Why Your Pool Still Turns Green Even When You’re Taking Care of It

Man, I’ve heard this so many times from folks in the Dallas area: “I skim the leaves, I throw in chlorine tabs, I even shock it when it starts looking weird—why is my pool green again?” It’s super frustrating. You’re out there doing the work, putting in effort, and the water still betrays you with that ugly tint. You’re not slacking; you’re just running into the same wall a lot of us do.

The thing is, skimming and adding chlorine are great starts—they handle the obvious stuff—but pools are sneaky. They’ve got hidden problems that those basics don’t touch, especially with our Texas weather throwing curveballs left and right. I work with Pool Scouts and see this constantly: good people trying hard, but the green keeps winning because the routine misses key pieces. This isn’t me saying you’re doing it wrong; it’s just that “good enough” often isn’t good enough here.

The Everyday Mistakes That Let Algae Sneak In

Testing is probably the biggest miss. Most people grab a test strip when the water looks off or after dumping chemicals in. But pH, alkalinity, and calcium—they drift slowly and quietly. You don’t notice until the water’s already got that slimy feel or the color change. By then, algae’s had weeks to set up shop.

Overdoing the chlorine is another one I see a ton. Water gets hazy, so you hit it with extra shock or more tabs. It might clear for a couple of days, but then the levels burn off fast in the sun, leave junk behind, and don’t fix what’s actually feeding the problem—like nutrients or dirty surfaces.

And brushing? A lot of folks skip it or do it half-heartedly. Chlorine kills floating stuff, sure, but algae glues itself to walls, steps, floors, and tile lines. If you’re not scrubbing those every week or so, you’re leaving a biofilm where spores hide and laugh at your sanitizer. The filter catches some junk, but it can’t brush slime off surfaces.

Clear Water Doesn’t Mean It’s All Good

This is the one that really gets people mad.

Your pool can look sparkling from across the yard—no obvious green—and still be a mess underneath. pH might be creeping high, chlorine might be weak even if the reading says okay, phosphates might be piling up from leaves, pollen, fertilizer runoff. Those things feed algae spores that are always around, waiting for an opening.

Spores come in on wind, shoes, pets, yard stuff—they’re everywhere. In balanced water, they stay quiet. But give them phosphates, drifting pH, and unbrushed spots, and they start growing. The green is the last sign; chemistry goes first, surfaces get gross next, and color shows up last. Clear water is just a disguise.

Why Texas Pools Fight Harder Than Most

Our weather doesn’t help at all.

Temps swing wildly. Eighty degrees one day, forty the next. Warm snaps wake algae up quickly; cold stretches slow things down and let water stagnate if the pump isn’t running enough.

Rain comes in dumps. A storm can wash out sanitizer and drop pH overnight. If you don’t check and fix it soon, you’ve got days of vulnerability.

Dust, pollen, yard junk—wind never stops blowing it in. Construction dust, tree pollen, grass clippings, leaves from oaks or pecans. Open yards, pets, lots of trees? It’s nonstop. You skim the big stuff, but finer particles sink and settle, feeding problems if brushing and filtration aren’t dialed in.

Those things team up. A bit of phosphate buildup + rain dilution + a warm spell = green pool before you know it.

Why Weekly Pro Service Usually Stops the Cycle

Weekly service isn’t about doing more chlorine—it’s about doing the whole job consistently and catching stuff early.

Testing every visit ensures no major drift goes unnoticed. Adjustments happen fast, not next weekend.

Everything gets covered: walls, floors, and steps are brushed to kill biofilm; vacuuming to remove settled junk; filters are cleaned or backwashed as needed; phosphates are monitored and treated if they rise; all the numbers stay within range.

Problems get nipped early. Slight phosphate bump after rain? Handled. pH shift from wind? Fixed. Weak circulation? Caught. That breaks the shock-wait-repeat loop that wears you out and never quite wins.

The pool just stays clear through our crazy weather, no constant fights.

If Green Keeps Coming Back, It’s Probably Not You

You’re not failing because you skim and add chlorine—those are solid moves. Green keeps showing up because most DIY routines leave gaps that Texas conditions exploit fast.

Weekly professional service closes those gaps so you don’t have to become an expert or spend weekends troubleshooting. It just works.

If your pool’s been stubborn and you’re over the cycle, hit us up. A local Pool Scout can swing by for a free check—no pressure, no sales pitch. We’ll test the water, look at your setup, and tell you straight what’s going on and how to fix it for good.

Let’s keep your pool blue. You deserve that.

We’re happy to help. Just give us a call at 469-352-9191 or message at mckinney@poolscouts.com.

— Your local Pool Scouts crew