filter runs, and the setting for the cleaners clock.  Always check the clocks, because trippers (on the clock-face) come loose - or some other service work on household items un-related to the pool can also affect the clocks.  Also, electromechanical time-clocks are not exactly precision instruments.  One might run slightly faster than another, so over a period of weeks, one might show a difference of an hour or more, upsetting your planned timing schedule. 

After the equipment check, look for leaks or other early signs of equipment failure.  Clean-up the equipment area by removing leaves from around the motor vents and the heater to prevent filres, and clear deck drains of debris that could prevent water from draining away from the equipment during rains. 

(4)  Deck and Cover Cleaning:

Remove as much debris as possible from the pool and spa deck and the cover before removing it.  A quick sweep or hosing can remove the debris near the pool.  If the cover is a floating cover without a roller system, be sure to fold or place it on a clean surface.  Otherwise, when you put it back in-place, it will drag leaves, grass, or dirt into the pool.  If it is a meachanized cover system, and small amount on top of the cover will slide off as you roll it up.  Also, be careful to avoid abrasive or sharp surfaces as you drag the cover off of the pool. 

(5) Surface Skimming: 

Dirt floating on the surface of the water is easier to remove than to remove it from the bottom.  Rmove floating debris off the surface of the pool using a leaf-rake/net and telescopic pole.  As the leaf-rake/net fills, empty it into a trash can or plastic garbage bag.  Do not empty your skimming device into the garden or onto the lawn, for the debris is likely to blow right back into the pool as soon as it dries out. 

There is no particular method to skim, but as you do, scrape the tile line, which acts as a magnet for small bits of leaves and dirt.  The rubber/plastic edge gasket on a professional leaf-rake will prevent scratching the tile. 

If there is scum or dirt on the water surface, squirt a quick-shot of Tile Soap (preferably Arrow) over the length of the pool.  The soap will spread the scum towards the edges of the pool, making it more concentrated and easier to skim off. 

(6) Vacuuming: 

If the pool is not dirty, simply brush the walls and bottom, potentially skipping the vacuuming completely.  However, if the pool or spa is dirty:  Vacuum the bottom of the pool. 

However, prior to vacumming the bottom, there is one or two other thing to do first:

(6A) Tiles...

Always clean the tiles first.  Dirt falls from the tiles as they are being cleaned and settles to the bottom of the pool.  If you need to remove stubborn stains with a pumice stone, the pumice itself breaks-down as you scrub, depositing debris on the bottom. 

To clean the tiles, brush the tiles with Arrow Tile-Soap.  Apply a dab of the soap directly to the brush - and start scrubbing the tile.  To remove more stubborn stains and oils, mix one part Muratic Acid to five parts of the soap.  Wnen cleaning the tile, scrub below the waterline as well as above.  Evaporation and re-filling can change the waterline.  Never use extremely abrasive brushes or souring pads to clean the tiles - as they may cause scratches. 

(6B) Netting the top...

Using your Leaf-Rake (NET) makes it a simple matter to clear-off the surface of the pool.  We have found that netting the top by starting around the sides of the pool (close to the tile) gets rid of most of the debris in the shortest period of time.  You can easily do this by walking around the pool as you stroke the surface of the water with your net.  Be sure to stop every now and then and empty your net into a trash can.  This will minimize the occasional maneuvering mistakes that can easily take place with your net - wherein the leaves you have already collected accidentally slip out of your net and back into the pool.  To net the surface, we throw the net out into the middle of the pool with the net upside down, and then pull the net toward us - curving it to the left - along the side of the pool - as we take a couple of steps to the left and - repeat.

(6C) Vacuuming the pool...

