Help -My Closed Pool Turned Green

Hi everyone,

I’m a new pool owner and closed my pool about a week and a half ago using a Leslie closing kit. Everything looked fine, but now the pool has turned green. Should I leave it like this over winter, or should I do something about it now?

The pool has a mesh cover, and I’m in New Jersey if that matters.

Any advice is appreciated!

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Close the pool when the water is 60 degrees or colder. Open it again before the water gets warmer than 60 degrees.

At that temperature, algae has a hard time growing. Also, pump out any water sitting above the mesh cover to keep sunlight from reaching it.

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It would be best if you waited until the last possible moment to close your pool. The colder, the better; otherwise, algae will definitely grow. I’ve even closed pools in freezing rain before, haha. It’s best to keep the water balanced and circulating for as long as you can because if you close too soon, the pool will turn dark green and require a lot of work when you reopen it. So, be patient and delay closing—it’ll save you effort later.

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@Sadie Most people in NJ usually close their pools around mid to late September. The weather cools down, and soon the trees will start dropping leaves and needles. Just cover the pool, and don’t worry if it turns green over the winter—it clears up in a few days when you open it next season.

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@Terryanne Yeah, I thought he was in a colder place. I’m in Oklahoma, so we can still swim, haha.

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Since it’s been warm, algae grew in my pool, and I’m having a hard time clearing it up before closing. Maybe I’ll wait until the weather cools down—I’m not sure.

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It’s quite common. Most pools with mesh covers turn green by spring. If you’re lucky and open the pool early, most of the algae will have settled on the floor.

Pools we open in April are usually clear, but by mid-May, they start turning green again.