Start Your Pool Project
  • Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors
    Filter by Categories
    Blog
    Case Study Projects
    Our Advice
    Pool Awards
    Pool Care
    Pool Construction
    Pool Design
    Pool Project Planning
    Uncategorised
  • 03 9870 3011
  • x

    Do you have a green pool?

    The fastest and most effective way to fix your green is to boost chlorine levels through a shock treatment and add an algaecide.

    You have an algae bloom in your pool and unfortunately that is why it may be a nice shade of green at the moment instead crystal-clear blue. With 30 million spores of algae in a shot glass, it is important to kill the algae and prevent it from returning as quickly as possible…a slightly green pool can become a very green pool before your eyes.

    First things first, the BioGuard Colour Test!

    My pool is slightly green

    If your pool is light green (or even teal in colour), you have a small algae bloom and a standard shock dose will be required.

    My pool is very green

    If your pool is dark green, you have a medium algae bloom and will require a double shock dose.

    How to fix a green pool in 5 easy steps

    Step 1. Remove organic waste - empty all baskets, scoop your pool and vacuum (to waste) any debris remaining (this is what algae feeds on!). The more waste in your pool, the less effective your chlorine shock will be.

    Step 2. Test and balance your pool - your chlorine shock will be more effective if your total alkalinity and pH is balanced. 

    Step 3. Boost your chlorine – add via the skimmer a standard shock dose of a 600gm bag of BioGuard Burnout Extreme (to treat a 50,000 litre pool with a sand filter). If a double dose is required (remember the BioGuard Colour Test), then two bags will be needed.

    Step 4. Add an Algaecide – for a standard shock dose, shake, premix and add a 1L of BioGuard Algi Destroyer (to treat a 50,000 litre pool).  If a double dose is required (remember the BioGuard Colour Test), then two litres will be needed.

    Step 5. Remove the dead algae – don’t be surprised if you now have cloudy water. When algae dies it becomes somewhat of a grey colour and if you have enough dead algae in the pool, your pool water will go cloudy. Vacuum to waste if you have a sediment on the pool floor. If not, add BioGuard’s Pool Tonic with a BioGuard Super Clear Clarifying Tab to treat a 50,000 litre pool. Not only will Pool Tonic remove the dead algae, it will also remove at least 10 other unwanted contaminants resulting in stress free crystal clear water. 

    Get ready for an arm workout – to improve chemical efficiency of your products, remember to regularly brush your pool during the treatment (walls and floors - you should not have your automatic cleaner in the pool during a treatment).

    Depending on the state of your filtration equipment and the length of time you have had a green pool, an additional treatment may be needed. If you do not see a change in the appearance of your water during the treatment, be sure to contact your Pool Store within 24 hours. 

    Fix a green pool without costing a fortune

    Our Green Pool Kit has everything you could need to boost your chlorine, kill the algae bloom and remove the algae food from your pool water. Our team at Dandenong and Warrandyte Pool Stores will customise the How to Guide to suit your pool size and algae colour (including application and ideal filtration times). Buy a Green Pool Kit today!

    Do you have a green pool? Fix your green pool with a Green Pool Kit! 
    x

    Dirty Rain Pool Treatment

    If your pool looks anything like our display pools today, simply hitting the pool hard with chlorine and a clarifier will not do the trick! And your robotic pool cleaner certainly won't help either. Trust us, we tried doing this back in 2017 when we had a similar thing happen and we ended up battling cloudy and even green pools for the remainder of the season.

    In our experience, the quickest and most cost effective way to treat your pool is to use a flocculating product such as BioGuard Power Floc Maxi.

    How to treat my dirty rain-filled pool?

    Preparation is key

    • Clean out your skimmer basket and pump basket (if needed).
    • Scoop all debris from the pool (if you can’t see the bottom of the pool, scoop carefully as objects may have washed into the pool water). The water has probably brought in leaves and other debris from the surrounding areas. They will add large amounts of organic matter to the water, which will consume chlorine and could lead to an algae bloom. The sooner debris is removed from the pool; the sooner clean-up can begin.
    • Remove robotic/automatic pool cleaner from the pool and remove pool cover completely. 
    • Hose the dirty residue (from the rain) from the pool surrounds. If you receive more rain (hopefully it is clean), this rain may wash the dirty residue into the pool (you’d hate for this to happen after the pool has returned back to normal).
    • Turn off your Heating System. 
    • If you cannot see the bottom of the shallow end of your pool, the dust/dirt from the rain will not filter out. Chlorine, clarrifiers and the robotic pool cleaner will not be effective. In our experience, the most timely and cost effective approach is to use a flocculating product, vacuum the sediment and rebalance as soon as possible.

    Let's floc the dust away!

    Download our printer friendly version HERE.

    Step 1.

    • Sand Filter:
      • Turn your filter to Recirculate and turn the system on.
    • Cartridge Filter:
      • Remove the cartridge element from the Cartridge Filter and turn the system on.

    Step 2.

    • Start by testing your pH - if it is 7.6ppm or above, proceed to the next step. 
    • If the pH is 7.5ppm or lower, the following treatment is more effective with a high pH and we therefore recommend adding BioGuard Balance Pak 200 to the pool and filter for 2 hours.

    Step 3.

    • Pour 1L of BioGuard Power Floc Maxi (per 50,000L) into the skimmer (or pool) and leave the system on for 2 hours. 
    • After 2 hours, turn all equipment off for 12-24 hours or until you can see the floor of the pool (it could take up to 48 hours).
    • Please keep in mind the product works from the pool floor upwards - it will become brown milky water before it improves.
    • If BioGuard Power Floc Maxi is not available: BioGuard Polysheen Plus can be used in its place (using the same dosage listed above) however instead of running the system for 2 hours, 30 minutes is sufficient.