If there are lots of leaves/debris on the bottom, you may have to actually NET the bottom first, to get the majority of the debris out of the pool before you can even begin vacuuming.  When you are ready to vacuum, connect your vacuum hose to your vacuum and place the vacuum underwater in your spa.  Then, after sucking pool water through the majority of the hose with your mouth, connect the other end of the hose into the suction port of your skimmer.  Filling the hose with water before connecting it into the skimmer minimizes the time during which your pump will be sucking air - rather than water.  Once it is connected, slowly vacuum out the bottom of the spa.  When this is completed, QUICKLY lift the vacuum out of the spa and drop it into the pool - in as short a time as possible.  As you vacuum the pool, adjust your motion to be fast enough to get the job done in a reasonable time - but not so fast that debris is

(6D) Brushing the sides & steps...

At first, you might ask why don't we brush the sides before vacuuming the bottom?  Generally, brushing the sides also stirs-up the bottom, making it almost impossible to vacuum the bottom until everything has settle to the bottom once again.  If you have plenty of time to wait while the debris on the bottom re-settles once again, then you could brush the sides BEFORE you vacuum the bottom.  To brush the sides, start the brush up against the side of the pool - at the bottom of the tile line - and push the brush downward (pulling it up against the sides of the pool as you push) - until the brush reaches the bottom and starts to angle out into the pool.  Then, pull the brush back-up toward the tile once again - while moving one brush width to the left - and then repeat the same process.  This way you slowly work your way around the pool and back to the point at which you started.  Only keep the brush up against the side of the pool on your downward motion.  You do not need to keep the brush up against the side of the pool as you pull it back-up to its original starting point - just below the tile  line.

(7) Details On Brushing the Tile:

Using Tile Soap (Preferrably manufactured by ARROW), pour a small amount of the tile soap into a small plastic/PVC bucket and add a pinch of muractic acid.  Using a short piece of PVC pipe, stir the composite until it hardens enough to press a small blob onto the bristles of the tile brush.  The resulting mixture can usually be used for a month or two of tile brushing.  Using your tile brush (with a small blob of tile soap spread on the bristles), move slowly around the entire pool - while using up-and-down brush strokes on the tile around the water-line of the spa and the pool.  Be sure to hit all the surfaces of the tile, concentrating on the areas that tend to collect calcium deposits.  Include all tile areas that are above the water-line as well, including the spa spill-way into the pool. 

(8A)  Chemical Safety:

Store your pool chemicals out of direct sunlight to prevent breakdown by UV rays.  Scale and corrosive conditions occur when pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and disolved solids are out of balance.  Frequent testing can help prevent these problems before they get out of hand.  Store pool chemicals out of reach of children in sealed containers. 

(8B) Emptying the skimmer, checking the skimmer baskets, and checking chemical levels:

Turn off the pump(s) and empty the skimmer baskets and the pump pot basket of any collected debris - on a regular basis. 

To prevent your skimmer basket from tipping over when the pump switches ON or OFF, place a small weight or rock in the bottom of the basket.  However, make sure the weight or rock is larger than the suction pipe below the basket.

Also, check to be sure your skimmer weir is in place and moving freely.  The skimmer weir is the door flap that is hinged between the pool and the skimmer. 

Using your Test Kit to check for Chlorine and Acid content as a minimum, add a chlorine tab or two to your skimmer basket and/or some granular chlorine to your pool (if needed), as well as adding a quart of Muractic Acid (if your pH is too high) - to bring your chemicals in-balance.  Checking and adding chemicals (as needed) on a weekly basis will tend to keep your pool free from algae or other problems.  Also use this opportunity to check your equipment operation - by turning your pump(s) back on and checking the operating of any additional water features you may have - such as pool cleaners, waterfalls and/or fountains...

(9)  Water Balance:

The water balance of your pool is critical to keeping it clear and clean.  What is a water balance? Simple, it is a set of chemical values that each sanitizing system works best in.  To put in even simpler terms you can think of it as oil versus gas in an engine.  Without the oil in an engine it will work, but its not long before the engine will be ruined for lack of oil.  Your water balance is like the oil of your engine, without it the water will turn cloudy, algae growth will occur, or in extreme cases it would be unsafe people to swim in. Each sanitizing system works in different ways, therefore each has its own water balance and different set values for each chemical quality of the water.  These "qualities" are terms you have probably heard of like pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness. You usually use chemicals different from your sanitizing system to adjust these values, but make no mistake keeping these values in the correct range is just as important as your sanitizer itself.  Below is a short description of each of these aspects so that you can further understand them, and charts that display the correct ranges for pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness ect.  are on each of the different sanitizer pages. 

