Help, my pool water is green!

A handy chart you can use to fix what ails your pool.

If you are experiencing problems with your swimming pool water and not sure what to do, this handy chart will help! This chart can help you identify the possible cause of the problem and suggest a solution. If you don't see your problem listed here, please contact the experts at your local Pinch A Penny store who are ready to help with any pool problems you may have.

My pool water is cloudy, smoky or hazy.

Possible Cause	Solution
Poor circulation or filtration.	Back-wash and clean pool filter. Clean skimmer baskets and pump strainer basket. Filter may need chemical cleaning.
Improper water balance.	Test pH, Total Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness. Adjust if necessary.
High Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and/or Calcium Hardness.	If one or both are high, TDS over 3,000 ppm or Calcium Hardness over 400 ppm, drain off 1/3 to 1/2 of your pool water and replace with fresh water. Then adjust chemical balance.
Excess organic waste.	Shock with 1 gallon liquid chlorine for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
High Total Alkalinity.	Add Muriatic Acid or Suncoast pH Minus
Low sanitizer level.	Add chlorine to bring it to its proper range.

My pool water is green.

Possible Cause	Solution
Green algae growth, a free-floating variety which imparts a cloudy green color to the water. It’s easy to correct if treated early.	Shock pool and add Stop Yellow, Stop Green, Super Green Algaecide or All In One Algaecide.
Low Total Alkalinity	Add Suncoast Total Alkalinity Increaser.

My pool has yellow or green dust on its floor and walls.

Possible Cause	Solution
Mustard algae.	Shock pool and add Suncoast Stop Yellow.

My pool has black spots on its floor and walls.

Possible Cause	Solution
Black algae, a very resistant, hard-to-kill variety which appears as small, black dots or blotches that are pin-head to quarter-sized on the walls and bottom of the pool.	Suncoast Super Black Algaecide is the finest product on the market for the treatment of black algae. If Metal Control is used in conjunction with Suncoast Super Black Algaecide, even the most severe problems can be eliminated faster. You need to brush the spots to remove them after chemical treatment.

My pool has pink slime.

Possible Cause	Solution
Pink Slime is a form of bacteria with a pinkish center that’s surrounded by a flat gelatinous mass. This bacteria can usually be tracked to some swimmer who has recently visited a coastal area where this type of growth is common.	Double shock the pool with 2 gallons of liquid chlorine per 10,000 gallons of pool water. After 48 hours, use Suncoast All In One Algaecide at twice the recommended rate for visible algae.

My pool water is sudsy.

Possible Cause	Solution
Overuse of some types of algaecides.	Discontinue use of current algaecide and switch to a high-quality, non-foaming one such as Suncoast All In One Algaecide. You may want to replace some of the pool water with fresh water and/or use Suncoast Stop Foam.

The pool water is making our eyes burn.

Possible Cause	Solution
Low or high pH	Check pH and adjust to 7.4 - 7.6 range.
Excessive organic waste	Shock with 1 gallon liquid chlorine for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
Too much sanitizer	Check automatic chlorinator setting.

The pool makes blonde hair turn green.

Possible Cause	Solution
Usually occurs in natural blondes or blonde children between the ages of 6 and 13, because of the amount of time they spend in the water. Also, certain forms of copper at concentrations of 1 or 2 ppm, like those found in some algaecides, can turn hair green.	If the problem is due to reaction with a copper, consider a special shampoo. Shampoos, like those containing aloe vera or anti-chlorine shampoos, are available to neutralize the chlorine reaction. If copper is your problem, add a sequestering agent to disable the copper minerals in water.

The chlorine test turned orange.

Possible Cause	Solution
Pool water has a very high chlorine content, above 4 ppm.	Discontinue using chlorine until chlorine returns to normal, or use a chlorine neutralizer.

The pH test looks purple or blue.

Possible Cause	Solution
Very high chlorine content.	Neutralize chlorine and retest.

The pH test always tests too high.

Possible Cause	Solution
High Total Alkalinity	Add Muriatic Acid regularly.

The pH always tests too low.

Possible Cause	Solution
Total Alkalinity is too low	Add Suncoast Total Alkalinity Increaser.
Use of Tri-Chlor or other low pH disinfectants	Use Suncoast pH Plus.

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Help, my pool water is green!

A handy chart you can use to fix what ails your pool.

My pool water is cloudy, smoky or hazy.

Possible Cause

Solution

My pool water is green.

Possible Cause

Solution

My pool has yellow or green dust on its floor and walls.

Possible Cause

Solution

My pool has black spots on its floor and walls.

Possible Cause

Solution

My pool has pink slime.

Possible Cause

Solution

My pool water is sudsy.

Possible Cause

Solution

The pool water is making our eyes burn.

Possible Cause

Solution

The pool makes blonde hair turn green.

Possible Cause

Solution

The chlorine test turned orange.

Possible Cause

Solution

The pH test looks purple or blue.

Possible Cause

Solution

The pH test always tests too high.

Possible Cause

Solution

The pH always tests too low.

Possible Cause

Solution

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