Green pool recovery versus upkeep
A pool left alone for a fortnight in a Sydney summer turns. What recovery actually involves, what it costs against routine servicing, and where the tipping point sits.
The assumption we're testing
“Shock-it-and-hope”
Why it happens so fast
Algae needs warmth, light and no chlorine. A Sydney summer hands it the first two for free. The only thing keeping your pool clear is chlorine that is actually holding.
Once the chlorine runs out, a pool can go green in under a week.
What recovery actually involves
It is not one big dose of chlorine. First the water has to be balanced so the chlorine can even work. Then shock it, run the filter hard for days, backwash it over and over, brush every surface, and usually drop the dead algae to the bottom so it can be vacuumed out.
That burns through chemicals, water and days of filtering. Which is why it costs several times what a regular service does, not just a bit more.
The tipping point
Do the sums. Two or three green pool recoveries in a year costs more than just servicing it properly the whole time.
The exception is a pool nobody swims in for months. In that case, shutting it down properly over winter beats both.
This is The Pool Care Brigade territory.
See the brigade