(9A)  pH Level:

One of the most commonly known chemical aspects of pools, not to mention most important, is pH.  pH is just a measurement of the acidity of the water.  It is measured on a scale of 0-14. Anything 6.9 and below is considered "acidic", anything above 7.1 is considered "basic", and 7 itself is considered "neutral".  When it comes to the water in our pool, we want the pH just barely on the basic side of the scale.  Generally, on the number scale anywhere between 7.2 and 7.6 is fine.  So now we just need to know how to adjust our pH.  Logically, if our pH is high, we would put some acidic chemical in the water to pull that number down into the ideal range, and the opposite applies to it being low, you have to insert a basic chemical.  Easy right?  But then how much of each chemical to add, and which chemical?   Well thats where your local pool store comes in handy.   Most pool stores carry water testing equipment, and some will even test your water for free.   This equipment will help determine exactly how much to add of each chemical. 

(9B)  Alkalinity:

Another important area of water balance is alkalinity.  Alkalinity is a little bit harder to understand.  In basic terms though, alkalinity is a buffer for pH.  It keeps pH from jumping rapidly from one extreme to the other. pH and alkalinity are very related to one another and when you adjust one the other will be influenced. Another common way chemists explain alkalinity is by molecules willingness to share its electrons with other molecules. If that doesn't make any sense, don't worry, you can think of it like this.  Chemicals that do NOT have a high alkalinity are usually stable and exist naturally by themselves, like carbon.  Chemicals that DO have a high alkalinity pull others in, and do not exist in nature by themselves.  Lithium Hypochlorite, a common chlorine shock, is an example of an alkali metal bonded to other chemicals to make a very powerful oxidizing agent that burns harmful bacteria or algae right out of the water.  Adjusting the alkalinity is similar to adjusting the pH, for they are very much related to each other.  However, when it comes to adjusting these two levels, you will always want to adjust the alkalinity first.  Adjusting the alkalinity will have a large impact on the pH if it is very high or very low, however you can adjust the pH without having a large effect on the alkalinity. 

(9C)  Calcium Hardness:

The amount of minerals in your water is determined by the "Calcium Hardness".  There are many problems that can develop from your calcium hardness level. The most common mineral found in the hardness level is calcium carbonate.  Its stability as a molecule and its tendency to cling to itself and create "scale" makes it a hassle to control.  Calcium hardness is a tricky level to maintain because you cannot easily adjust it down, especially if the water out of your tap has a high calcium hardness.  On the other hand, though less common, if the hardness level is too low then the water can become corrosive. As with each sanitizing system, the ranges for calcium hardness varies, but in general you will want your calcium hardness level to be between 200 and 350.  As I stated earlier, calcium hardness is a difficult level to lower, so here are some tips to avoid having to go through the trouble of lowering it: Stay away from calcium based shocks, be careful whenever adjusting the calcium hardness level up, and if the water from your tap is already very high, don't worry, there are methods to lower your calcium hardess. The most common way to lower the calcium hardness is to fill the pool with a water of a lower hardness.  There are less common ways like using Trisodium Phosphate or a scale inhibitor of some type, but using water with a lower calcium hardness level is probably going to be be your best bet.  As for those of you who cannot lower your calcium hardness level through using your tap water, try consulting a water softening company or if the water in your house is soft (often water softening units do not entail garden spigots that are outside) run it to the pool.  You have probably heard that it is not safe to add softened water to the pool, however that is not true for the most part.  It is not safe to USE softened water to fill the pool, but to add some softened water to top it off is ok.  It is difficult to provide a correct amount of water to top it off with because its almost impossible to predict the hardness of your tap water.  However, if you use good judgment, or ask you local pool store, it should be easy. 

