General Pool Problems

99 problems, but your pool ain’t one …

Green Water

No/Low Chlorine

No chlorine reading when testing. Low chlorine reading.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Correct pH. Note: if TA (Total Alkalinity) has not been tested, test and correct TA (Total Alkalinity) level before starting treatment.
Shock treat with HTH^® Granular+ Mineralsoft™ Pool Chlorine /HTH^® Shock It^® in accordance with label instructions.
To Aid filtration, add HTH^® Sparkle It™ / HTH^® Sparkle It™ cube in accordance with label instructions.
OR
HTH^® Green to blue™ in accordance with label instructions.

Green Algae

No/Low chlorine reading when testing. Green patches on floor / walls of pool lining.

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Over-stabilised Water

High Chlorine level, high Stabiliser level.
Pool is luminous green.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Take care not to drain the water level to BELOW the bottom of the weir to avoid damage to the pool pump.

Top up with fresh water.
Repeat as necessary until the stabiliser level is within the recommended range. Retest pool water.
Please note: High levels of stabiliser may result in insufficient free chlorine and harmful bacteria in your pool water. DO NOT EXCEED 50ppm.
Consider using non-stabilised chlorine products like like HTH^® Granular+ Mineralsoft™ Pool chlorine and HTH^® Slow Release Granular Floater until the stabiliser level is within the recommended range.
Correct filtering hours in accordance with pool size.
Select the floater that is suitable for your pool size.

Dissolved Metals

Pool turns green when chlorine is added. Use of borehole water or metal based chemicals.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Add HTH^® Metal remover in accordance with label instructions.
Allow to circulate for at least 8 hours to ensure thorough mixing.
Test and adjust pH if necessary.
Allow the filter to run continuously for 24 hours.
Resume normal chlorination and filtration.

Cloudy Water

Slightly cloudy

Water is cloudy but you can see to the bottom of the pool.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Clear pump and weir basket.
Backwash for 2 mins and rinse for 30 seconds.
Correct pH.
Add HTH^® Sparkle It™/ HTH^® Sparkle It™ Cube in accordance with label instructions.
Ensure that you adhere to the correct filtering hours for your pool size. .

Very cloudy

Water is cloudy and you can barely see to the bottom of the pool.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Backwash for 2 mins and rinse for 30 seconds.
Add HTH^® Xtreme Flocc and HTH^® Metal Remover by following label instructions.
This treatment requires manual vacuuming.
Never use more than 1 bottle of HTH^® Xtreme Flocc at a time, rather repeat treatment after one week.

Algae

Green Algae

Green algae on walls and floor.
Pool walls feel slimy

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Black Algae

Slimy black patches on walls. Can’t be removed by brushing.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Don’t know

Slimy black patches on walls. Can’t be removed by brushing.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Stains

Copper

Black/blue marks on pool lining.
Won’t brush off.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Add 2 liters of HTH^® Metal remover in accordance with label instructions.
Allow to circulate for at least 8 hours to ensure thorough mixing.
Test and adjust pH if necessary.
Allow the filter to run continuously for 24 hours.
Resume normal chlorination and filtration.
OR
Add HTH^® Stain Lift & Prevent for metal based stains.

Iron

Brown/yellow marks on pool lining.
Won’t brush off.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Add 2 liters of HTH^® Metal remover in accordance with label instructions.
Allow to circulate for at least 8 hours to ensure thorough mixing.
Test and adjust pH if necessary.
Allow filter to run continuously for 24 hours.
Resume normal chlorination and filtration.
OR
Add HTH^® Stain Lift & Prevent for metal based stains.

Organic

Green/yellow marks on pool lining.
Won’t brush off.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Add 2 liters of HTH^® Metal remover in accordance with label instructions.
Allow to circulate for at least 8 hours to ensure thorough mixing.
Test and adjust pH if necessary.
Allow the filter to run continuously for 24 hours.
Resume normal chlorination and filtration.

Stagnant Water

Water looks dark green/black. Water has been left untreated. Pool pump/filter has not been working for an extended period.

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RECOMMENDED TREATMENT
(Treatment based on a 50,000l Pool)

Brush pool walls and steps to remove algae from the pool lining.
Top up the water level to ensure that it is well above the weir.
Backwash and Rinse pool filter.
Test pool water and correct parameters to the recommended ranges.
Ensure pH is 7.2 (If pH is low, add Alkalinity up, if pH is high add HTH^® Dry Acid or HTH^® Easy Acid as per label directions for use).
In the early evening Shock treat with 3 cups of chlorine or a pouch of HTH^® Shock it.

NB: If the green colour hasn’t disappeared after 12 hours you may need to repeat the shock treatment process

Run pool pump on filter for 12 hours to clear some of the debris.
The following morning, backwash and rinse once more to clear debris accumulated.
If a large amount of debris is still present in the water or your pool is still cloudy, use a clarifier such as HTH® Xtreme Flocc to clear the water – follow label directions for use carefully).