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Why Did My Pool Turn Green or Teal After Shocking?

If your pool turned clear green or teal right after you shocked it, the cause is usually copper or another metal, not algae. Chlorine reacts with dissolved copper and tints the water, but the water stays clear enough to see the bottom. Algae makes the water cloudy and the walls slimy. Stop adding shock, test for metals, and treat with a metal control product. A free water test at Top Dog Pool Supply checks for copper and iron.
Pentair variable-speed pool pump sold and installed by Top Dog Pool Supply in Bakersfield

How do I tell copper from algae?

  • Clear or cloudy. Metal-tinted water is see-through. Algae water is cloudy.
  • Timing. A color change within minutes or hours of adding shock points to metals. Algae builds over days.
  • Feel the walls. Slippery walls mean algae. Clean walls with green water mean metals.
  • Check the chlorine. If chlorine is holding and the water is still green, it is probably metals.

Where does the copper come from?

  • Copper-based algaecides. Using them often builds up copper in the water.
  • Low pH. Acidic water eats away at the copper inside a heater and puts it in the pool.
  • Fill water. Some well water carries copper or iron.
  • Mineral or ionizer systems. They add copper on purpose, and it can build up.

How do I fix green water caused by metals?

  • Step 1: Stop shocking. More chlorine will not clear it.
  • Step 2: Bring in a water sample so you know which metal and how much.
  • Step 3: Bring pH to 7.4 to 7.6 and alkalinity to 80 to 120 ppm.
  • Step 4: Add a metal control product such as Orenda SC-1000, following the label.
  • Step 5: Run the pump, and clean the filter after a day or two.
  • Step 6: Find and fix the source, so the copper does not keep coming back.

When should I call for help?

Bring in a sample or call us if the water stays green after treatment, if blue-green stains are forming on the plaster, or if you have a heater and your pH has been running low. Low pH can damage a heater from the inside, and we repair and replace heaters.

Why does pool water turn blond hair green?

Copper in the water, not chlorine. Chlorine just helps the copper stick to hair. Getting the copper out of the water fixes it.

Will algaecide fix a pool that turned green after shock?

No, and a copper-based algaecide makes it worse. If the water is clear and green, treat it as a metal problem.

Can I swim in a pool with copper in the water?

Low levels are not usually a health concern, but they stain hair, nails, and plaster. Treat the water first.

How do I get copper out of pool water?

A metal control product binds the copper so it stays in the water and does not stain. To actually lower the level, replace some of the water. We'll tell you which makes sense from your test.

Don't cry, we can help

Bring a water sample to Top Dog Pool Supply. Local pool owners get a free water test on our Taylor Xpress Flex system, and we'll tell you what to add, and how much, for your pool's size. Visit us at 7440 District Blvd Suite B, Bakersfield, CA 93313, or call (661) 664-9000. We're open Monday to Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 9 to 4, and Sundays 10 to 4 from April through September.

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ADDRESS
7440 District Blvd Suite B Bakersfield, CA 93313
Phone: (661) 664-9000
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Bakersfield, CA, with Zip Codes 93301, 93304, 93305, 93306, 93309, 93311, 93312, 93313, and 93314 HOURS Mon–Fri: 9am–5pm Sat: 9am–4pm Sun: 10am–4pm (April–September)
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