(9D)  Total Dissolved Solids (TDS):

Let me say first and foremost that "pool professionals" pay way too much attention to this chemical level.  They blindly blame many problems on TDS because they do not truly know what the problem is.  Let's first take a look at what TDS is so you can fully understand it.  TDS, simply put, are minerals and other chemicals that are smaller than two microns. They are are classified as "dissolved solids" because they are broken down as completely as they will ever be in water, but they still have enough substance to them to be considered a solid.  The total dissolved solids, or TDS level, is how many parts per million (ppm) of these solids are in your water.  Mostly comprised of calcium and sodium compounds, this rising issue comes from using alternative methods of dispersing chlorine like salt systems, or chlorine tablets instead of using straight chlorine gas.  However, if your local pool care professional is pushing you to drain your pool because of this level, it probably is completely unnecessary. The average pool care professional is trained to tell you to drain your pool at a TDS level as low as 1500 ppm.  It is rarely necessary to drain your pool even at 4000 ppm or more.  I say rarely because about 5% of the time it could be, but draining your pool should be a last resort! Now, you probably want to know the basis of this argument. Look at the sea. The ocean has a TDS level as high as 30,000 ppm, and in some areas of the ocean, you can see as deep as the light shines.  Bottom line, don't drain your pool unless you need to and usually there isn't a good reason to, even when it comes to TDS. 

(10) Chlorine: 

Chlorine is the most widely accepted sanitizer and also one of the most effective in use.  Chlorine was discovered in 1774 by Carl Sheele, a German scientist, by mixing muriatic acid and powdered pyrolusite.  Though at the time he didn't know what he had discovered, the yellowish green gas would later be called chlorine.  Chlorine would not be used as a sanitizer in water until the early 1900'S.  Chlorine in modern days has been chemically engineered for maximum sanitation and oxidation.  After reading the explanations below, you will have a better grasp of what's happening in the water. 

Water Balance of Chlorine:

pH: 7.2 - 7.6
Calcium Hardess:100-300
Alkalininty: 80 - 120
Ideal Chlorine Level: 1.0-3.0 ppm

(11) The Basic Reaction:

As stated earlier, chlorine exists as a gas in its purest form.  When this gas enters water it undergoes a simple reaction:  water + chlorine = hypochlorous acid + hydrochloric acid.  This reaction is the most important reaction of chlorine and has kept pools clean for years.  The active ingredient that we want to pay attention to here is the hypochlorous acid (HOCl).  It goes through a second reaction: hypochlorous acid <=> hydrogen ion + hypochlorite ion (OCl).  This is a reversible reaction that must stay in equilibrium, so as HOCl is used up, more OCl will be converted back to to HOCl, and vice-versa.  The most potent, sanitizing form of chlorine, or HOCl, is what you want in your water for maximum disinfection.  In fact, depending on the condition, HOCl can be anywhere from 20-200 times more effective at killing microorganisms than OCl.  The water balance of your pool has a lot to do with how much killing power (HOCl) you have in your pool.

The Effects of pH on Chlorine One of the most common problems with the use of chlorine is the effects of the pH on the killing power of chlorine.  The pH of your water is critical when it comes to chlorine and other sanitizing systems.  As I stated earlier, the reaction of chlorine must stay in an equilibrium.  That equilibrium is influenced by the pH and can make or break your pool.  The lower the pH, the more HOCl you have in your water.  However, that does not mean you should go out right now and throw a bunch of acid your pool.  Too low of a pH will cause much more serious problems than algae!  The correct range for pH (7.2 to 7.6) still applies, but what you probably didn't know is that you can gain 20% more HOCl by keeping your pH around the lower part of the range.  If you do the math you're gaining a tremendous amount of killing power that will suppress bacteria and kill algae.

