TECHNICAL PAGE

IF YOUR POOL IS NOT LOOKED AFTER PROPERLY THE CHANCES ARE IT WILL HAVE THE BEGINNINGS OF ALGAE.

THERE ARE NO CHEMICALS YOU CAN SIMPLY ADD TO THE WATER AND WALK AWAY EXPECTING IT TO DISAPPEAR. EVERY ELIMINATION TECHNIQUE REQUIRES HARD REPETITIVE WORK, LOTS OF TIME AND MONEY- A GOOD REASON TO TAKE EVERY PREVENTIVE MEASURE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

GET A PROFESSIONAL TO LOOK AFTER YOUR POOL

ALGAE

ARE ONE-CELLED PLANTS, OF WHICH THERE ARE OVER 20,000 VARIETIES. IT INCLUDES MICROSCOPIC OCEAN PLANKTON, GIANT KELP THAT GROWS 2 FEET A DAY AND VIRTUALLY ALL IN BETWEEN.

SUNLIGHT SPEEDS UP GROWTH, APPEARING IN THE POOL AS A GREEN, BROWN, YELLOW OR BLACK SLIME. IT THRIVES IN CORNERS AND STEPS WHERE CIRCULATION MIGHT NOT BE AS THOROUGH AS ELSEWHERE IN THE POOL.

FACTS

THERE ARE THREE FORMS IN SWIMMING POOLS

GREEN ALGAE - THE MOST COMMON AND GROWS AS A SLIME ON THE SURFACE. IT MAY BE SEEN ON THE STEPS FIRST OR IN SMALL PATCHES IN THE CORNERS.

THIS IS THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION BECAUSE THIS IS A SIGN THAT YOUR POOL IS NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINED

I HAVE SEEN POOLS THAT HAVE GONE FROM THOSE FIRST FEW PATCHY SIGNS OF ALGAE TO ENTIRE GREEN COVERAGE WITHIN 24 HOURS, IT CAN GROW AND GET OUT OF CONTROL VERY QUICKLY.

YELLOW ALGAE - APPEARS BROWN AND MUDDY IN COLOUR, DOES NOT GROW AS QUICKLY BUT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO KILL.

BLACK ALGAE - IS ACTUALLY DARK BLUE-GREEN IN COLOR AND IS THE WORST NIGHTMARE. AT THE FIRST SIGN OF BLACK ALGAE YOU NEED TO CONSIDER THE POOL AS A PATIENT IN CRITICAL CONDITION. IT GROWS FIRST IN SMALL DOTS, APPEARING TO BE SPECKS OF DIRT ON THE BOTTOM. IT SEEMS TO LESS INFLUENCED BY DEPTH THAN THE OTHER ALGAE, GROWING SOMTIMES FROM THE DEEPEST PART OF THE POOL FIRST. AS TIME PASSES THE DOTS GET LARGER AND APPEAR ALL OVER THE POOL.

THE GROWTH RATE IS SLOW AT FIRST, BUT THEN EXPONENTIAL. ONCE THE BLACK ALGAE HAS TAKEN HOLD IT MAKES UP FOR LOST TIME.

PART OF THE REASON FOR BLACK ALGAE'S VIRULENCE IS THAT INSTEAD OF CREATING A SLIMY SUBSTANCE AS A PROTECTIVE BARRIER LIKE GREEN OR YELLOW ALGAE, BLACK ALGAE COVERS ITSELF WITH A HARD SUBSTANCE THAT RESISTS EVEN VIGOROUS BRUSHING.

THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW NOT TO KEEP A POOL.

THIS FIRST PICTURE IS OF ALGAE WHICH HAS BUILT UP IN A POOL OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

THE FOLLOWING DRAINED AND PRESSURE WASHED, NOTICE ALL THE BLACK ALGAE GROWING IN THE PLASTER OF THIS POOL. PRESSURE WASHING WILL NOT REMOVE THIS. THE PLASTER WILL HAVE TO TAKEN OFF AND THE POOL PLASTER AGAIN. COSTLY!

BELOW AN EXAMPLE OF YELLOW AND BROWN ALGAE.