One important reason to keep up on swimming pool maintenance is to keep your pool clear and avoid the green, murky color that results when you slack off on maintenance. However, green pool water is of concern for reasons other than how it looks. If your pool has turned green, you should call swimming pool cleaners in Duluth before you swim. Here’s why this is important.
Cause of Green Water
There are a few different reasons your pool water may turn green, and the cause is what you need to consider before you decide whether or not it’s safe to jump in the pool. Green water from algae alone isn’t considered unsafe; however, in many cases, there can be other organisms along with the algae that can make swimming unsafe. When the pool turns green from oxidized metals or excessive pollen, it’s probably safe to swim in as well, although there can be other side effects. That’s why it’s important to understand more about each cause of green water and how it may affect you and your pool.
Cause #1: Too Little Chlorine
When there’s too little chlorine in the pool, algae can grow. The main reason this is a problem is that it means that the chlorine isn’t killing off other organisms that can be more harmful. When there’s not enough chlorine, bacteria, parasites, viruses, and other pathogens can grow as well and easily enter the body when you’re swimming. These organisms frequently cause diarrhea, fever, and other health problems, so if your water is green from algae, it’s best to avoid swimming until the water is treated and returns to a clear color. You can usually tell the problem is with algae and chlorine when the water is cloudy in addition to being green.
Cause #2: Oxidized Metal
Oxidized metal can also turn your pool a green color, although the water is usually clearer than it is when algae are to blame. This can happen when the water source is too acidic or an algaecide with too much metal was used. Copper turns green when it oxidizes, so if there are pool components made of copper, you may start to notice a green tinge as it oxidizes. The oxidation can happen from shocking your pool. Oxidized metal itself isn’t harmful to your health, but it can stain your swimming pool and turn your hair green.
Cause #3: Excessive Pollen
A lot of pollen in the air can also turn the pool green when it becomes too much for the filter to handle. This is a seasonal problem and generally won’t cause any harm besides the yellow-green color. However, you should be cautious when getting in and out of a pool that has a lot of pollen in it because it can make surfaces very slippery.