There are other things to think about when keeping the pH lowered.  Have you ever heard of chloramines?  If not, I'll discuss it later in more detail, but for now just know that they are the nasty form of chlorine that inhibits HOCl from working.  The main thing that you need to keep in mind when maintaining the lower pH is that chloramines appreciate it.  So while your getting the necessary killing power, you might also be forming a chemical that eats away at your chlorine level.  Tricky, huh? The best thing to do is just understand these things, so in the future you know what is happening in your pool.  Now you know how to get the maximum killing power, but to also be careful about chloramines. 

(12) Types of Chlorine

Gas:

There are several different forms of chlorine, but there are just three ways chlorine is commonly sold.  Chlorine gas, or Cl2, was first developed and is 100% pure chlorine.  Though dispensing chlorine in its gas form was popular in chlorine's earlier days, it is not used much in modern day pools as the equipment that dispenses the gas is quite expensive.  The equipment, a lot of times, is difficult to maintain, and justifying the cost to keep a gas system running is even more difficult for most, especially when there are more practical ways for chlorine addition. 

Liquid:

Liquid chlorine, or NaOCl, has become very popular for commercial uses or experienced chlorine users.  It can be bought from 10-12% available chlorine.  The problem with liquid chlorine is that special care must be taken when storing the it, and its shelf life is not long at all.  A lot of pool stores will not sell it for that reason alone.  Liquid chlorine must be vented at all times, for it constantly releases gas and will pop the lid off if you're not careful.  There is one final problem with liquid chlorine: it can foam.  The caustic soda that it creates when it is introduced into the water will react with the lotions that come off your body and can cause foaming. 

Tablets:

The tablet form of chlorine can come in many ways, and is the method the average pool owner uses today.  The most common form is trichloro-s-triazinetrione, trichlor for short,  is a non-stabilized form of chlorine.  Other companies used the stabilized version of trichlor also known as trichloroisocyanuric acid.  Some chlorine tablets are composed of calcium hypochlorite.  Calcium hypochlorite tablets are not recommended because they can cause problems with chlorine feeders, and they can, in some cases, cause cloudy water.  Chlorine tablets are great for dispersing chlorine in a slower, steady manner.  They come in two sizes 1" and 3" tablets.  Which is right for me, you ask? Well, 3" tablets are generally created for use with in-line chlorinators.  In-line chlorinators have a high flow rate and 3" tablets are made to withstand a high rate of water flowing over their surface at high pressures.  Most 3" tabs do not readily dissolve in the average floater.  So what goes in a chlorine floater? You guessed it 1" tabs.  They have more surface area and dissolve easier than the 3" tabs.  If you have a floater, and are using 3" tabs, and have a consistently low chlorine level, you might think about switching to 1" tabs.  It is possible to break the tablets you already have into smaller pieces, but be careful and wear rubber gloves (chlorine is corrosive, just in case you haven't heard).

(13) Types of Shock:

Ok, so you know what type of chlorine to use, but now your local pool professional is telling you to use shock.  What is shock? Well simply it is a way to raise your chlorine level, oxidize and sanitize your water, and is a great way to kill and/or prevent algae.  When referring to different types of shock pay attention to the active ingredient and not what brand it is.  Though brands can make a difference, you need to know the type of shock your using.  As you already know with anything what you pay for is what you get.  The same principal applies to shock.  The rest of this page will help you chose what type of shock to use with your pool. 

Calcium Hypochlorite:

The cheapest, most common, and also the most problematic shock is calcium hypochlorite.  Its chemical formula is Ca(OCl)2.  When cal-hypo is introduced into water it creates hypochloric acid, one calcium molecule, and a hydroxyl ion.  So let's start out positive with the good things about this shock.  Calcium hypochlorite, or cal-hypo for short, is a stable shock that has a great shelf life of 2-3 years.  Cal-hypo has a very high available chlorine percentage, anywhere between 65-75%, which means it is very strong.  In fact, it is classified as an "extreme oxidizer," because it is so powerful.  The biggest problem with this shock is that calcium does not readily dissipate and is not very soluble.  For vinyl pools, not to mention some others, you have to dissolve it before insertion in a 5 gallon bucket.  It shortens the length of liners and can bleach painted or unpainted plaster pools.  The calcium also can raise the water's hardness level and cause scale.  Though, cal-hypo is a stable shock it is not to be mixed with any other chemicals.  It can and will cause fires and in extreme cases explosion will occur.

