“Matt does an amazing job when it comes to servicing our pool. Not only that but his knowledge about our pool equipment, chemicals, and anything pool related is top-notch! He goes above and beyond and I know I can rely on him to make our pool look beautiful. Thank you Matt for your excellent service!”
Southern California's Dedicated Pool Service Specialists
Pool Algae Removal in Riverside & Nearby Cities
Pool Algae Removal That Stays Gone.
Shocking a green pool without diagnosing why it turned green is how you end up shocking it again next month. We fix the cause first.
Stop Throwing Shock at a Problem You Have Not Diagnosed
Pool algae removal is what we get called for, but shock treatment alone is rarely what the pool actually needs. The homeowner has usually tried that already. A bag of cal-hypo from the pool store, maybe two, dumped in at sunset. The water lightens for a day. Then it greens right back up.
That cycle repeats because the shock is treating the symptom. Algae blooms when something in the system fails: the pump died and sat for a week, the filter cartridge collapsed and stopped catching anything, or cyanuric acid climbed past 100 ppm and locked the chlorine into a form that cannot kill a thing. Until someone figures out which failure let the algae in, no amount of granular shock will keep it out.
So that is where every algae call starts for us. Not at the chemical shed. At the equipment pad and the test kit.
Green, Yellow, Black, and Pink Are Not the Same Fight
Green algae is the common one and the easiest to kill. It floats, it clings to walls, it responds to a proper shock dose and aggressive brushing within a couple of days. Most green pool calls are this. The water looks terrible, but the fix is straightforward once the underlying equipment issue is handled.
Yellow algae, sometimes called mustard algae, is a different animal. It settles on shaded surfaces and looks like fine sand or pollen that brushes off easily and reappears by the next morning. Standard chlorine levels barely touch it. Yellow algae requires a targeted algaecide on top of the shock, and everything that touched the water (nets, brushes, hoses, pool toys) has to be sanitized or it reseeds from the equipment.
Black algae is the one that scares people, and it should. It roots into plaster and grout with a protective head that chlorine cannot penetrate from the surface. You have to physically crack through each spot with a stainless steel brush before the chemical can reach the root structure underneath. We see this most often in older pools around the Inland Empire where the plaster has gone porous.
Pink slime is not technically algae at all. It is a bacterial biofilm that forms around returns, skimmer throats, and inside plumbing lines. Surface treatment misses most of it because most of it lives where you cannot see it. We treat the visible growth and purge the lines to clear what is hiding inside the pipes.
Send us a photo and tell us how long it has been green. That is enough to start.
Send a Photo of Your PoolWhat a Real Algae Cleanup Looks Like
We test the water on arrival: free chlorine, pH, CYA, and alkalinity at minimum. If CYA is above 80 or 90, chlorine is effectively useless at any dose, and a partial drain to dilute it comes before anything else. No point pouring shock into water that cannot use it.
Once the chemistry allows it, we hit the pool hard. Liquid chlorine dosed to push free chlorine well above breakpoint, brushed wall by wall, floor included, with the pump running 24 hours. The filter takes the brunt of the dead algae, so we clean or backwash it daily during the process. A single visit is not a green pool cleanup. Most take two or three trips over three to four days before the water is holding clear on its own.
After the water clears we rebalance everything from scratch. pH, alkalinity, calcium, CYA, salt level if you have a chlorine generator. Then we check the filter one more time, because dead algae clogs cartridge pleats and DE grids faster than anything else we deal with.
Worth Asking Before You Call
›
How long does it take to clear a green pool?
Most green pools clear in two to four days depending on severity. A light bloom with visible floor might clear in 48 hours. A pool where you cannot see the second step needs multiple rounds of brushing, shocking, and filter cleaning, and usually takes three to four days of continuous filtration before the water turns.
›
Should I drain the pool instead of treating it?
