Troubleshooting Guide for Pool Care
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.
Read more on Cloudy Water problems and solutions.
Read more on Algae Maintenance.
PROBLEM |
DESCRIPTION |
POSSIBLE CAUSE |
SOLUTION |
Green Algae |
Murky, green water Possibly some growth |
Low sanitizer
Poor maintenance
Improper Water Balance
Poor circulation |
Shock Treatment.
Algaecide
Clean the Filter
Check the System |
Black Algae |
Rough, black spots on the bottom of the pool that brushes off with effort |
Low sanitizer
Poor maintenance
Improper Water Balance
Poor circulation |
Algaecide
Brushing
Clean the filter
Check the system |
Mustard Algae |
Yellowish-gold growth that easily brushes away
Yellowish-green water |
Low sanitizer
Poor maintenance
Improper Water Balance
Poor circulation |
Brush
Algaecide |
Pink Slime |
Pink, slimy bacterial growth that brushes off easily |
Low sanitizer
Poor maintenance
Improper Water Balance
Poor circulation |
Brushing
Algaecide
Clean the filter
Check the system |
Water Mold |
White mucous or tissue paper-like substance |
Low sanitizer
Poor maintenance
Improper Water Balance
Poor circulation |
Shock Treatment and Algaecide
Clean the filter
Check the system |
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
Poor maintenance |
Shock Treatment |
Cloudy Water |
Hazy or extremely cloudy water
Difficulty seeing the pool bottom |
Poor filtration and circulation
Chloramines or low sanitizer
Poor water balance
Particulate matter |
Check the pump and filter
Clean and run the pump continuously
Shock treatment.
Balance the water
Crystal Bright and Filter Cleaner & Degreaser |
Gray, clear green or turquoise water |
Copper |
Equipment corrosion.
Outside contamination.
Fill water
Use of copper algaecide |
Metal Out
Algaecide |
Coffee brown or purple water |
Manganese |
Equipment corrosion.
Outside contamination
Fill water |
Super Floc
Vacuum out waste
Add Metal Out |
Reddish-brown or rust |
Iron |
Outside contamination
Fill water |
Super Floc
Vacuum out waster
Add Metal Out |
Filtration problems |
Clogging filter or short filter runs |
Dirty filter
Media not cleaned.
Improper amount of filter media
Water Balance |
Replace filter media
Clean with filter cleaner |
Odor and eye irritation |
Pool has a sharp, irritating odor |
Chloramines
Swimmer waste, oils and organic waste |
Shock Treatment |
Scale build up |
Sandpaper-like buildup on the surface
Grayish or tan coloration that is difficult to brush away |
Improper water balance – high TA (total alkalinity)pH and/or CH (calcium hardness) |
Metal Out or Stain Out
Balance water
Acid wash |
Etching |
Pitting of plaster surfaces |
Improper water balance – low TA (total alkalinity)pH and/or CH (calcium hardness) |
Balance water
Replace the plaster surface |
Liner wrinkling |
Wrinkles in a vinyl liner |
Improper water balance – low TA (total alkalinity)pH and/or CH (calcium hardness) |
Balance water
Replace the liner if necessary |
Bleaching |
Pale to white, spotty discoloration on the surface |
Improper chemical addition |
Replace the liner if necessary
Repaint the surface
Predissolve dry substances before addition |
Staining |
Black, green, turquoise or brown spots on the bottom that do not brush up |
Metal stains
Fungus under the liner.
Tannic acid
Stains (leaves and debris) |
Metal Out or Stain Out
Pull up the liner and clean from the underside
Shock the pool |
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
Old reagents |
Let the chlorine levels come down, then retest
Replace reagents |
Foaming |
Bubbles on the pool surface |
Excessive algaecide
Foreign substance |
Defoamer
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.
1/2” to 1” daily – active bather load
Over 1” daily – possible leak. |
Solar cover for the first two levels of water loss
Professional assistance for anything over 1” daily |
Information from regalchemicals.com |
