Chemical Problems
Often, many water and surface problems can be handled by the individual pool owner. The information below provides solutions to some common pool issues. Always make sure the water is properly balanced prior to any addition of corrective chemicals.
Common Chemical Problems
| Problem | Description | Possible Cause | Solution |
Algae and Other Growths
| Green Algae | Murky, green water Possibly some growth | Low sanitizer | Shock Treatment. |
| Poor maintenance | Algaecide | ||
| Improper Water Balance | Clean the Filter | ||
| Poor circulation | Check the System | ||
| Black Algae | Rough, black spots on the bottom of the pool that brushes off with effort | Low sanitizer | Algaecide |
| Poor maintenance | Brushing | ||
| Improper Water Balance | Clean the filter | ||
| Poor circulation | Check the system | ||
| Mustard Algae | Yellowish-gold growth that easily brushes away | Low sanitizer | Brush |
| Yellowish-green water | Poor maintenance | Algaecide | |
| Improper Water Balance | |||
| Poor circulation | |||
| Pink Slime | Pink, slimy bacterial growth that brushes off easily | Low sanitizer | Brushing |
| Poor maintenance | Algaecide | ||
| Improper Water Balance | Clean the filter | ||
| Poor circulation | Check the system | ||
| Water Mold | White mucous or tissue paper-like substance | Low sanitizer | Shock Treatment and Algaecide |
| Poor maintenance | Clean the filter | ||
| Improper Water Balance | Check the system | ||
| Poor circulation | |||
| Animals and Insects | Water bugs, ducks, dogs, frogs, etc. taking a dip in the pool | Environmental | Shock treatment to kill the organic elements |
| Algaecide | |||
| Chlorine Demand | Unable to maintain the free chlorine level or cannot break the high combined chlorine | Foreign environmental contaminants | Shock Treatment |
| Poor maintenance | |||
| Cloudy Water | Hazy or extremely cloudy water | Poor filtration and circulation | Check the pump and filter |
| Difficulty seeing the pool bottom | Chloramines or low sanitizer | Clean and run the pump continuously | |
| Poor water balance | Shock treatment. | ||
| Particulate matter | Balance the water | ||
| Crystal Bright and Filter Cleaner & Degreaser |
Discolored Water
| Gray, clear green or turquoise water | Copper | Equipment corrosion. | Metal Out |
| Outside contamination. | Algaecide | ||
| Fill water | |||
| Use of copper algaecide | |||
| Coffee brown or purple water | Manganese | Equipment corrosion. | Super Floc |
| Outside contamination | Vacuum out waste | ||
| Fill water | Add Metal Out | ||
| Reddish-brown or rust | Iron | Outside contamination | Super Floc |
| Fill water | Vacuum out waster | ||
| Add Metal Out | |||
| Filtration problems | Clogging filter or short filter runs | Dirty filter | Replace filter media |
| Media not cleaned. | Clean with filter cleaner | ||
| Improper amount of filter media | |||
| Water Balance | |||
| Odor and eye irritation | Pool has a sharp, irritating odor | Chloramines | Shock Treatment |
| Swimmer waste, oils and organic waste |
Testing Problems
| Reagent Bleaching | Color of test fades to clear | High chlorine or bromine levels | Add up to 5 drops of a chlorine neutralizer |
| Reagent Discoloration | Reagent color is different than it should be – for example, the pH test turns purple or the DPD turns brown. | High chlorine or bromine levels | Let the chlorine levels come down, then retest |
| Old reagents | Replace reagents |
Other Problems
| Foaming | Bubbles on the pool surface | Excessive algaecide | Defoamer |
| Foreign substance | Determine the source and partially drain if necessary | ||
| Use Algaecide | |||
| Green Hair | Blonde hair turns green after swimming | Copper | Metal Out |
| Lemon juice or vinegar in the hair to remove the color | |||
| Rain | Rain washes debris into the pool and raises the water level, increasing the sanitizer demand | Environmental | Rebalance the water after circulating for 24 hours |
| Shock the pool | |||
| Water Loss | Noticeable difference in water level | Less than1/2” daily – evaporation. | Solar cover for the first two levels of water loss |
| 1/2” to 1” daily – active bather load | Professional assistance for anything over 1” daily | ||
| Over 1” daily – possible leak. |
