Vacuuming Algae

by Jessica
(New York)

We cannot seem to get our 27 foot round above ground pool clean. Every time we vacuum it, the dirty water comes back into the pool through the return. Why is this happening? Someone told us to put algaecide in it to kill the algae but we did that and there still isn’t a change. What else can we do?


Hi Jessica. Yes, algae will blow right through a filter and back into the pool. It will look like it was never vacuumed ten minutes after you did it.

Here are a few suggestions. The filter needs to run nonstop until the algae is gone. I would use a couple of doses of vinyl shock treatment and vacuum the pool as often as necessary. Always vacuum in the waist position. This will send the algae down the drain, or out into the yard, but not back into the pool.

This may take several days but it usually works. If not, have your water tested again, add more algaecide if needed but do not shut the filter off until the problem is solved.