Green Pool Recovery
in Roodepoort
Pool turned green? Same-day callouts across Roodepoort and the West Rand. We assess, shock, run, vacuum, and rebalance. From R1,500 for a standard residential recovery. Free water testing on every job.
What's Actually Going
On With Your Green Pool
A green pool is an algae bloom. The water itself is fine, the colour is millions of microscopic algae cells suspended through it. Algae grows because chlorine has dropped below the level needed to kill it, or the chlorine is being burned off by direct sun without a stabiliser to protect it, or the filter has stopped circulating properly. Sometimes the colour is not algae at all, it is dissolved copper or iron oxidising in the water.
The recovery process is the same either way. Test, identify the cause, shock with the right chlorine product, break the algae cell walls with an algaecide, run the filter hard, then rebalance. Free water testing at the Horison shop is the cheapest first move. Walk in with a 500ml sample, walk out with the chemistry plan.
"Algaecides, as we know them, were discovered by accident by a pool owner who threw carpet cleaner into the pool in a moment of desperation. To his amazement, the pool came clean. The reason for this is that algae is hydrophobic, this means that it repels water, thus not allowing any chemicals to damage the cell walls of the algae. The carpet cleaner is a soap-based product that breaks down the slimy exterior of the algae allowing the cytoplasm to leak out and kill the algae."
From Ridd's Pool Care Manual by Mervyn Trollip, 2008. Page 18.
We do not use carpet cleaner. We use Africhem Algae-killer, which is the same soap-based chemistry properly formulated for pool water. That is the second step of a green pool recovery.
Our 4-Step Green Pool Recovery
Same sequence every time. Adjusted for stage of bloom, pool volume, and filtration condition. Most pools are swimmable inside 72 hours.
Free assessment and water test
Full water test on site or at the Horison shop. Chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, stabiliser, calcium hardness, and metals. We tell you the stage of the algae bloom, what caused it, and the exact chemistry plan to clear it. Every recovery is dosed for the pool in front of us.
Shock chlorination and algaecide
We raise the chlorine to shock level using calcium hypochlorite or stabilised granules, depending on stabiliser readings. Then an algaecide such as Africhem Algae-killer to break down the algae cell walls. A grey-green pool gets a different ratio to a black-swamp pool.
Filter runs and manual vacuum
Pump runs continuously for 24 to 72 hours, depending on severity. We brush the walls, vacuum the dead algae off the floor, and backwash the filter every time the pressure climbs. Severe pools need a flocculant pass to settle the finest particles before vacuuming.
Rebalance and handover
Once the water clears, we rebalance to the Ridd's pool care manual standard: chlorine 1.5 to 3 ppm, pH 7.2 to 7.6, stabiliser around 80 ppm, calcium hardness around 250 ppm. You get a short handover sheet listing what was done and the maintenance dose to keep it green-free.
Same-Day, Scheduled, or DIY
Not every green pool is an emergency. We have three ways to handle a recovery so you only pay the premium when you actually need it.
Same-day callout
Pool guests on Saturday? Property viewing on Monday? We come the same working day, anywhere in Roodepoort and the West Rand. R500 emergency premium on top of the standard recovery price. WhatsApp us a photo and we lock in the time slot.
Scheduled within 48 hours
If the green pool is not a fire, we can usually fit you into the regular route inside 48 hours. Standard recovery pricing applies. This is what most owners book. The chlorine starts working overnight either way, the only difference is when the first dose goes in.
DIY chemical package
If you would rather do the work yourself, walk into the Horison shop with a 500ml water sample. Free water testing, then we hand you the chemicals, the exact dose order, and a printout of the four-step recovery sequence. You save the labour cost and keep the result.
What a Green Pool
Recovery Actually Costs
Prices are quoted on the actual pool, not a generic template. We give you the final number after the free water test and a look at the equipment. No hidden top-ups. The ranges below cover most West Rand residential pools.
Commercial pools and pools over 90,000 litres are quoted separately. Same approach, bigger chemistry plan, longer filter cycle. WhatsApp us a photo and pool size for any quote outside the residential range.
Standard residential green pool
R1,500 to R3,000Pools 8,000 to 25,000 litres. Algae bloom, water still green but visible to the bottom. Standard chemistry plan, 3 to 5 day recovery.
Black or swamp pool
R2,500 to R4,500Heavy organic load, can't see past the surface, possible suspended metals. Heavier shock dose, flocculant pass, 5 to 7 day recovery.
Filter media replacement
+ R500Add-on if the sand is more than two years old or has been running through a black pool. We re-bed the filter so it actually filters.