Usually no. A drain-and-refill sounds faster, but it wastes thousands of gallons and still leaves algae spores on the plaster. Chemical treatment kills what is growing on the walls and inside the plumbing. We only recommend draining when CYA levels are so high that chlorine cannot do its job, or when the water has been stagnant long enough that TDS makes balancing impractical.
›
Will the algae come back after you treat it?
Not if the underlying cause gets fixed. We do not just shock and leave. We figure out whether the problem was a dead pump, a clogged filter, chlorine locked behind high CYA, or simply missed service visits. Correcting that root cause is the difference between a one-time cleanup and a recurring problem.
Customer Reviews
Trusted by Riverside Pool Owners.
5.0 Google rating
“Phil has been taking care of our pool for almost two years now and has displayed excellent customer service from day one. Pool always looks great and he really cares for it as if it were his own. Here's an example of Phil going above and beyond: I called some pool service companies right before they started digging our pool so I would have someone lined up from day one. Most sounded ok but Phil spoke with me for about 20 minutes and this was before I even hired him. He went over things to ask the builder and even what to look for in a pool service provider if I didn't go with him. This was very impressive that he took that time to help me without even knowing if I was going to go with him for my service. I don't know if he remembered that or if he knew it was me he spoke with when he started servicing our pool but that conversation left a great impression on me. If you want someone you can trust to keep your pool looking great then call Phil at Affordable Pool Care.”
“We have had Phil taking care of our pool in two different homes over the last 12 years. We have found him to be honest and fair with all his services. I really like how I get an email when our pool has been serviced. As you can see in the photo our pool looks great. Our Family has had many hot summers in our Crystal Clear Pool thanks to Phil. I like that I never have to worry about my Pool not looking good or if there is a problem he lets me know right away so that we don’t lose any precious swimming days”
“Affordable Pool Care is the BEST! Seriously! My mom passed away and suddenly I was in charge of figuring out her house and all of the things that go along with it. My mom hired THE WORST pool service on the planet! He wouldn't come and then wanted money and when he would show up he would just dump a ton of chemicals into the pool all willy-nilly without even measuring or testing the water. I could go on but just trust me, the guy was a mess and the situation was a train wreck! I was so nervous because we were having people come over after my moms funeral. The pool was not looking great (see above). Matt was a total super hero! He came over last minute, cleaned up the pool, sorted it all out and because I'm not a total dumb dumb I begged him to stay on until we sold the home. Matt was always in constant communication with me about the pool. He went out of his way to make sure that the water levels were where they should be. No one was living at the house for a few months so you can imagine how panicked I was about everything! But because of Matt the pool became the one thing that I didn't have to worry about! Seriously! If you care about your pool, don't want to get ripped off, like yourself even a little bit, you're not a dumb dumb but perhaps were not a fan of chemistry class or if you just simply want the extra hour plus a week working on your bodacious tan or watching reruns of your favorite Saturday morning cartoons HIRE AFFORDABLE POOL CARE! It is a total game changer!”
“Highly Recommended. We cannot ask for a better Pool Service and Pool Professional with Phil. Phil is always ready to help and fix anything needed for the homeowner. We have used Affordable Pool Care for 10 years without any problems.”
“We've been with this company for at least 4 years now. Mark comes weekly and maintains our pool for us. He has always done exceptional. He keeps our levels in check and alerts us when something isn't looking right. I have seen other companies charging much more than affordable pools and they only do half the work. I picked this company based on the reviews and I'm very happy with the service they provide”
Service Area
Where We Offer Pool Algae Removal
We provide pool algae removal throughout our Inland Empire and Orange County service area:
Give us a call.
Speak directly with a pool care expert. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
(951) 215-6142Get a free quote.
Fill out our simple form and get a personalized quote. No obligation, no pressure.
Get Your Free QuoteFree Quote
Get your free pool service quote.
Tell us about your pool. A specialist typically replies within 15 minutes.
- Free, no-obligation quote
- Typical reply within 15 minutes
- Licensed & insured
- Your information stays private
