Opening a green pool, shock first or vacuum

Totally been there. What worked best for me was doing a quick manual vacuum first, just to get the heavy stuff out, leaves, sludge, all that junk sitting on the bottom. If you shock before that, you’ll just end up wasting chemicals since they’ll burn through trying to fight debris instead of cleaning the water.

Once most of the gunk is out and the water’s circulating, then hit it with the shock. I usually let the pump run overnight and brush the walls the next morning. It’s a bit more effort up front, but things clear up way faster that way.
 
If your pool opened green, the best approach is to vacuum out as much debris as you can first, especially if there’s a lot of leaves, sludge, or algae buildup on the bottom. Organic matter like that will eat up your chlorine fast, making your shock treatment less effective.

Once you’ve cleared the gunk, test the water so you know what you’re working with, then go ahead and shock it heavily if needed. You may need to use a flocculant or clarifier after shocking, depending on how cloudy it gets. Keep your filter running 24/7 through the cleanup process, and backwash or clean it often.

Starting with a clean base gives your chemicals the best chance to work, and helps clear things up faster.
 
When my pool turned green, I briefly considered calling it my backyard swamp spa and charging admission. 😅 But yeah, I ended up vacuuming first — didn't want my shock chemicals fighting a war they couldn’t win. Anyone else name their green pool something dramatic before cleaning?
 
I’d vacuum first to get the worst of the gunk out. If you shock too early, the chemicals will just get used up fighting all that debris. Once it’s mostly clear, hit it with the shock and let the pump run overnight—it clears up way faster that way!
 
I dose a handful of flocculant and run the pump 4 hours first lets fine particles clump on the floor. Then I vacuum, let it clear overnight, and shock in the morning. Cuts chemical use and speeds cleanup.
 
Had the same problem! Ended up calling my pool the ‘backyard swamp spa’ while I was waiting for the shock to kick in 😂. I vacuumed first to get the big stuff out, then shocked it. Surprisingly, the water cleared up faster than I expected. Anyone else give their pool a dramatic nickname when it turns green?
 
If the water is fully green, I’d vacuum out as much debris as possible before shocking. In my experience, there’s no point raising chlorine if leaves, sludge, and heavy algae are still sitting there because they’ll just consume it.
Once I vacuum and brush, then I bring sanitizer up and let the pump run longer. It clears faster and I’m not wasting chemicals.
 
Sam_Brooks said:
My pool opened green this year. Should I shock it first or vacuum out the gunk before adding chemicals?
Click to expand...
If your pool opened green, I'd start by removing as much leaves and debris as possible first. That organic gunk uses up chlorine quickly, so skimming and vacuuming what you can before shocking makes the treatment more effective. After that, test and balance the water, brush the walls, shock the pool, and keep the filter running continuously until it clears. Once the algae is dead and settles, vacuum again to remove the residue.

If you're in Darwin and would rather have a professional take care of it, I've had a good experience with Genie Pool Care: geniepoolcare.com.au They handle green pool recovery, water testing, and regular pool maintenance, which can save a lot of time and frustration.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top