Black Algae Treatment Expert
Black algae is a problem for many swimming pool owners.
When you wake up and find black algae spots on your pool surfaces, disaster has descended on your pool.
Black algae spots occur in a swimming pool when your water has low free chlorine level and/or dirt is allowed to build up on the surface preventing the chlorine in the water from reaching the surface for a period of time. Good circulation is a must!
Weekly brushing moves the water right near the surface and gets most of the dirt off. It’s a must. No matter the cleaning system, there are low flow spots. Brushing gets the chemicals moving with the water flow created by the brushing.
The time took to avoid black algae is well worth your time and energy.
It is best to handle this problem quickly! As soon as you see black algae spots. Do not wait until you have a major job to handle.
What can I do?
The best and maybe only cure for black algae is a new pool surface. If you don’t want a new surface at this time, here’s a way to get some control on an out of control problem.
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and do some work. Black algae spots are resistant to chlorine! They have a protein layer that keeps them safe from chlorine in the water. Just shocking/chlorinating or dispensing an algaecide in your pool will not rid you of black algae. You have to treat the surface where the Algae lives and not just the water.
There is no easy way to get rid of black algae. It will take Direct treatment with a stabilized form of chlorine muscle power and the correct additional chemicals to get this this problem under control.
I wish I could tell you this was going to be a permanent fix but even if you knock the heads down one week, they can come right back the next.
The Phoenix Pool Expert has a plan! Here’s how you deal with it.
The supplies you will need to handle black algae spots are a wire pool brush, stabilized chlorine in tabs for the walls and granular for the floor. Shock won’t do, liquid would be wasted, Granular trichlor is the way to go.
If you want the most bang for your buck, add copper or silver algaecide. The reason we use copper and in extreme cases silver is because they will penetrate the surface and stay there. Other types of algecide are for the water only.
These directions are not for a vinyl lined or fiberglass pools. Contact the Phoenix Pool Expert if your vinyl or fiberglass pool develops a resistant algae.
Do not swim in your pool during the black algae spot treatment.
Here are the steps:
- Brush spots with wire brush.
- Add silver or copper algaecide to water and circulate. (these two can be done at the same time) Be careful to get all the algaecide in the water so it doesn’t stain the deck.
- Turn pump off and leave it off for 24 hours. Let the water settle so you can see every spot clearly.
- Apply chlorine directly to the algae spot. On floors this means spreading granular trichlor over the spot To do this I use a cup with a handle like a measuring cup. I fling my arm so that some of the granules fly away from me and over the water. I adjust my fling and my position so that I get a treatment onto the black algae directly on the spots. I do one fling at a time watching for it to land and adjusting my position and swing until I get all the spots. Don’t let a bunch pile up. It’s acidic and a pile might yellow the surface in that spot. If it’s on the walls rub a chlorine tab directly onto the spot. Wear gloves or get the tool that attaches a tab to the end of a pool pole and do it that way.
- leave it alone overnight.
- Brush, start pump, let cleaner run or vacuum the spot to get the dead algae off. backwash or clean the filters.
- If there are still some black algae spots, you should repeat the process. Only add copper or silver every 3-4 months. It will stain your pool.
- After vacuuming start filter pump for circulation and adjust pH. Keep your pool chlorine level adjusted to 7.2-7.6 to prevent re-occurrence. Keep your chlorine residual at 1.0-3.0ppm.
- Brush the walls and every surface weekly. Run your cleaner enough to keep the floor clean.
- Enjoy your pool. If spots reoccur treat again. Only add
Black algae spots occur in a swimming pool when your water has low free chlorine level and/or the pool chemicals are unbalanced. Good circulation is a must! The time took to avoid black algae is well worth your time and energy.
Contact PhoenixPoolexpert in getting rid of black algae in your pool. Have the Pool Expert clean your pool! Call us now at 602-859-8889! Email PhoenixPoolExpert@gmail.com
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