Swimming Pool Problem?

[richard101]

We have a swimming pool that has what looks like algae growing above the waterline in a lot of areas. The water comes into contact with it when swimming. I'm wondering if this could be the cause of eye infections? Shout the pool service guy be removing it? Or is it harmless?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[anotheruser]

Yes, it should be removed.

[SantiSuk]

Yes - needs brushing off and removing. Pool boy should in one session:

* brush the walls and floor and use a wire brush on bits that are difficult to remove. Sometimes flippers/snorkel job to remove stubborn stuff at the bottom of a deep end

* when all the green / black blobs have been removed allow the debris to settle on the pool floor for an hour or so (pump off).

* vacuum up the debris on the pool floor

* backflush the pool filter

Then attack the probable cause of this (not unusual) condition. Your pool chlorine levels are being probably being maintained at too low a level. When I was using manually added chlorine I used to get blobs of algae if I went away for a few weeks and pool boy did not maintain chlorine at suitable levels consistently. Personally I now target chlorine levels between 2 and 2.5ppm whereas some guides (eg markings on test tubes) show levels of half this as being appropriate. IME bouts of levels falling below 1.0ppm risks algae build-up kicking off. Now I have a working chlorinator I no longer get algae blobs - I think constancy of chlorine levels must be advantageous.

Other professionals (I am not) on the thread will probably add their two-pennyworth including the merits or otherwise of also adding an algicide as part of the clear-up process. I never bothered but my blobs were a bit less advanced than yours.