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Why is my pool water green or purple? Why are the walls of my pool yellow/brown?
Is your pool water CLEAR green?
• Clear green water, opposed to cloudy green water, is usually a sign of copper. There are metals in all water, sometimes they build to a high enough level in pool water they “fall out” of suspension. This “dropping out” of the metals doesn’t just happen on a whim, it is usually the reaction of the chlorine and the metals. Chlorine will force the copper out of the water and that is why most have this problem when shocking.
• Imagine an M&M and the candy coating. There is a chemical called BioGuard Pool Magnet you can add to the water that seeks out any metal “coats” them and forces a bond with the water clearing the pool. This will prevent the reaction with chlorine and keep the pool clear through future shocking. This barrier may wear off and you will notice if you need a monthly maintenance dose of Pool Magnet. Since a chemical like Pool Magnet prevents a reaction with chlorine, the chlorine level must be very low (1.5 ppm or less) and the water balanced when adding to ensure it works.
Are the pool walls yellow/ brown?
• Does the yellow/brown brush up? If it does then chances are it is not a metal stain. Vacuum and brush and watch to make sure the spots do not return. If they do please see the how-to sheet on Mustard algae.
• If the discoloration does not brush off or lighten in color or decrease in size it is usually a sign of iron that has already dropped out of suspension.
• We will recommend a spot test to ensure it is in fact a metal stain. Stain removal can be costly and we always want to be sure the right chemical for the stain is being used. There is a very concentrated granular form of the product (the actual chemical is a liquid) applied to a small area to be certain it will remove the stain.
• Once iron has stained the walls only by another chemical reaction can it be removed. Again the chlorine has a lot to do with this mess so lower that chlorine level to 1.5 ppm or less. Bring us a water sample to double check the water balance is within the exact ranges for the chemical.
• Please when you bring the sample in be certain to tell the salesperson you already have the stains and have done the spot test so we can start the removal process.
Is your pool purple?
• It happens, it’s rare for this area but manganese in the water might drop out of suspension purple. It is usually a powdery dust that is easily vacuumed up. If you are experiencing a purple stain that does not brush off we’ll follow the same steps as iron staining.
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