Having a pool is a great thing, offering you the comfort and excitement of swimming right in your own backyard. While having a pool is great fun, it also requires you to do a few things to keep the pool in good shape. The most important thing you can do is to monitor the quality of the water in your pool, in order to keep it free of things like pool algae. If you are careful and use natural alternative treatments to keep your water crystal clear, then you can have fun in the pool all summer long.
The Danger of Algae
Algae are microorganisms that are most closely related to plants in many ways, even though they look a lot like bacteria at first glance. Algae comes in many shapes and forms, from red to green to brown in color, but one thing is always certain: algae growing in a body of water is almost always bad news. For one thing, algae can cover the surface of any body of water, which makes it very unsightly. The reason algae are able to do this is because algae use photosynthesis to survive. All algae need is a body of water and some sunlight to grow without any restraint.
Pool algae cause several problems beyond just being unsightly. In some cases, algae can be unhealthy for human contact or even dangerous, making it very important that you keep your pool free of algae at all times to keep your family healthy. In other places such as ponds, algae can spread enough to kill off other things living in the water, such as fish, which demonstrates just how problematic algae can be.
Getting Rid of Pool Algae
As every pool owner knows, getting rid of pool algae can be a chore. That is why it is easier to prevent algae from ever appearing in the first place. The classic way that this is done is through the shocking of your pool with chlorine treatments. This essentially bleaches the water of the pool, killing everything that might grow in it. Over time the chlorine amount reduces to the point that it is safe for humans, but not for algae. However, this solution is not ideal, as chlorine smells unpleasant and can hurt your eyes if you get pool water in them.
To avoid chlorine water treatments in your pool, you should consider an alternative solution. By using a machine that ionizes your pool water, you will be able to greatly reduce the amount of chlorine in your pool. This will allow you to swim safely and comfortably all summer long without worrying about the presence of algae.