If you own a pool in Arizona you either have had or will experience a problem with algae. Algae spores are usually deposited in pools by wind or rain but can be introduced through contaminated equipment or even bathing suits.

Algae can “bloom” in a pool overnight even in properly maintained pools when conditions are right. Those conditions are: improper water circulation / water filtration and/or the presence of phosphates (algae feeds on phosphates) in the pool.

There are over 20,000 varieties of algae. We are concerned mainly with three types here in AZ.

In-floor systems are built into the construction of your swimming pools surface. An in-floor system has many small cylinder shaped pop-ups in the bottom of the pool. When the filter and pump are running these pop-ups come up in intervals using the water returning from the filter to spray and push debris in the bottom of the swimming pool towards the pools main drain.

Robotic cleaners are not commonly used primarily due to the cost of the device. Robotic cleaners do well with pool coverage and speed. They have a self-contained filter inside which is easy to access and clean. Some common brand names include; Aquabot, Dolphin and Aqua-vac.

Every swimming pool in Arizona should have some type of automatic cleaning system installed. There are 4 common types of automatic pool cleaning systems; suction cleaners, pressure cleaners, in-floor systems (pop-ups) and robotic cleaners.

Suction cleaners attach to the suction line of your pools plumbing system. There are numerous types and brands of suction pool cleaners; a few of the most common are Hayward, Barracuda, Kreepy Krawley, and our personal favorite, “The Pool Cleaner” by Poolvergnuegen. A vacuum hose is attached to these cleaners and when the filter and pump are turned on it creates suction to these cleaners causing them to move around the pool bottom randomly.

Pressure cleaners are attached to the pressure side or, the “return” side of the pools circulation system. These cleaners typically have a separate booster pump to power them. A distinct advantage that pressure cleaners have is that they have a self-containing debris bag attached to the vacuum, which keeps the debris from going into the filtration system. The two most common types of pressure cleaners are; Polaris and letro Legend. When pressure cleaners are working properly they are an excellent cleaning system for your pool.

Swimming pool filters are the most important component of your pool’s cleaning system. Pools are designed to pull water from the main drain, skimmer and vacuum. Dust, dirt particles and other small debris are trapped by the filter. This filtration cycling of water is vital for clear, sparkling water.

There are 3 types of filters:

1. Sand filters – are the most common. They vary in size depending on the size of your pool. Sand filters can be as small as 50lbs of sand for above ground pools to as large as 600lbs for large in ground backyard pools. The water is rinsed and cleaned as it washes through the sand and is returned to your pool clean. Anything in the water less than 40 microns will most likely not be filtered out.
   
   
2. Cartridge filters – have a paper type cartridge that does the filtering. They don’t filter as finely as a DE filter does but they do better than sand in most pools. Most of the newer cartridges are designed to need cleaning only once or twice per year.
   
   
3. DE filters – use diatomaceous earth as the filter media. They have a set of grids, each with a plastic skeleton covered by a skin of material. The DE particles cling to this skin and stop dust, dirt and other small debris from getting through. The cleaned water is then sent back to the pool through the return system. Any debris smaller than 5-8 microns is filtered out.
   

It is important to have the right size filter for your size of pool. If you have a large pool and a small filter you will constantly be fighting to keep your water clear of algae and other pollutants that make the water dirty and cloudy.

Backyard swimming pools add beauty, relaxation and fun to your property. They also require a lot of hard work to maintain properly. When your pool is ignored in Arizona, especially during the summer months, it can turn green on you almost overnight. Green pools are dangerous in so many ways. A child or pet that slips under water cannot be seen. Mosquitos can breed into the tens of thousands each day from one single green pool. There is no easy way to turn a green pool back to being clear overnight. It takes time, work and money to clear it up.

Don’t let your pool get to this point but if it does you can count on Crystal Clear Pool Services to restore it professionally and as quickly as possible. We do this by following these steps:

1. Removing large debris from the water’s surface and the floor of the pool. This will protect your vacuum and filter from clogging up and breaking down.
   
   
2. Adjusting your waters alkalinity, chlorine reading and the P.H. balance to restore your waters clarity.
   
   
3. Shocking the pool water. Basically hyper-chlorinating the water to kill bacteria and algae spores. We do this using liquid chlorine for faster action as well as Tri-Chlor granular treatment when needed.
   
   
4. Treat with yellow-trine or silver-trine algaecide depending on the types of algae present in your pools water.
   
   
5. Run your pool filter for 24 hours per day until the water clears. This will require backwashing the filter several times per day. D.E. filters will actually clean up a green pool 50% quicker than a sand filter.
   
   
6. Vacuum pools floor of all remaining debris (leaves, algae, dirt, etc.).
   
   

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