You lift the cover and the pool looks like pea soup. Take a breath — almost every green pool is recoverable, usually within days, without draining. But the order you do things matters enormously. Here's our process.

Step 1: Find out why it went green

Chlorine doesn't just vanish. The usual suspects: a failed chlorinator cell, a pump timer that stopped, a dead pump, or a fortnight of storms diluting everything. If you treat the water without fixing the cause, it goes green again in a week. Check the equipment first — or bring a photo of your setup in and we'll help you spot it.

Step 2: Test before you dose

Dumping in chlorine blind is how people waste $200 on chemicals. A green pool can have crazy pH and zero stabiliser, which burns off chlorine in hours. Bring a sample in for a free computerised test — we'll give you exact quantities for your pool size.

Step 3: The recovery routine

1. Brush everything. Walls, floor, steps — break the algae's grip so chemicals can kill it.
2. Balance pH first (target 7.2–7.4) so the shock works at full strength.
3. Shock hard with the calculated chlorine dose — usually late afternoon so the sun doesn't burn it off.
4. Run the filter 24–48 hours, backwashing or rinsing the cartridge as pressure rises.
5. Add clarifier once the green turns cloudy-blue to clump the dead algae for your filter.
6. Vacuum to waste if there's a heavy layer of dead algae on the floor.

When to call us instead

Call if you can't see the bottom at all, if the pool's been green for months, or if you'd simply rather not spend your weekend on it. Our green pool recovery service handles the whole process — chemicals, equipment checks and follow-up visits — and we guarantee the result. Most pools are swim-ready within a week.

We sell and service both salt and mineral systems, so we have no horse in this race. Here's the honest comparison we give customers at the counter.

First, a myth to clear up

Both salt and mineral pools are chlorine pools. The chlorinator turns dissolved salts into chlorine — minerals don't replace sanitising, they change how the water feels and how hard the system works. Anyone claiming a "chlorine-free" mineral pool is selling you something.

Salt pools: the reliable workhorse

• Cheapest to run: a bag of pool salt costs very little and lasts months.
• Simple chemistry: every test kit and every pool shop understands salt pools.
• Huge equipment choice: Zodiac eXO iQ, AstralPool Viron, Hayward AquaRite — every major brand makes a salt chlorinator.

Downsides: water can feel slightly "salty" at high levels, and salt can be harsh on some natural stone coping if levels creep up.

Mineral pools: the luxury upgrade

Systems like MagnaPool and Zodiac's Hydroxinator iQ blend magnesium and potassium minerals with a lower salt level. The result:

• Noticeably softer water — no red eyes or tight skin, and hair feels better after a swim.
• Crystal clarity — magnesium flocculates fine particles so filters catch more.
• Gentler on equipment at the lower salt levels these systems run.

Downsides: mineral blends cost significantly more per bag than plain salt, and you'll want a chlorinator designed for mineral chemistry (the Hydroxinator iQ is purpose-built for it).

Converting is easier than you think

Switching from salt to mineral usually means new media in the filter (for MagnaPool), a compatible chlorinator and the first mineral top-up — often done in a single service visit. Bring a water sample in and we'll tell you exactly what your pool would need, and what it would cost per year either way.

Your pool pump is likely the second-biggest power user in your home after hot water. If it's a single-speed pump more than a few years old, it's probably costing you $600–$900 a year to run. Here's why the new variable speed models change that maths completely.

The physics that saves you money

Pumps follow a simple rule: halve the speed, and power use drops to roughly one-eighth. A single-speed pump runs flat-out all day, every day — even though filtration only needs gentle flow. A variable speed pump does the same job at low RPM for most of the day, only ramping up for backwashing or water features.

The maths on a typical bayside pool

• Old single-speed pump: ~1.5kW × 8 hours/day ≈ $900+/year at current tariffs.
• Variable speed at low RPM: ~150–300W for most of the day ≈ $150–$250/year.
• Typical saving: $600+ per year — meaning a quality VS pump often pays for itself in around two years, then keeps saving.

What we'd recommend in 2026

AstralPool Viron XT (P320 / P520)

Our most-installed VS pump. Full speed control from 600–3600 RPM, Bluetooth setup, Climate Care certified, and whisper quiet. The P320 suits most residential pools; the P520 for larger pools or water features.

Hayward TriStar NG VSTD

Hayward's new-generation model with a clever trick: start with simple Bluetooth controls now, then upgrade to a touchscreen or full Omni automation later without replacing the pump.

Is your pool suitable?

Almost every pool is. The main checks are plumbing size, whether you run a suction cleaner (they need a higher-speed window), and solar heating (needs its own flow settings). We size and program every pump we install, so it saves money from day one — bring in your pool details or book a visit and we'll quote it properly.

With the new Dolphin S-Line and the cordless Liberty 600 now on our shelves — plus Zodiac's EvoluX and FreeRider ranges — "which robot should I buy?" has a new answer this year. Here's how we help customers decide in store, minus the sales spin.

What actually matters (and what doesn't)

Forget the marketing fluff. Four things decide whether you'll love your robot:

1. Coverage: floor only, or floor + walls + waterline? Waterline scrubbing is the single biggest visible difference.
2. Filtration fineness: fine filters (60–100 microns) capture the dust and pollen that make water sparkle.
3. Cable management: swivel cables or cordless — tangles are the #1 complaint we hear.
4. Local support: robots need servicing. Buy from a shop that repairs them (we do).

Go cordless if…

• You hate handling a cable or your pool area has no convenient power point
• Your pool is small-to-medium (up to about 10–12m)
• You're happy to charge it between cleans, like a vacuum

Our pick: the Dolphin Liberty 600 — up to 4.5 hours runtime and an Eco Mode that keeps the floor tidy for up to two weeks. For mid-sized pools, the Zodiac FreeRider FR500 iQ is a strong value alternative.

Stay corded if…

• Your pool is large (12m+) or gets heavy leaf and debris loads
• You want set-and-forget weekly scheduling without recharging
• You want maximum scrubbing power on walls and waterline

Our picks: the new Dolphin S2000 or S3000 with app control, or the Zodiac EvoluX EX6050 iQ which maps your pool for faster cycles. On a tighter budget, the Dolphin S1000 covers the basics brilliantly.

The bottom line

Cordless is now genuinely good — but corded still wins for big pools and heavy debris. Either way, buy for waterline scrubbing and fine filtration, and buy from someone who can fix it in five years. That's the whole secret.