    Note: Unplug the power cord for your pool pump from your controller. The system must remain off and cannot turn on automatically during the treatment.

    Step 4.

    • Do not add the robotic pool cleaner into the pool. A robotic pool cleaner (or a suction cleaner) will simply undo the flocculating process and will only return the water back to its orignal dirty state.
    • To manually vacuum a pool (sand filter: to waste) you will need a telescopic pole, a vacuum head, a manual vacuum hose and a vacuum plate.
    • Sand Filter:
      • Vac-to-waste the dirt formed at the base of the pool.
      • This is vacuuming as normal however, instead of your sand filter turned to Filter, turn it to Waste.
    • Cartridge Filter:
      • Place your cartrdige element (ensure it is clean beforehand) back into you Cartridge Filter. 
      • Place a Skimmer Sock in the skimmer basket (which will collect as much sediment as possible), vac as normal, remove Skimmer Sock after vacuuming pool (clean as required) and hose cartridge element thoroughly (you may like to chemically clean depending on the state of the Cartridge filter).

    Step 5.

    • Top up water level and filter for four hours before a water sample is taken. Visit your local Albatross Pool Shop to test and rebalance the pool water. 
    • Rebalancing is crucial as your pool water is now very prone to an algae bloom, especially with the weather we are experiencing.

    Download our printer friendly version HERE.

    We are here to help!

    Open 7 days a week (except for public holidays), our team will be able to walk you through this process and answer any questions you may have. Pool Shop contact details.

    x

    Prepping Your Pool For Winter

    With the air cooling down and the weeks marching on, it’s time to think about how to prepare your pool for winter. Some people heat their pool and continue to use it during most of the cooler months, while others cover it up and put it into hibernation. Whichever you’re planning to do, there are a few things that you should do before the temperature gets too low. If you are a new pool owner and haven’t already developed a seasonal routine, then this will help get you started.

    Pool Cover
    Pool Cover

    Cleaning is Always a Good Idea

    Whether or not you plan to keep using the pool, a good autumn cleaning is a must. Throughly scrub the interior of the pool, then vacuum. Clear the lint basket attached to the pump and the skimmer baskets, as well. Finally, clean the filter. If you’re shutting the pool down for the winter, then clean it just before covering it. Please keep in mind, we do not recommend turning off the pump and filter over winter - it is designed to run everyday and if doesn't the pump's motor can cease and come Spring, you will need a new pool pump.

    For Winter Pool Users

    If you have a good system in place for heating your pool and you don’t mind a chill in the air, then you may be planning to use your pool on all but the coldest days of winter. If the pool is how you stay fit, then chances are, you are willing to brave the cold air in order to get your daily laps in.

    First the good news: if the water is cool, there’s less risk of algae and contamination and you will need less chlorine. The government recommends a minimum chlorine level of 2.0mg/L for water that’s cooler than 26°C and a minimum level of 3.0mg/L for water that’s warmer than 26°C. However, you will still have to keep close tabs on the pH; make sure it’s between 7.4 and 7.6. Corrosion is more likely to occur at lower temperatures, so you must keep the alkalinity level and pH within bounds during the winter.

    Even if you’re still using the pool this winter, you’re likely to use it less than you do in the summer. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it can be cleaned less often. You should continue to clean the pool regularly, keeping it free of leaves and debris, and run the filter for at least four hours a day. It’s also a good idea to keep the pool covered with an insulating pool blanket when it is not in use. That will keep some of the heat in and some of the debris out.

    For Winter Shut-Down

    If you plan to close the pool during the cooler months, then clean it and then cover it, but don’t forget about it.

    Before covering up the pool, adjust the chemicals. Make sure that the alkalinity is between 100 and 150 parts per million and that the water hardness — the calcium — is at 200 to 300 parts per million. Next, add a large dose of chlorine to ‘shock’ the pool and kill off anything that might want to grow in it over the winter (BioGuard's Burnout Extreme is a great 'shock' product). If you’re purchasing a prepared formula, then choose a shock product that’s strong enough to require a temporary shut down. After all, you were planning to stop using the pool, anyway. Then, wait for the chlorine level to return to one to three parts per million.

    You can't turn off the pump and filter during the winter, if you do you can damage your pool pump, your filter sand among other things. Just 2-4 hours per day in winter is all it takes and it is a great idea to use an algaecide to prevent a green pool. Continue to clean the pool occasionally, too, especially if it is at all exposed to the elements. Be sure to remove all the equipment and ladders before covering the pool for the winter, too.

    The onset of winter temperatures require a little more attention to the pool than usual. If you properly prepare your pool for winter, then it will be much faster and easier to bring it back up to full speed in the spring.

    Sign up to our newsletter for special deals and latest news.

    • I agree to the Albatross Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions and understand I will be opted into receiving emails. *

    Visit our swimming pool display centres.

    Dandenong

    157 Foster Street
    Dandenong VIC 3175, Australia

    Monday – Saturday: 9am to 5pm
    Sunday: 10am to 4pm

    Closed Public Holidays

    Get directions
    Warrandyte

    226 Heidelberg-Warrandyte Road
    Warrandyte VIC 3133, Australia

    Monday – Saturday: 9am to 5pm
    Sunday: 10am to 4pm

    Closed Public Holidays

    Get directions

    Awards of Excellence.

    Australian Pool & Spa Gold Award 2023      Australian Pool & Spa Highly Recommended Award