Swimming Pool Maintenace

  I'm guessing because the right chemicals are not being added.....

 Chemicals !!!! Without doubt the pool needs chemicals, (mainly chlorine I would think), assuming your pool pump is circulating the water !...........costs assume 30Euros per visit , say 8 times per month, times 5? ..target budget WITHOUT chemicals 1200 Euros, possibly with Chemicals think nearer 1,500, anything much less or much more I'd question. Pools costs money, in maintenance, chemicals and electricity............. S

 Most areas seem to have a pool service centre who will typically charge 3-400 Euros to "open' your pool at the beginning of the season and the same to 'close' at the end.  Depending on the size of the pool they should be able to supply with enough chemicals to last through the summer for about 500 Euros. We are going to attempt to open the pool ourselves next year and we closed it ourselves this time (bought some winter chemicals from Leroy Merlin, threw them in and put the winter cover on). To clear a green pool needs a lot of chlorine (powder form) and you will probably need to 'superchlorinate' it a few times before the algae disappears. It's simple enough - just throw a load of chlorine into the water and leave the filter running overnight. You shouldn't go in the water for 24 hrs and check the chlorine levels are safe before swimming or adding further chlorine. You also need to make sure there is always a chlorine block in the skimmer at all times and also get some good anti-algae chemicals that you can add every couple of weeks. PH levels need to be within the recommended range otherwise the chemicals don't work (testing kits test for PH and chlorine levels). There is quite a science to keeping pool water clean (the 1st year for us was a disaster). The trick is to keep on top of it and not wait for the water to go green before acting.

Do you use spring or well water to fill your pool- this will turn the water green and you'll need to shock it to clear it. Prices for maintaing your pool will depend on whether you buy your own chemicals or not and very much on who does the maintenance. Opening and closing of your poolby a pool installation company in this area (I'm in AP) will cost between €500 and €600 but this won't include any cleaning but should include a maintenance contract for the year. You can also use people who just deal in pool and/or house maintenance who probably won't offer you a specific maintenance contract (as in if there are problems) but can do week by week maintenance and deal with issues as & when they arise

You ask "why does a pool go green?" I ask, what was the pH and free chlorine level the day before it went green? While we are at it, what was the total alkalinity? Oh, and your total chlorine? What about the Cyanauric Acic? Water temperature and how many hours was the filter on auto? If you or your pool proffesional do not know the answer to any of these questions, then there is your answer. As for the suggestion that you drain the pool because the water is green, what a waste of water, and money!! I suggest you or your pool professional google "flocculent" . And spring water is fine so long as you know its characteristics. As for those of you who posted "guess" responses on what to do, would you do that with someone asking about an illness? "Oh just throw some more medicine of some sort down them!" Shame on you. If you don't know, don't post.

 Professional reply.

One other approach is using a pool robot. These are pretty expensive to buy but we rented one for a few days through our pool 'professional' this summer (15 Euros a day) and they work a treat for getting green algae off the side.  You will still need to shock the pool to get the water clear. Barbie & Ken - try not to bite our heads off if you don't agree with robots... Antinello

 B Barbie and Ken, think you mean "google flocculante" not flocculent. 

We've found that things have improved since we changed to 'salt', but also agree using water from the well does cause problems, mains water is already treated, so therefore less algae prone - but very expensive and I'm not sure that you are supposed to use it for such things in the middle of the summer.....

It sounds like barb & Ken may be pool experts! but in my opinion of owning & looking after pool for a couple of years, prevention REALLY IS better then cure, & I dont see how flocculante will cure the algae that is now probably attached to your liner/tiles. So I agree with elliven, I reckon draining down may be quickest easiest solution. you are Gonna waste a few hundred euros of water, but im not sure a robot is gonna be good enough if algae has properly taken hold. So if you bite the bullet & start from scratch by refilling, it will probably be a quicker easier task

 There are also some test kits that you can buy that will tell you what your water needs and you can adjust chemicals accordingly. This will reduce the number of visits needed from the expert. The robot is great also, however, I doubt that it would be effective at this stage.