How to Remove Dead Algae from the Pool Bottom?

Though you are cleaning your pool regularly, sometimes you get frustrated about how to keep the pool perfect for swimming. Algae are the most awkward reason for this. The primary causes of pool algae are lack of proper circulation, filtration, and sanitation.

Algae can grow in the sun, but most pool algae strains need some light to germinate. If algae need to survive, there is no shortage in the swimming pool.

You do not know how to kill algae, or you may leave with the task of removing them from the bottom of your pool water. Dead algae will turn white or gray color stay in the bottom of the pool. It would be best if you had some equipment to remove dead algae for what you have to a little investment.

How to Remove Dead Algae from the Pool Bottom

Why are algae bad for your pool?

Though algae are not harmful to the swimmer, no one wants to go swimming. For algae-free water, it takes effort and money. Once you have a massive algae bloom, it helps for future algae to bloom. You know prevention is better than cure, so it is better to use anti-algae chemicals and systems to control algae and prevent them from blooming constantly.

On the other hand, dead algae can cloud and color the water; it makes confuse the diver about the depth of the pool. Algae block holes in a pool filter, clog sanitation lane in the water. It can reduce filter effectiveness and require extra backwashing or filter media replacement. Algae are like weeds in your garden, which are unwanted things. It would help if you had more work to remove it. Algae create chlorine demand by themselves and take chlorine that helps to other contaminants.

How to get rid of dead algae in your pool bottom

Despite your best efforts, these flashy little spores stay in the bottom of the pool. Sometimes you do not have the time to maintain the pool correctly, but removing dead algae from the pool is not such a tough job. Just follow our tips.

1. Test & balance the water chemistry

Testing and checking the balance of water chemistry is the most important to get your pool algae free. You should experiment with a good test kit to check chlorine and pH levels. By adding sodium carbonate, bring pH level to about 7.8 and make sure the chlorine is at least above one ppm.

2. Turn on the pump

Usually, you run the pool pump 6 or 8 hours in a day to keep the pool well. But while treating your pool, your pump will need to be running 24 hours a day.

3. Remove debris

Then you need to remove floating debris with a net (available at home), including floating algae and leaves. If you do not have a good one, you should buy from the market. Someone uses their hand or kids to remove these things.

4. Brush your pool

After that, you will do a brush. What types of brush you need, it depends on the type of pool surface you have. You use a wire or stiff pool brush when you have a concrete or plaster pool. However, you are doing brush, you scrub all the bottom of the pool well, including pool wall and corners.

5. Vacuum your pool

A vacuum is an essential part of cleaning the surface level of the pool. Lots of pool vacuum machines such as a robotic pool vacuum or regular vacuum can help you better. Vacuum your pool surface thoroughly to remove all dead algae or debris that left while brushing. Make sure that you vacuum pool walls and the under stairs. It is said that use vacuum to your pool once a week. You can vacuum the pool any time if you notice any debris, dirt, leaves, and dead algae in your swimming pool.

6. Clean your filters

Then you need to clean your filters. Because vacuum can suck up all kinds of debris, dirt, sand, and dead algae, they can block the filter. You know that your pool filter is an essential part to remove dead algae from the pool, so clean them properly. Make sure to backwash the sand filter.

7. Shock your pool

Shock your pool with a pleasant calcium hypochlorite shock. Getting rid of excessive growth of algae may require additional treatment. Pool shock mostly super-chlorinate your pool to kill something that shouldn’t be there. The best time of shocking, while the sun is not out so that the chemistry of your pool is not affected by environmental factors.

8. Add algaecide

Algaecide is more useful to prevent your pool from algae. After finishing all of these things, you can add algaecide. It does not work as much as you might think of algae treatment.

How to Remove Dead Algae from Pool without a Vacuum

Dead algae can be a tricky problem to deal with. Fortunately, there are some easy ways that you can remove it from your pool without using expensive equipment like a vacuum. Here are 3 easy steps on how to remove dead algae from your pool without having to use a vacuum:

1) Fill up the skimmer basket and scoop out any of the dead algae clumps that you find in there

2) Add 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach per 5 gallons of water and let it sit for 10 minutes before draining

3) Run the filter pump for 2 hours or so to bring the chlorine and other chemicals to a level where they will kill off any lingering algae

Will a sand filter remove dead algae?

The sand filter is the best way to remove dead algae from the bottom of the pool, so you need zero in the waste setting. Cartridge filter owners can empty dead algae, but the filters need to be thoroughly cleaned.

What does dead algae look like?

Algae is a type of plant that can be found in many different environments. It is usually green, but it may take on other colors depending on the environment and factors such as sunlight exposure. When algae dies, it will turn brown or black, which is called dead algae. If you have ever seen this before, then you know what to look for if you are trying to identify dead algae at your swimming pool!

Dead brown algae in pool?

The best way to clean this type of algae is by vacuuming as much as possible. What you want to do is vacuum the skimmer baskets from time to time and make sure that they’re clean. You can also use a pool net for removal of algae in hard-to-reach areas.

Dead green algae in pool?

If your issue is with dead green algae, then what you’ll want to do is use a brush or other sweeping device like an old credit card or something similar to scrub it off. Once this has been done, take some chlorine bleach tablet (like Clorox) and drop it into the water as well as any remaining residue on surfaces near the pool area. Let these sit until they become dissolved before removing them by either vacuuming or scooping out using a long handled broom handle. What you’ll want to do is vacuum as much of the dead algae out that you can, and then scrub what’s left with a brush. You should also use chlorine bleach tablets in order to sanitize the area after removing any visible particles from it.

Final Words

Although algae themselves are not harmful to humans or pets, they can spread harmful germs and trap bacteria in the pool water. When algae are growing on the pool, it can make some slick area for the pool, because algae are slippery and greasy. Remember prevention is better then cure, if you use a chlorine shock product, the pool water will turn crystal clear. To fix the sick problem, use a pump and vacuum proper time in a proper way. Then you will enjoy your beloved swimming pool.

6 thoughts on “How to Remove Dead Algae from the Pool Bottom?”

  1. When I vacuum with my sand pump the algae just blows back in the pool thru the jet What can I do? I lose so much water if I turn the pump on waste.

  2. Kathi Kassinger

    Dead algae is on floor of my pool. I have a cartridge filter so I can’t back flush and when vacuuming it blows back into my pool. How can I get algae off the floor?

    1. Thanks Kathi Kassinger.
      Begin vacuuming as you normally would, and if you see dirt or dead algae is bypassing your filter and blowing back into the pool, your filter needs attention before you can proceed. Try cleaning the cartridge (you may need to do this several times). If the debris is still bypassing the filter and blowing back into the pool you need a repair to the filter itself – by a service professional.

  3. Also. Its not good to let the dead algae get into your filter cartridge. What I do after I shock and dead algae accumulates on bottom of pool ? I create a siphon with garden hose or bigger pool hose and suck out the algae along with water. You could catch the siphon water in a bucket then filter it with a pillow case. Sounds Crazy but if you don’t want to waste you water , it helps
    Videos on you tube too

    1. Thanks Emily
      Vacuum is the best way to remove the death algea. After shocking, you should vacuum the pool water properly. Siphon is not the right way to remove dead algea. Moreover, it wastes water. If you do it, don’t allow to catch that water. Because it may have a chance to rebirth algea in your pool.

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