Green Pool Clean-Up in Clearwater, FL
Maybe it turned after a week of storms. Maybe it came with the house you just bought, or it's still cloudy after weeks of shocking. Either way, we clear green pools, from a light haze to a backyard swamp.
Larry has been bringing Clearwater pools back since 1995. We look at the pool, tell you what the clean-up will cost before we start, and find out why it went green in the first place. A pool that gets clear without anyone fixing the cause tends to go green again.
Once it's blue, you can keep it that way with weekly service, or take it from there yourself with some pointers.
Three levels of green, and what each one takes
How far a pool has gone decides how much work, how many chemicals, and how many trips it takes. The quickest way to tell is to look for the floor.
Hazy and turning: you can still see the floor
The water has a tint, the walls feel slick, and the chlorine has often run out after heavy rain, a big weekend of swimming, or a pump that stopped running. Caught here, it's the smallest job of the three. The pool gets brushed, treated, and filtered, and the cause gets fixed while it's still simple.
- check_circleThe smallest and quickest of the three
- check_circleThe filter works hard but copes
- check_circleThe best moment to call
Green and cloudy: the floor is hard to make out
Algae has taken hold on the walls and in the water. At this stage, shock alone often isn't enough. The walls need brushing, the water needs balancing, and the filter fills with dead algae and needs cleaning.
- check_circleBrushing and treatment over more than one visit
- check_circleFilter cleaned as it loads up
- check_circleSpecialty chemicals sometimes needed, and priced into the clean-up
Swamp: you can't see the floor at all
Dark green or brown, leaves and debris on the bottom, sometimes tadpoles. This is the pool that sat untended for months. It takes the most visits and the most patience: debris has to be removed, the filter has to be cleaned again and again, and the equipment has to be checked in case something stops working.
- check_circleDebris removal before treatment can work
- check_circleSeveral visits, with the filter cleaned between them
- check_circleEquipment problems found and quoted separately
Why clearing takes longer than turning
Once the chlorine is gone, a Florida pool can go from clear to green in 24 to 48 hours. Bringing it back is slower. At best, it takes about as long as it took to turn. A mild tint usually takes three to five days, and a true swamp can take 7 to 14 days, whatever the label on the shock bucket says.
What pushes a Clearwater pool over the edge
Larry's view: a pool in the subtropics is always being bombarded by the environment, so it doesn't take much to give algae a springboard. Oak drop and pollen settle on the floor. Rain runoff dilutes whatever chlorine was left. The pump gets turned down to save power, or set to run only at night. Gutters overflow onto the deck and wash dirt in. Any one of them can tip it.
How a green pool clean-up works
1. Tell us what you're looking at
Call and describe it: how green, how long, whether the pump is running, and whether anything changed recently, like a storm, a party, or new landscaping.
2. We see it and give you a price
Larry looks at the pool before quoting. The price depends on how far gone it is, and you hear it before any work starts, based on what we actually find rather than what it sounded like on the phone.
3. We find out why it turned
Is the pump running long enough? Is the filter worn out? Is the water low enough to starve the pump? Is a leak pulling water out and fresh water diluting the chemistry? We look for the cause on the first visit and tell you what we find. If a leak looks like the cause, we'll coordinate detection with a specialist we trust.
4. We clear it
Debris comes out, the walls and floor are brushed, the water is treated, and the filter runs and is cleaned as it catches dead algae. A green pool can take more than one visit.
5. We hand it back
You can keep it blue with weekly service, and depending on how long the clean-up took, the first month may be free or prorated. Or take it from here yourself.
What a clean-up includes
What a green pool clean-up doesn't include:
- remove_circleWe don't drain and refill pools or acid-wash surfaces.
- remove_circleWe don't do leak detection ourselves. If a leak is the cause of the problem, we'll coordinate detection with a specialist we trust.
How a green pool clean-up is priced
A hazy pool after one rainy week and a swamp behind a vacant house are different jobs, so Larry quotes a clean-up only after he's seen it. The price comes down to:
How green it is:The deeper the color, the more treatment and visits it takes.
How long it's been:Weeks of neglect mean more debris on the floor and a dirtier filter.
Pool size:More water, more chemicals.
Debris load:Oak leaves, palm fronds, and sand take time to get out.
The filter's condition:A worn cartridge may need replacing before the water will clear.
The equipment:If the pump or filter is why it turned, that repair is quoted separately and done only once you approve it.
However long it takes, a single price covers the chemicals and all trips needed to clear the pool.
Green pools we've brought back
A new house and a neglected pool
“We recently moved into a home with a pool that had been neglected for many months. Within days Larry transformed our algae infested swamp of a pool into a beautiful blue oasis.”
From black water to blue in a week
“He took s pool so bad it looked like a creature cold be lurking in the black deapths..it had tad huge tadpoles and other things swimming in it. In one week it was sparkling, beautiful crystal clear blue. I was shocked!! And he has kept it georgeous!”
Costs addressed up front
“I am a neophyte pool owner, but Larry (with 25 years of experience) very patiently and thoroughly answered the MANY questions I had and explained all aspects (the chemistry, the engineering, the upkeep) of what he did. The cost of repairs/parts and ongoing maintenance was completely addressed upfront... NO SURPRISES!”
Green pool questions
?How long does it take to clear a green pool?expand_more
?Can we swim in it while it's clearing?expand_more
?I've been shocking it for weeks. Why isn't it working?expand_more
?Will it just go green again?expand_more
?Do I need a new filter after a green pool?expand_more
?Can you clear it before our guests arrive this weekend?expand_more
?Do salt pools turn green too?expand_more
?Do you drain the pool?expand_more
?What about black algae?expand_more
?We just bought a house, and the pool is a swamp. Where do we start?expand_more
Call or request a quote
Tell us about your pool, and we'll get back to you. For anything urgent, like an overflowing pool or a pump that won't prime, call instead.
- callPhone:(727) 205-0566
- scheduleHours:Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- location_onBased in:Clearwater, FL 33761
- verifiedLicense:Florida Certified Pool Contractor CPC1460480, licensed and insured
Pool overflowing or a pump running dry? Call (727) 205-0566 instead of using the form.