The TRUTH About Using ALGAECIDE In Your POOL | Swim University

Should you use algaecide to kill algae in your pool? Does it actually work? Is there a faster way to get rid of green pool water? The truth about algaecide is right here.

⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction To Using Algaecide In Your Pool
01:09 - How Algaecide Works And Why It Stains
02:13 - Why Metal Sequestrant Won't Work
03:00 - How To Use Pool Shock To Kill Algae
03:58 - How To Prevent Algae In Your Pool
04:48 - When To Use Algaecide
05:31 - Pool Care Video Course

Swim University has made swimming pool and hot tub care easy for more than 10 million homeowners. And each year, we continue to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. We know taking care of a swimming pool or spa can be difficult. And it’s hard to find a trusted source of information. We get it! This is the reason we created Swim University.

[crazygreek]

I had a cloudy water and visited our local Leslie swimming pool shop! Told them that I have a birthday party in a month and need to get it clear!
Needless to say I spent hundreds of dollars!
So our pool was still cloudy but after the birthday party! I used flock..
Shocked the pool then added flock, turned pump off after 2 hours and the next day everything was laying on the bottom! Could see for the first time!
Shock is awesome but just use flock and vacuum to waste with sand filter!
These sales commission hacks took me for a ride..
Shock, Flock, is the way!

[SwimUniversity]

Do you currently have algae in your pool or is your pool water looking green, yellow, or black? We hope this video helped! If you'd like to learn more about pool cleaning and pool maintenance, subscribe and leave a comment to suggest a future video topic. And visit www.SwimUniversity.com/pool to get the Pool Care Handbook and Video Course (Use The Promo Code VIDEO for 10% Off!)

[stummies]

Hi, I live in the Northeast and every year I disassemble my pump and filter and bring them inside. It's just so much easier than blowing out the lines and dealing with any other problems from ice. As such, I have a lot of threaded PVC. If you are looking for a new topic for this channel, as an amateur pool plumber I'd like to hear what you have to say about dealing with PVC. What type to use, how to seal connections, how tight should threaded connections be, common tools, etc. Thank you for your time, and I really appreciate your videos.

[KammeO]

I purchase the copper sulfate from Tractor Supply for "lakes & ponds" ... Way less expensive.2 Tsp a month for My 30, 000 gallon Pool has been way easier & much less expensive.

[johnnysouth]

I agree on shocking sir but you forgot one important thing BRUSHING AFTER SHOCKING always shocking only kills some of the algae and bleaches the color out of the rest but if you brush at the same time as shocking and adding algaecide way better results been in the business for 39 years from building to servicing pools all kinds brushing brushing people dont ever brush ther pools enough that would stop 90 percent of all problems just brushing thanks for the video be safe and wash your hands ✌🖖

[salobrena]

I recently started looking after a friends pool..it had been neglected for about 1 month so pretty dirty and low water level... lots of pine tree pollen had gotten into the water and no matter what I did, I could not get rid of it.. turns out I now had an yellow algae bloom.. What I did was use a flocculant, I let run thru the system for a couple of hours then turned off the pump, next day after bringing the water level way up high I vacuumed to waste..I had to do it 2 or 3 times but now everything is perfect..ph good, chlorine good, and after cleaning the pool I add an antialgae. The whole process took about 5 weeks to straighten out. I have never looked after a pool before.. You should have seen me trying to get the air out of the hose the first time.. I actually got into the pool..lol

[shellyshellz-hr]

Ugh - we had a horrible algae problem all last summer. We kept taking the water to the local pool shop, but it just wouldn't go away. Used shock and algaecide and spent way too much money. Subscribed, hoping for a better summer this year.

[charlesbromberick]

Clowning around aside, this video is quite good and contains some simple and effective tips: shock pool with chlorine and keep pH in 7.4 - 7.6 range. Thanks

[anngreen]

I always find your videos are so entertaining and informative. Always look forward to your videos and great advice and your handbook is amazing.

[theuh]

I run Pool RX at start of every season. First, bring ph down to 7.2 ish, quad shock it till teal, then shock again next night. Once algae is dead, I backwash filter, drop a pool rx in pump basket then add in some chlorine to .5 to 2ppm (pool rx brings chlorine demand WAY down). Pool RX I know uses chelated metals but I've had zero stains. Some use some copper to drop in pool by itself, but you can see that as a big problem.

[TofuInc]

Copper algaecide isn't bad it just has to be maintained at a certain level or it causes issues. (That level is around .2 ppm) Maintaining that copper level and weekly Polyquat will keep algae at bay and you won't have an issue. But yeah, dumping in a copper based algaecide every couple weeks is going to end badly.

[jimstorm]

Love to see a video on water bugs to get rid of them....Backswimmers and Boatman bugs especially.

[TheRandrx]

Please stop staying 1-3 ppm is the chlorine level for pools!!! The correct pool chlorine level is based on the CYA level. The minimum FC level is 7.5% of the CYA level. However, that is the minimum. So you should keep it higher, like at 11.5% to give you some error room. For example, if your CYA level is 50, then your FC level should be 6 ppm. This is safe to swim and gives you room to correct if FC drifts down. Most people have high CYA in their pool due to using chlorine pucks with CYA in them. The first thing to do is get CYA under control.  

The key to shocking is to SLAM ("Shock Level And Maintain"). When you shock, you hold the FC level there until it does not go down. The SLAM level is typically 40% of your CYA level. So if your CYA is 50, then you would raise FC up to 20 ppm and hold it there. It could take days, but you will kill all the algae. Keep checking each hour or as often as possible. Brush, vacuum, and clean filter daily. By doing this, you will not have to shock every week. If your CYA is over 90, then you would have to drain and fill to get to a lower CYA level. Once your water is clear, your combined chlorine is less than 0.5 ppm and your overnight loss of FC is 1 or less, then you can stop the SLAM and allow the FC to drift back down to correct level.

[deependfrank]

I have two retail stores, and I am constantly talking customers out of using algaecides as their first action to kill algae. Always chlorine first. Not the best sales results policy, but it helps them trust us, so they keep coming back.

[chinchilla_mania]

I have a 12 ft wide by 3 ft deep above ground pool with a vinyl liner. How much shock should I use to get rid of mustard algae?

[lalaland]

Yeah, I never had any luck with algaecide the only year I had an algae problem. I read on a shock product that it would handle the algae, and I didn't know whether to trust it or not. Now I know. Thank you, sir!

[SkipAd_Vegas]

Once again, prevent algae by keeping your phosphates incredibly low (50ppb or less).
A small phosphate treatment regularly deals with the generator, not the symptom.
I run less that 1 ppm chlorine. Because I keep my phosphates so low, there's nothing for it to fight.

[TheTammyMcDaniel]

Algae needs oxygen and phosphate to live. When algae dies, it produces phosphate. I had a mustard algae problem where I was on the shock, clean, balance PH cycle of death. Once I started adding a phosphate remover a couple of times - the cycle finally ended. Now I just ensure my chlorine and PH are at the correct levels and pool life is fun again!

[jms]

Algea is my nemesis. Ive shocked to no end and vaccume daily but the bottom us covered every day.

[everyreadthis]

Leslie’s pool reps say once your phosphates get to a 1000 it’s almost a guaranteed that you see frequent algae blooms. The only way to get a handle on things is to kill the algae with non-copper algaecide and then add a phosphate remover to be added weekly which also happens to be the name of the product Weekly. Then continue to regular scheduled maintenance with 3ppm minimum free chlorine. Wondering is this seems plausible.