Why Choose Dark Pools Over Bright Pools for Easy Cleaning

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If you have a dark pool in your home and you are wondering whether it is easier to clean it than the bright ones, then this article is perfect to help you understand it in detail.

A dark pool is easier to clean and looks less dirty compared to the bright pools. Darker pools can mask sand, dirt, and debris easily to avoid the pool looking dirty. However, if algae are present due to lack of maintenance and chlorination, it can be difficult to track and clean them in darker pools.

There are a lot of factors while choosing your pool color, cleaning and maintenance are some of the major factors that need to be considered while choosing your pool colors.

In this article, you will come to know why choosing a dark pool is a better option for easy cleaning along with some caveats.

How cleaning a dark pool is easier?

Whether it might be because you have moved to a new home or planning to install a new dark pool in your own home, you might want to do some research in pool maintenance details.

Having a dark or bright colored pool depends on the taste of the owner and the aesthetic of the home. For people who have indoor pools, many of them like having dark pools because it matches their interior pool area setting.

Also, dark pools stay a bit warmer (around 5 degrees) which is helpful in an indoor setting. If you somehow get a harmless but unremovable stain on the pool floor, having a dark bottomed pool will conceal it without you having to get any extra work done.

Having a dark pool in a place with an abundance of sunlight is easy on the eyes. As it does not reflect as much blinding light as a bright blue colored pool does.

However, if you have children at home, you must be careful of getting out any debris or grits that might have fallen into it, before getting in for a swim.

Since the darker pools make it hard to see any small debris, if you don’t clean it regularly or haven’t used the pool in a few days, it is a good idea to check it for anything that could be harmful.

When not in use, darker pools can mask any kind of dirt or sand that might have gathered for a long time. Also, instead of using chlorine every time to clean your darker pool, you can instead use saltwater.

It is eco-friendly and cost-effective. Even though many people think that having a dark pool is a new inclusion in interior design, they could not be any more wrong. Darker pools have been around for centuries if you look back at history.

How darker pools can mask stains?

Be it lighter or darker pools, you cannot say confidently that your pool walls, lining, or floor won’t stain.

While the most type of stain comes out after you bleach it properly and use other cleaning agents, the same cannot be said about stains formed by rust, accidental spilling of paint, or any stain caused by buildups of debris, dirt, and leaves.

If you have a fiberglass pool, whether it is dark bottomed or bright bottomed, it can stain from metal corrosion. The fiberglass shells have iron used in their production.

So, after a few years, it is normal for the shells to stain the pool’s floor and wall with each wash off. The brown rust-colored stains often look unpleasant.

However, before using any strong cleaning agent, you must make sure whether the stain in your dark pool is from the metal or any organic matter.

If it’s from organic matter like leaves, dirt, and other kinds of debris, applying chlorine will help remove the stain completely.

However, if the stain is indeed from metal rust, you might need to use ascorbic acid to lighten it. After removing the stain, you wash off the area with clean water and fill the pool again.

Since the cleaning agent has already removed most of the stain, the dark color of your pool will mask the remaining spot and it will be new as the first time.

Another reason your pool might have stained might be from the copper from the pool wall material. After years of use, the pool walls will eventually start eroding and it will leave the walls discolored.

With brighter colored pools it is a problem, as the bluish-green stain is not something appealing to the eyes.  However, if you have a dark pool you won’t have to worry about the stain ruining your aesthetics.

How to clean your darker pools?

If you haven’t used your pool for a while because it was too cold to get into the pool, your pool must have now gathered some algae, or other dirt and debris.

However, unlike the bright colored pools, using a regular saltwater chlorination system can prevent algae from happening at a faster rate in your dark pools.

Even then, your darker pools still require occasional cleaning and the best way to clean your darker pool is:

• First, clean the algae. Brush the walls and floor of the pool thoroughly to remove any algae.
• Ensure the pH level of your pool water is between 7.2 to 7.6.
• Add chlorine to the water and let it sit for 24 hours.
• Make sure that the pool filter is running for 24 hours. After 24 hours you can see the algae turning white or grey and floating on the surface or the floor.
• If you see that there are algae still on the walls you can add another dose of chlorine.
• As soon as all the algae are dead, use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of dead algae.
• Once the entire pool has been vacuumed, clean the pool filter as well, to make sure there are no algae stuck there.
• You can also use algaecide pool chemicals as a preventive measure so that the algae cannot return.
• Do a monthly water test with the help of your local pool store. It will help you keep updated with your water pH level and keep algae happening from at bay.

How long does it take to clean darker pools?

While it is true that dark pools are easier to clean when compared to bright ones, it still requires quite a good amount of time.

Depending on where you live, and the algae and debris build-up, you might be required to clean the pool entirely in 2 or 3 sessions.

You might also need to keep an eye on the process so that the strong bleaching agent or chlorine does not corrode the walls if left for too long.

If you have an indoor dark pool, and you have not used it in only for a few months, adding chlorine for only 24 hours would be enough.

However, if you have an outdoor dark pool under trees and chances of leaves and debris falling in it, you might require adding two doses of chlorine at an interval of 24 hours.

You can always check the right amount of chlorine in each dose with your local pool shop. You can also add chlorine-based sanitizers to make sure there is no bacteria or germs in the dark pool water.

While adding chlorine you can also add calcium hardness, it will save your pool surfaces from corroding, which will eventually keep your pools from staining.

If you prefer to clean your dark pools yourself instead of hiring a professional always make sure to wear gloves and a fume respirator mask so that you do not inhale any harmful chemical vapors.

Even though at times you might be required to add different chlorines to clean the pool, never mix all the chlorine or any chemical, for that matter, together. Always keep in mind to add it separately to the pool.

Always keep in mind to add a free chlorine level of no less than 1ppm to kill bacteria and algae. The amount should be somewhere between 2-4ppm (parts per million). 

Darker pools are also cost-efficient (less maintenance)

You might not believe it when someone says this but darker pools are cost and energy-efficient.

Since you do not need to color or reconstruct the floor and walls every time there is an unavoidable stain on it, it cuts down the cost of maintenance.

Unless there is a leak or other serious problem with your pool, you can clean it yourself with chlorine or other mild cleaning agents.

The water in the dark pool does not magnify the floor and tiny debris on the floor, like the bright colored ones. So if you like having the pool that looks deep but in reality is not, the darker pools are a way to go.

Darker pools are also cost-efficient because as mentioned earlier, they can absorb light and keep the pool warm longer. It will help you in cutting down the cost of electricity, heat and lessen the use of the pool heater.

You have now reached the end of this article. I hope you are now aware of how dark pools are a better option while keeping cleanliness and maintenance in mind.