Having a pool in your backyard has many benefits, but having one comes with challenges. And one of the most significant difficulties is keeping your pool pristine clean, and ready to be jumped in at any moment. The worst-case scenario is having algae, as they tend to be slimy and disgusting.
If you’ve been unfortunate enough to find out your pool has been infested by mustard or yellow algae, you don’t have to be desperate. The green ones are the nastiest; however, mustard algae are also common, and you wouldn’t want to deal with them. We know it’s unpleasant and that your favorite relaxing place doesn’t look attractive, but we have a solution for you.
You’ve come to the right place if you want to learn how to get rid of mustard algae in the pool. Our pool maintenance service in Miami has dealt with many cases like this, and on every occasion, we successfully eliminated this problem from our client’s pools.
Don’t worry, and keep reading this article so you can manage to bring your pool back into business as soon as possible.
What Are Mustard or Yellow Algae?
The first question we need to answer is what mustard or yellow algae are. Just as the name suggests, they are a type of algae that can be in various shades of yellow and orange.
Mustard algae in pools may appear on walls and floors, and in most cases, people don’t notice them at first, or they don’t think they are algae as they resemble dirt or sand.
The worst thing about this type of algae is they are chlorine-resistant, meaning they can easily survive sanitation or cleaning the pool. Sometimes no matter what you do and how much product you use, they can endure and even leave mustard algae stains in the pool.
But do not despair, as there’s a way to solve this highly annoying problem.
How to Recognize the Yellow Algae in Pool
As mentioned, mustard and yellow algae are sometimes challenging to recognize as they do not appear as regular green algae. They are not what you would expect from typical algae as they are not that slimy and gross. They are, however, dryer, as much as something in a pool can be dry, and they seem dusty.
And to know for sure if you are dealing with this chlorine-resistant nightmare, you should push the inexplicable spots with a brush, and if they disperse into a cloud, the verdict is simple, you’ve got mustard algae in your pool.
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Mustard or Yellow Algae
Okay, they are not slimy like their green cousins; frequently, they are imperceptible, so why are they problematic? First and foremost, they can be unpleasant to the eye and ruin the whole pool aesthetic that you’ve been trying to achieve.
And secondly, which is as critical as the first thing we mentioned, the mustard algae stains in the pool. The more you ignore your problem there’s higher the possibility that you’ll end up with mustard algae stains in the pool.
Also, having yellow algae in the pool is an excellent indicator of a problem with the water’s chemical balance. If you’ve noticed these stubborn algae, you know the water is not correct. Something is off with the chemicals, and you need to figure it out as soon as possible until a more prominent problem occurs. These algae can suck every drop of chemicals in the pool and leave your water oasis vulnerable to heaps of bacteria.
And you should never ignore the safety of your water if you want to create a pleasant experience for you and your family and friends visiting.
How to Get Rid of Mustard Algae
There’s no easy way to get rid of mustard and yellow algae from your pool, but there must be a way. You just need to equip yourself with patience, and in a few days, you’ll have a pristine pool that’s super enjoyable to swim in.
These algae are one of the most persistent and stubborn ones you’ll ever come across, and they don’t survive only in the water; they can easily live outside of it. You should know that they can stay on your swimsuits, pool toys, and any objects you can think of.
That’s why you should inspect your swimming clothes and anything in the pool or had contact with the water. If you don’t do it, you risk contaminating your water again when you get the chemical balance right.
It would help if you washed everything, the clothes in a machine and the toys with strong disinfectants. Also, any tools you’ve been using for the pool can shock simultaneously when you shock the water.
Getting rid of mustard algae from your pool includes manual labor, so you should be prepared for that. You need to brush away the algae with a good brush. Be sure to brush the whole pool, not only the spots where the algae are visible. And once you’ve done that, you should vacuum the pool manually, also. We’ve told you there’s going to be manual labor.
From time to time, you should test the water and adjust pH and alkalinity levels. The pH should be around 7.4-7.6 and the alkalinity around 125 ppm.
Once the chemicals are in order, you need to brush the pool every inch of it again.
To be sure you’ll end up with a successful result, you need to shock the pool, and the best outcome is if you triple-shock it and put three pounds of a shock to every 10.000 gals of water. Dispense the shock solution evenly into the water, and be sure you are not doing it while the sun is up, as it can mess with the chemicals.
After the shock treatment, you’ll need to brush everything again every day for the next four days and adjust the chemicals.
Once four days are passed, you’ll need to shock the pool once more. However, if you don’t want to use the triple dose, you need the normal one.
And finally, you need to test the water to be sure you got rid of everything nasty. If the test says everything is good, you are lucky and have done a great job.
Get the Best Help
If, after a few days of cleaning and rebalancing the chemicals, your water test strips are still not showing satisfactory results, you can Contact Florida Pool Patio, and we can help you with your problem.
We are a company from Miami that includes engineering professionals and a first-class team with years of experience. We can help you with any pool problems or if you are attracted to remodeling or building a brand-new pool. If you are interested in any of that, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
