You may notice bits of patches that seem to be mucus-looking, and these are white water mold in pool. Like some dilemmas, once not fixed right away, succeeding problems might occur. However, these are naturally occurring fungi that are typically seen in poor areas that do not have the right circulation.
Well, as a pool owner, it would be important to have enough ideas on important things such as the white water mold in pool, how it looks like, what is this fungus, and what measures you have to take to control it. In this article, we are going to talk about all these factors, so if you are interested in figuring out all of these, you have to finish this article by the very end.
Part 1. What is White Water Mold In Pool?
If you are an observant pool owner, and you have a pool that has poor circulation, you would normally see white water mold in pool in your ladders, behind the return jets, and the skimmer as well. In cases where you will see it floating in your pool water, this could mean that the infestation might have been big, and it is already present throughout your pool’s entire piping, and filtration system. If this happens, you might need to do some checking on your chlorine levels as well.
White water mold in pool looks like shredded tissue paper or mucus, you would notice it as flaky looking and is usually floating on the surface of your pool water, sometimes there are cases in which they are submerged as well, especially if the infestation is already severe.
On the other hand, since this is a non-pathogenic mold, there is nothing too much to worry about, it can also only pose minimal dangers to swimmers. Once you leave the pool water, organisms that you caught while swimming will dry off and eventually die. But, as we have said, there are instances where the situation is already severe, and when it happens you will usually see a pink slime which is a bacterium that could cause illnesses to swimmers.
White water mold in pool can be responsible for the depletion of the oxidizer levels in your pools, which is why your pool will not be able to maintain a proper sanitizer level. Also, they have a heavy and protective coating which is why they are very resilient to germicides and non-halogen and halogen-based sanitizers like bromine and chlorine. Moreover, you have to be vigilant if you have indoor pools, as they are more likely to develop when your pool is covered since there are no UV rays to kill it.
You have to immediately take action once see white water mold in pool, this could leave an impression on swimmers such as carelessness when it comes to your pool hygiene and maintenance. Also, once it is not treated, and the infestation is already too long, the worst case that might happen is, that it could clog your pool’s filtration system, which could be more costly. Furthermore, white water mold in pool will use up your sanitizer, which can lead to the blooming of algae or unsanitary water.
The usual cause of white water mold in pool is inadequate water circulation, chemical imbalance, and when you have a really poor pool water maintenance. Also, this is a common situation in pools, also when owning a pool, it is always safer to remember that a tiny amount of white water mold in pool could quickly turn into a full-sized mold colony, which you will not really like.
Part 2. How Do You Prevent White Water Mold Infestation In Your Pool?
Aside from getting to know the basics about white water mold in pool, it is also necessary to have ideas on how can it be prevented. Well, there are different steps which you can follow for its prevention, and we are going to give you some ideas about it, below.
1. Make Sure You Have a Regular Pool Maintenance Schedule.
One of the most important things to know when owning a pool is to have a maintenance schedule that could cover all the needs of your pool. You have to keep your chemicals always balanced, make sure that the surfaces of your pool are always cleaned by regularly brushing them, and always run your filtration system. You also have to make sure that your pool’s sanitizer level is always maintained, and once in a while, or after a heavy rain or a pool party, you should do water balance checking.
2. Clean and Run your Filtration System.
Aside from chemical balancing, another important thing to watch out for in your pool is the filtration system. It must always be kept clean. Always keep an eye on the pressure gauge of your pool, and clean your filter regularly using chemicals. Also, do backwash sand and DE filters once see what you need. You should also run your pool’s filter for at least 12 hours every day to prevent dead spots form in your pool.
3. Allow UV Exposure
When it comes to mold prevention or even dealing with molds, UV exposure is really important. It is important to make sure that your pool and its accessories are exposed to UV rays even routinely in case you have a covered pool. UV rays can be classified as natural oxidizers that can help you get rid of white water mold in pool. In case you are using a pool cover, you can remove it for a few hours once a week to let the sun rays sit in.
4. Always Clean Your Pool’s Accessories, Equipment, Toys, And the Pool Itself.
Cleanliness is the key to having a nice pool, one which could be free from white water mold in pool. You have to make sure that you clean and skim the surface of your pools, the floors, and the walls, and you also empty the skimmer baskets. You also have to vacuum your pools through the use of any powerful automatic cleaner.
Part 3. Learning How To Treat The White Water Mold In A Biguanide Pool
If you have a biguanide pool, and you have observed that there are white water molds in it, you should immediately perform countermeasures to treat it or to get rid of it. We have enumerated steps that you can try to follow, below.
- Start by checking and cleaning your pool’s filtration system.
- Using test kits, start testing chemicals in your pool, once you have detected imbalanced levels, start balancing it.
- Start brushing the walls and the floors of your pool.
- Begin running your pool’s pump for 24 hours, and then start brushing the pool once more.
- Then, vacuum your pool.
- Go to the filtration system once more, and then start cleaning it.
- Then, go and balance water chemistry once more.
- Let everything sit for five to seven days, and after it, you need to add four ounces of biguanide algaecide for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
Once you have made sure that you have followed everything, you can finally check the effects immediately. There should be no white water mold in pool, anymore.
Part 4. How To Begin Treating White Water Mold In Pool Using Chlorine?
It is not impossible to treat white water mold in pool, however, it can be challenging. But, it must be remembered that treatment must be thorough and must be quick as well. To get rid of white water mold in pool in a chlorinated pool, the following steps must be done.
- You have to ensure that your filter pump is normally operating before the treatment process starts. Test it.
- If you have noticed that molds are present in your pool, well molds can be present in your filter too. So, if this is the case you have to start backwashing your DE and sand filter, or you also have the option to expose your cartridge filter to 30 ppm of chlorine for 72 hours continuously.
- Start testing and balancing the chemicals in your pool water, and pay attention to pH.
- To kill the molds, you have to add high levels of chlorine. You can shock the pool using chlorine shock and start applying the treatment during nighttime unless you have an indoor pool. You have to maintain a 30 ppm level of chlorine for 72 hours, and you have to remember that when dealing with white mold chlorine gets used up quickly, so make sure you are at watch.
- Start brushing and skimming the walls and floors of your pool.
- Make sure that you also vacuum your pool.
- Start cleaning the filter once more.
- Then test and balance pool chemicals as well.
- And then you have to wait for a few days until all the processes conducted have taken effect, and if you still see molds in your pool, repeat the process once more.
Part 5. To Summarize It All
Whether it is white water mold in pool or not, thorough pool cleaning must always be conducted for the safety and well-being of the bathers. After all, with all the procedures shared, everything seems possible, and solutions is always under the way, once you know how to execute it.
