A swimming pool can be a great addition to your home. Nothing says summer like a day spent splashing in the pool. But before you fill a kiddie pool with some water, make a make-shift pool, or hop into a pool that hasn’t been cleaned for months, you need to know that it’s dangerous having an untreated pool. Check out some of the risks of having an untreated pool.
Green Scum
You’ve probably seen a pool that has a green tint to it. That green color is an indication that the pool hasn’t been treated in weeks and algae has grown in your pool water. Your pool is a closed system, and that means there’s nowhere for the algae to go. So left untreated, it continues to breed and grow throughout the pool. Algae-infested pools create the perfect environment for bacteria to grow, and lead to e-Coli, white water, and pink slime.
Mosquitos
Stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Not only are mosquitoes annoying, but they also carry a variety of diseases. They can carry diseases such as:
- West Nile virus
- Malaria
- Dengue fever
- Septic arthritis
- Cholera
Pools that are not equipped with a filtration system and treated with chlorine are at risk for mosquitoes. Nothing will ruin a fun pool day faster than mosquitoes buzzing around people’s heads.
Cloudy Water
Your pool water can not only turn green, but it can also turn murky. Murky water is caused by low sanitizers and chloramines. Murky water is not only dirty water, but it’s also unsafe water to swim in. Since you are unable to see clearly underwater, it’s possible to end up swimming right into a wall. To prevent that from happening, you can make sure that your pool’s filter and pump are working properly.
Black Algae
Black algae are single-celled organisms that grow in large colonies. They tend to grow in bodies of pool water with a high pH level, low chlorine, bad circulation and filtration, and not enough chlorine. While black algae itself won’t cause illness, it will attract insects or harbor harmful organisms. For that reason, it’s not recommended to swim in a pool that has black algae.
Have a Professional Treat Your Pool
The best way to ensure that your pool is properly treated is by enlisting the help of a professional pool maintenance company, like Patriot Pool Service. For over 20 years, we’ve been helping people maintain their pools. Contact us today to see how we can help you.