Determine Which Pool Algaecide and Pool Clarifier Is Best for Your Swimming Pool

Most pool supply distributors offer an astounding selection of algaecides and clarifiers for your swimming pool, and if you do not understand how they work, or what their uses are, it can be difficult to make the right choice. The following information will help you cut through the marketing hype, and decide for yourself which product is best for your swimming pool.

Steps

  1. Add preventative algaecide to your swimming pool on a weekly basis if you regularly experience problems with algae growth. If you have never had an algae problem in your swimming pool, there is no need for the algaecide.
  2. Realize that if you have algae right now, you may need to use an algaecide. Some algaecides are preventative and others are used to treat an algae problem. Once algae has grown in your swimming pool, only a treatment algaecide combined with shocking will kill the algae.
  3. Know the different types of pool algaecide.
    • Copper-based algaecides use copper to treat algae growth, and are most effective against mustard and green types of algae. Copper algaecides will not cause foam in a swimming pool, which can be a problem when using “quat" algaecides. Although they are effective against many forms of algae, copper algaecides can cause stains on the surface of a swimming pool if the product is not used properly. Copper algaecides cannot be used in a swimming pool using a biguanide-based sanitizing system (such as Baquacil or SoftSwim).
    • The “quat" or “polyquat" algaecides are quaternary ammonium compounds (instead of a copper formula), which treat and prevent algae growth in a different way. These algaecides are safer to use than a copper based algaecide because they will not stain a swimming pool. If you have experienced any pool stains caused by metals in the past, you should use a quat or polyquat algaecide to treat your swimming pool. Although quats cannot cause staining, these algaecides may cause foaming if not used properly. Polyquat pool algaecides cannot cause staining or foaming, and are typically more expensive than the other forms of algaecides.
  4. Use a pool clarifier chemical when water becomes dull or cloudy and is not cleared by 12-24 hours of filtration. If all chemical levels are properly balanced, cloudy pool water is caused by fine debris suspended in the swimming pool water. Dust or debris particles are sometimes too small for the pool filter to remove from the pool water, and may pass directly through the pool filter. A sand filter provides the least efficient filtering of pool water, and this problem is more likely to occur when using a sand pool filter. A pool clarifier chemical will group together very fine particles of debris into larger bunches, which can be more easily trapped by the pool filter. Most pool clarifier chemicals cannot be used in a swimming pool with a D.E. (diatomaceous earth) filter.

Tips

  • If your pool water has just become cloudy within hours of adding pool chemicals, such as shock or ph adjusting chemicals, continue to circulate the pool water for 8-12 hours. Your pool water may be cloudy while it adjusts to the changes you've made.
  • Be sure to test swimming pool chemical levels before adding a Pool Clarifier chemical. Cloudy pool water is often caused by unbalanced pool chemistry.
  • Be careful not to add too much algaecide that has copper in it as it can cause blue staining on some surfaces of your pool.

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Sources and Citations

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