Troubleshooting Guide

Your Above Ground Pool authorized dealer is the best resource for keeping your pool in prime working order. Often, many water and surface problems can be handled by the individual pool owner. The chart below provides solutions to some common pool issues.

Pool Care Troubleshooting Guide

Problem	Description	Possible Cause	Solution
Algae and Other Growths
Green Algae	Murky, green water Possibly some growth	Low sanitizer Poor maintenance Improper water balance Poor circulation	Shock treatment Algaecide Clean the filter Check the system



Black Algae	Rough, black spots on the bottom of the pool that brushes off with effort	Low sanitizer Poor maintenance Improper water balance Poor circulation	Algaecide Brushing Clean the filter Check the system



Mustard Algae	Yellowish-gold growth that easily brushes away Yellowish-green water	Low sanitizer Poor maintenance Improper water balance Poor circulation	Brushing Algaecide



Pink Slime	Pink, slimy bacterial growth that brushes off easily	Low sanitizer Poor maintenance Improper water balance Poor circulation	Brushing Algaecide Clean the filter Check the system



Water Mold	White mucous or tissue paper-like substance	Low sanitizer Poor maintenance Improper water balance Poor circulation	Shock treatment and algaecide Clean the filter Check the system



Animals and Insects	Water bugs, ducks, dogs, frogs, etc. taking a dip in the pool	Environmental	Shock treatment to kill the organic elements Algaecide



Chlorine Demand	Unable to maintain the free chlorine level or cannot break the high combined chlorine	Foreign environmental contaminants Poor maintenance	Shock treatment



Cloudy Water	Hazy or extremely cloudy water Difficulty seeing the pool bottom	Poor filtration and circulation Chloramines or low sanitizer Poor water balance Particulate matter	Check the pump and filter Clean and run the pump continuously Shock treatment Balance the water



Discolored Water
Gray, clear green or turquoise water	Copper	Equipment corrosion Outside contamination Fill water Use of copper algaecide	Stain and scale preventor



Coffee brown or purple water	Manganese	Equipment corrosion Outside contamination Fill water	Stain and scale preventor



Reddish-brown or rust	Iron	Outside contamination Fill water	Stain and scale preventor



Filtration problems	Clogging filter or short filter runs	Dirty filter Media not cleaned Improper amount of filter media Water balance	Replace filter media Clean with filter cleaner



Odor and eye irritation	Pool has a sharp, irritating odor	Chloramines Swimmer waste, oils and organic waste	Shock treatment



Surface Problems
Scale build up	Sandpaper-like buildup on the surface Grayish or tan coloration that is difficult to brush away	Improper water balance – high TA pH and/or CH	Stain and scale preventer Balance water Acid wash



Etching	Pitting of plaster surfaces	Improper water balance – low TA, pH and/or CH	Balance water Replace the plaster surface



Liner wrinkling	Wrinkles in a vinyl liner	Improper water balance – low TA, pH and/or CH	Balance water Replace the liner if necessary



Bleaching	Pale to white, spotty discoloration on the surface	Improper chemical addition	Replace the liner if necessary Predissolve dry substances before addition



Staining	Black, green, turquoise or brown spots on the bottom that do not brush up	Metal stains Fungus under the liner Tannic acid Stains (leaves and debris)	Stain and scale preventer Pull up the liner and clean from the underside Shock the pool



Testing Problems
Reagent Bleaching	Color of test fades to clear	High chlorine or bromine levels	Add up to 5 drops of a chlorine neutralizer



Reagent Discoloration	Reagent color is different than it should be – for example, the pH test turns purple or the DPD turns brown.	High chlorine or bromine levels Old reagents	Let the chlorine levels come down, then retest Replace reagents



Other Problems
Foaming	Bubbles on the pool surface	Excessive algaecide Foreign substance	Defoamer Determine the source and partially drain if necessary Add algaecide



Green Hair	Blonde hair turns green after swimming	Copper	Stain and scale preventer Lemon juice or vinegar in the hair to remove the color



Rain	Rain washes debris into the pool and raises the water level, increasing the sanitizer demand	Environmental	Rebalance the water after circulating for 24 hours Shock the pool



Water Loss	Noticeable difference in water level	Less than 1/2” daily – evaporation 1/2” to 1” daily – active bather load Over 1” daily – possible leak	Solar cover for the first two levels of water loss Professional assistance for anything over 1” daily