Sodium Dichlor:

A great alternative for the cal-hypo shock is sodium dichlor.  Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione, or sodium dichlor, is a very stable shock, still relatively cheap (on average $2.75-$4.00 per pound depending on the quantity purchased), and it can be found at almost any pool store.  It is most efficient (not to mention, safe) when purchased at 56% available chlorine or less.  It does not cloud water, or dissipate slowly.  In fact some brands claim that you can swim as soon as one hour after adding.  It has a very long shelf life of up to 3 years.  One of the best features of this product is that it will not influence the pH significantly.  It depends on the brand for whether you should pre-mix it in a 5 gallon bucket, but better to be safe than sorry.  For the price, sodium dichlor is one of the most satifactory shocks available.

Lithium Hypochlorite:

One of the fastest dissolving shocks on the market is Lithium Hypochlorite.  This shock is one of the best, and its price says it loud at about $4.95 a pound.  It provides 35% available chlorine and though that doesn't sound like much it packs a strong punch.  It is recommended especially for vinyl lined pools because it is highly soluble and will not bleach the liner.  In most cases lithium shock actually lengthens a liner's life because it does not deteriorate it like other shocks may do.  There is no need to ever pre-mix this shock in a bucket because of how soluble it is.

(14) Algae:

Nothing can be more of a hassel than having to come home to a green pool after a hard day's work.  Algae happens from time to time with any pool owner.  The first thing to keep in mind is that clearing up algae infested water is not going to be the the least time consuming thing you will ever do with your pool.  In mild cases it may just take a good shock, in other cases more extreme measures may need to be taken.  However, lets take a look at how algae works so we can learn how to defeat it. 

A Brief Introduction To Algae:

What is algae exactly? Algae can come in various shapes and sizes.  It can be introduced into the water through spores, water hoses, rain etc.  In its early stages it is invisible to the naked eye.  After time allows it to grow, the water becomes a little cloudy.  At that point the water can turn green in just a few hours.  Algae uses photosynthesis to create its food.  In pools, algae, are grouped in three primary categories: green algae, mustard algae , and black agae. 

Green Algae:

Green algae is the most common algae found in pools.  It varies in color from pool to pool, but generally, as its name indicates, is green.  It can appear on the bottom and spread up the walls leaving the water very clear, or it can become dispersed throughout the water creating a nice green tint to your pool.  Depending on its severity this algae can be pretty easy to treat in mild cases.

Mustard Algae:

Mustard Algae is a less common version of algae.  It appears on the sides of the pool, stairs, ladders, or other rough surfaces that it can adhere to.  It is relativly easy to brush off, but will soon return to its original spot.  If you truly have mustard algae then it will be necessary to remove all pool equipment, bathing suits, and toys for cleaning.  Mustard algae is extremely resilient to chlorine, and even to some algaecides.

Black Algae:

Another less common version of algae is called "black algae".  This algae is also extremely resilient to treatment with chlorine.  It occurs mostly in crevices, cracks, and shaded areas.  Rarely does black algae occur in vinyl pools.  They key to defeating this algae is scrubing down the area inhabited by the algae. 

Once the algae has lost its grip on its surface it is much more susceptible to treatment. 

Common Causes of Algae:

Now that you know your not alone I am sure your wondering how to fix your pool. Let's first focus on how to prevent algae from occuring in the first place. Here are some things that you should be doing:

• Be sure that your water balance is correct (check it every time it rains and/or when you add water to your pool)

• Test water weekly to check sanitizer levels

• Backwash regularly

• Brush and vacuum the pool regularly

• Have the water analyzed by a professional at least once a month

• Make sure that your pump is running 8 hours or more

• When there is a large bather load compensate by using the correct chemicals according to each sanitizing system

• (EXAMPLE: shock the pool if you use chlorine)

(15) More - To Be Added Later...