You are out in the pool having fun, relaxing, and enjoying the warm summer air when all of a sudden, you notice something strange about your pool water. It starts gurgling as it settles to the bottom of the pool. You may be tempted to draw your pool water for a drink, but as you stir the murky liquid, you discover that it doesn’t mix with the pool water. You drain the pool, and as you watch the water settle to the bottom, you notice that it has a faint film on the surface. You shake the container, and the film thickens, spreading like a stain on the surface of the water.
A few minutes later, the area around the edges of the pool begins to seep, and an hour after you drained the pool, the entire thing is a seething mass of bubbles. You look at the spa water, and are amazed at how quickly it turns into a thick, foamy substance. In just minutes, the water is already half as thick as it normally would be, and you feel like you’re drowning in quarts of liquid.
If this sounds like you, then you’re in luck because this article is going to tell you exactly WHY your pool water is fizzy, and hopefully, it’ll help you avoid this problem. As a matter of fact, this article will teach you how to make your pool water fizzy and thick, so you can drink it like beer!
Table of Contents
Drink Up!
Before we begin, it’s important to point out that although this article is going to teach you how to make your pool water fizzy, it’s not necessarily advising you to drink it. The decision to drink the water is yours to make, just like everything else in life. If you enjoy the taste of mineral-rich water, then sipping from your pool may be a good idea for you! Additionally, there are some health risks associated with excessively drinking pool water, so make sure you’re aware of those before you do it. For those of you who prefer not to drink pool water, then the information in this article is definitely for you because it’ll help you avoid the fizzy pool water problem altogether!
Mineral Leaching
When you drain your pool, the minerals in the water become concentrated at the bottom of the pool. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, and potassium, among others. While the total amount of these minerals remains the same, the way in which they are concentrated is what makes a difference. Typically, these minerals remain stable in large quantities, but when they are dissolved in water, they can leach out of the pool and into the soil surrounding it. In general, the farther the pool is located from the nearest body of water (river, lake, or ocean), the more stable the mineral content will be. However, even in the most distant pools, these minerals can still leach out and cause environmental issues. For instance, if a nearby river is depleted of minerals, then it can cause riverside plants to become stunted and the fish in the river to suffer.
Dissolved Oxygen
Dissolved oxygen is the gas that gets solubilized in water, which makes it easier for organisms to consume. Most notably, dissolved oxygen is responsible for the growth of algae and bacteria in your pool. Algae are plants that are usually brown in color, while bacteria are single-celled organisms that can exist in a variety of colors. Bacteria are essential in the decomposition of organic material, while algae are a source of nutrients for fish and other living things. Just like with the minerals in your pool, the level of oxygen in your pool water will rise and fall based on how much air is available in the area. For example, if you live by the ocean and there are no mountains in the vicinity, then the amount of oxygen in your pool will increase as the day goes by. As the day draws to its close and the sun begins to set, the amount of oxygen in your pool will drop, causing the alga and bacterium population to increase (i.e. ‘the green color’ that often appears in freshly-drawn pools).
Sunlight And Rainwater
When it comes to building a pool, the rule of thumb is: the more sunlight that shines on it, the faster it’ll dissolve. The reason for this is that sunlight causes nutrients such as calcium and magnesium to become more available to plants and animals. In general, the more sunlight that shines on a pool, the faster it will be drained. However, the opposite is also true: if it gets too hot outside, then the water in the pool will evaporate, leaving you with a dry, cracked pool deck.
Apart from the direct effect that sunlight has on your pool water, rainwater has a similar effect. In other words, if it rains heavily enough, then the water in your pool will begin to flow, gradually soaking the surrounding area. In case you want to be extra-prepared for heavy rains, then you can lay down some potted plants on the ground around the pool to provide some cover from the rain. In this way, you’ll be better prepared for the occasional downpour.
Temperature
Another factor that affects the fizzy nature of your pool water is temperature. Naturally, the temperature of the water in your pool will rise as the day goes by. Just like with the other aspects of your pool, if you live in a hotter climate, then the water in your pool may become increasingly fizzy as the day goes on. Conversely, if you live in a cooler climate, then the water in your pool may remain relatively placid throughout the year. In general, the warmer the water, the faster it’ll become agitated, while the cooler the water, the more stable it will be. In some cases, extreme temperatures can cause minerals to become more available to bacteria and algae, which leads to an abundance of both. If you feel that there’s too much algae in your pool, then it may be a good idea to warm the water up a bit, though this will depend on your pool size and whether or not you live in a hotter climate.
Algae And Bacteria
Just like with the other aspects of your pool, the type of algae and bacteria in your pool water will be based on a number of factors. Naturally, the type of algae and bacteria that you have in your pool will determine the fizzy nature of your pool water. For instance, if you have an abundance of green algae and small amounts of blue-green algae, then your pool water will have a greenish tint. In some cases, algae can grow so quickly that it becomes difficult to keep up with their demand for nutrients, particularly when their population becomes excessive. One way of controlling algae is to add an algaecide to the pool water to deter them. Just like with the other factors listed here, the type of algae and bacteria in your pool will depend on the weather in your area, whether or not you have mountains in the vicinity, and what kind of water you use to clean it.
Hopefully, this article will teach you enough about why your pool water is fizzy to avoid this problem. In case you want to be extra-cautious, then you can always consult with a pool professional, who will be able to tell you exactly what’s going on with your pool and what you need to do to fix it. As a general rule of thumb, the more you know, the less you’ll have to worry about, so keep this in mind as you proceed. In other words, if you pay attention to the details, then you’ll be able to avoid the fizzy pool water problem entirely! Just think about how much time and energy you would have wasted if you had no idea why your pool water was fizzy. Ultimately, this is why knowledge is power, and although it may not seem obvious, having more information can certainly help you in many ways, including how to make your pool water fizzy!