The Dog Days of summer in Minnesota becomes a frenzy of activity before the kids go back to school and the weather starts to turn. Making memories becomes a priority while the sun shines. While we take the last minute vacations our pools become a nightmare trying to contain the algae. It doesn’t have to be frustrating if you follow a few simple steps.
- Keep the water moving – Algae likes to form in the dead zones of the pool.
- Use the pool – Swimmers stir up the water allowing your skimmer to catch more
- Keep your sanitizer levels up and constant
- Add an algaecide every week
- Keep your filters clean
That is the formula but if we take it a step further it is important to understand How algae grows
Algae has to have sunlight to grow. Algae has to have phosphates to eat. Algae has to have carbon dioxide to breath and Algae has to have water so it doesn’t dry out so The pool is the perfect environment to grow Algae.
If you take any one of these needs away Algae will die. By controlling the condition of the water you are giving Algae fewer opportunities to live. There are a number of ways to do this without throwing in tons of chlorine.
Salt generators maintain the chlorine level and you only have to remember to give it a little extra help if you have a higher bather load. UV (Ultraviolet) light eliminates toxic chloramines and does the heavy lifting. Even without these helpful systems with a maintenance schedule you can easily keep the pool algae free. Weekly algaecides are a preventative and should be used throughout the pool season.
If your pool does turn don’t panic because there are algaecides that can kill algae as well. Talk to someone from the pools store and always bring them a sample of your water. Once you have a plan your summer should be hassle AND Algae free.
