One of the biggest problems most pool owners face is pool algae. When algae get to your pool and don’t act as soon as you notice it, it can develop quickly and become a bigger problem. For most people, when it gets to this point, they shut the pool down and call for professionals to deal with the algae issue. And I won’t lie, it can be quite expensive depending on the state of your pool.
But before you lose hope, I have a couple of ways on how to get algae out of the pool without a vacuum. If you don’t own a pool vacuum cleaner or your unit broke down and want to deal with the algae as soon as possible, this post is for you. All you need is read all to the end.
How to Get Algae Out of Pool without a Vacuum
As I mentioned above, you don’t have to panic if you have algae in your swimming pool. Here I’ve got a few steps you can perform and kick the nasty algae out of your pool water without the need for a vacuum cleaner.
Things you need:
- Pool Clarifier A pool brush
- Pool Algaecide
- Water Testing Kit
- Pool Shock Treatment
- Pool Chlorine Sanitizer
These products will help you have a smooth algae removal process. Most of them will help kill the algae, and you can clean it out. Let’s get to the methods you need to use.
Brush It off Your Pool
The first step to take is to brush the nasty algae off your pool walls, floor, and ladder to allow pool sanitizer to get deep into any of the remaining algae. Doing this also helps stir up sediments brushed off, enabling easy killing and filtering.
What you need for the job is a decent pool brush, something with a telescoping pole. You can also get a pool brush only and use your skimmer telescope pole. Use it to brush all the pool surfaces to make sure it remains clean. Also, pay close attention to those shady areas and corners. Those are the spots where algae try to grow and hide.
While brushing it away, your pool water will become cloudy, obstructing your view. So, it’d be best you start with the right places first and proceed.
Take Care of Your Pump
Pool algae love growing in stagnant water; they take pleasure of it spread speedily. It’s always a blunder to deal with a widespread algae infestation. That’s why, as a pool owner, you must be checking if your pool water is getting proper circulation—the better the circulation, the lesser the chances of developing algae.
If you don’t inspect your pool pump state, it could get clogged, affecting its performance to a noticeable extent. And as a result, it creates a better condition for the algae to develop; what follows is a bigger problem. Most pool cleaners, in this case, take the help from pool skimmers.
The pump strainers also deliver excellent performance that bore fruitful results. But you should know whether you’re using a skimmer or the pump strainer; you must keep inspecting and cleaning them one in every week. The best way to do it is to take them off the pool system and give them an excellent wash.
Test and Balance the Water
Water testing and balancing are also crucial as they will help you understand the water alkalinity. Well, balanced water will allow the chlorine to work effectively, thus inhibiting algae growth in your pool water. Low or high alkalinity affects the efforts of shocking your pool water. It needs to be done weekly. And the best part is, knowing the pool alkalinity and pH also help determine the best solution to apply to solve the problem.
You can use a multipurpose test kit to help you determine the alkalinity, pH, and calcium hardness. You can also use a digital water testing kit, liquid test kit, or test strips. If your pH is low, then the water is acidic with corrosive properties; that is, if the water pH is below 7.6 level. If your pool test is above 7.8, then it’s too basic. It would be best if you had a pH reducer or increaser to stabilize the water.
Use Algaecide
Compared to any other algae control method, using algaecides deserves some credit, especially if you’re substituting a vacuum cleaner with it. It’s a super smart way of killing and keeping algae out of your pool. If you talk to pool owners that have experienced the algae problem before and explore the pool cleaning market, you’ll come across potential algaecide to use for the algae elimination.
And if you never knew, algae is available in three major types. There is black, green, and yellow. I would recommend using algaecide designed for a specific type rather than a multipurpose if you can get it. That requires you to recognize the nature of your pool algae infestation and go for the tool accordingly. If that isn’t possible or if you’ve got all the three types in one swimming pool (although rare), then you can use a multipurpose algaecide for the task.
While applying the pool algaecide, it’d be best you run your pool pump continuously. That is necessary to keep the pool water circulating continuously. Pour the right amount of algaecide inside the water as directed in the instruction manual and allow your pool filter to run a whole day to flush off any dirty water in the plumbing system. For the best result, you can run your pool filter for 12-24 hours.
Shock Treatment
I’ve introduced you to the word Shock a couple of times but never said what it is. Shocking is a treatment that involves increasing the amount of chlorine in the pool water for a while to try and kill algae and other bacteria. It’s an ideal method to use, especially if your water is infested with those resistant algae. What I can tell you is, this is an aggressive treatment perfect for massive infestation.
You need an ideal shock treatment and a lot of it if you have a massive swimming pool. As always, you have to follow the given package instructions to determine the perfect dose for your pool size. If your swimming pool is heavily infested, I recommend multiplying the amount by 2, 3, or 4, depending on your pool’s damage size and the algae type’s resistance.
If your pool water has green algae, it’d be best to multiply the dosage by 3. It’s the same for the yellow algae type but multiply it by four if your pool is battling black algae, the most resistant of all three. I don’t recommend using stabilized chlorine for shocking algae as it creates more cyanuric acid, which can inhibit the sanitizer effect allowing regrowth of the algae.
It’s also an ideal step to place all your pool cleaning equipment in the shallow waters while shocking it for sanitization too. Remember, the whole task must be done at night or dust. The reason being, when you shock the pool during the day, sun rays will eat up most of the chlorine before it can get reach the algae.
Filtering the Brushed and Killed Algae Out
Once you’re done with all the brushing and pool shocking, the killed algae will fill your pool with a cloudy blue staff that needs cleaning. That’s why you’ve to run your pool filter continuously; recommended time not less than 8-hours depending on your pool size until your water clears up. You can also decide to add some pool clarifier to speed up the clearing process. If the water level is below the minimal pool level, then refill it before turning on the pump.
When you’re done filtering the brushed and the killed algae out of your water, you have to retest the water. You can use the methods you used previously, or you can decide to hire water sampling services from a local pool store for accurate analysis. At this point, you must be sure your pool water chemistry is fully balanced, and the chlorine sanitizer level is at the ideal point before opening the water for swimming.
Deep Clean Your Filter
All the killing is made, all the brushing is done, the shocking is complete, and the filtering is done. It’s time now to attend to the final piece of the puzzle, the filter. It’s the item that collected all the clouding things from your swimming pool. It’d be a courtesy to clean it too. All you need to do is ensure the cleaning is done ideally and it’s in perfect condition.
The cleaning procedure depends on the type of filter you’re using. If it’s a sand filter, then you will need to backwash it. The instructions are in the owner’s manual. If not, the process is simple; you need to shut the inlet, open the backwash line, and switch the level to backwash. The unit will draw water from the swimming pool through the filter sand and out. Find an ideal place to dump it, not to flood one area. Perform this until you see the water is the filter is clean.
If you’re using a cartridge type, you have to take the cartridge out or the filter element and clean it thoroughly for a perfect clean. You can use an ideal pool cartridge filter cleaner and spray it with a hose to remove all the grime and dirt. Always rinse it off with clean, algae-free water before putting it back.
Final Verdict!
And that’s how to get algae out of a pool without a vacuum. Pretty simple! Right? The methods I’ve listed here are all DIY, and any pool owner can do you; all you have to do is try it out. Always try and get the best cleaning products and chemicals – I’ve suggested some. All learn more about pool algae and how to prevent algae from entering your pool again here. Next time you have the same problem, or you know a person suffering from the same issue, refer to this post and share it with them.
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