Same-day emergency premium
+ R500If you need us out the same working day. Skipped if we can fit you in within 48 hours on the regular route.
Why We're Faster Than a Generic Pool Service
We are a pool chemicals and equipment supplier first. The recovery service runs out of the same shop. Five reasons that matters for a green pool emergency.
Stock on-site at 227 Ontdekkers
Calcium hypochlorite, stabilised granules, Africhem Algae-killer, flocculant, metal sequestrant. All on the shelf in Horison. The van leaves with what your pool needs already on board, not after a supplier order.
Decades of West Rand green-pool experience
The Trollip family has been recovering green pools across Roodepoort since the late 1990s. Thunderstorm bloom, post-holiday neglect, broken pumps, salt cells at end of life. The recovery pattern rarely surprises us.
Free water testing built in
Every recovery starts with a full water test. No extra charge. Chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, stabiliser, calcium hardness, and metals. The reading drives the chemistry plan. The test is free even if you do the recovery yourself.
We supply and we apply
The chemicals we dose into your pool are the same chemicals on the Horison shelf. No middleman, no markup. The chain from supplier to your pool is two people long.
WhatsApp-first, no call centre
Send a photo of the pool to 073 894 8248 with your suburb and pool size. The person on the other end is in the Horison shop, not a national booking centre with a script. Quote and arrival window the same working day.
Keep It from Going Green Again
A recovery clears the algae. Keeping it clear is a maintenance job. Three honest paths, depending on how much of the work you want to do yourself.
Weekly pool maintenance
From R350 a visit. Weekly chemistry, vacuum, brush, backwash, and equipment check. The simplest way to keep a recovered pool clear all year round.
View maintenance plans →
DIY chemical stock
Chlorine, stabiliser, algaecide, pH up, pH down, flocculant, salt. HTH, Africhem, and own-brand options. Walk in with the recovery handover sheet and we stock you up.
Browse pool chemicals →
Free water testing
Bring a 500ml sample to the Horison shop. Five minute lab test. We tell you the exact chemicals, dose, and order to add them in. No charge, ever, and the same test we run on our own maintenance routes.
Bring in a sample →
We also run regular maintenance routes through Horison, Florida, Constantia Kloof, and Ruimsig. The recovery handover often becomes a weekly maintenance booking on the next van through your street. The Roodepoort branch at 227 Ontdekkers handles every recovery in the West Rand.
Ridd's Aqua Centre, 227 Ontdekkers Road, Horison, Roodepoort, 1724
The Horison shop runs every green pool recovery in the West Rand. Open weekdays 08:00 to 17:00, Saturday 09:00 to 13:00, closed Sundays and public holidays.
Green Pool Recovery FAQ
How long does a green pool take to recover?
Most standard residential green pools clear inside 3 to 5 days. The pump runs continuously through that window and we visit daily to brush, vacuum, and adjust chemistry. A grey-green pool can be swimmable in 48 hours. A black-swamp pool with full organic load is closer to 5 to 7 days. The timeline gets faster if your filtration is in good working order, slower if the filter sand is old or the pump is under-sized. We tell you the realistic timeline at the assessment, before you commit.
Can I just drain and refill the pool instead?
We rarely recommend it. Draining a pool in Highveld conditions can crack the shell from hydrostatic pressure on the high water table, lift a fibreglass pool off its bed, or void the surface warranty. Refilling 25,000 to 50,000 litres of municipal water also costs more than the recovery in most cases. The exceptions are when calcium hardness is at a permanent extreme, the water is heavily stained with metals, or the original surface is failing. We test the water first and tell you honestly if a dump-and-refill is the cheaper outcome.
Will my pool ever go green again after this?
Only if one of the three critical issues slips. A green pool is always a symptom of a chlorine failure, a filtration failure, or a water-balance failure. We hand over a maintenance dose plan and a filtration schedule that keeps the pool inside the safe window. The most common second-time triggers we see: the pump tripped off and nobody noticed for a week, the chlorine floater ran empty over a holiday, the filter sand is more than two years old, or the stabiliser dropped and the chlorine burned off in the sun. Free water testing at the Horison shop is the cheapest insurance against any of those.
Do you do swimming-pool acid washes?
We do, on plaster and marbelite pools where staining or calcium deposits will not lift through a normal recovery. Acid washing is not a green-pool recovery technique on its own, it is a separate surface treatment that follows the recovery. We do not acid wash fibreglass pools, vinyl-lined pools, or pebble surfaces, the acid damages the finish. We will tell you at the assessment whether the staining is a real acid-wash candidate or whether a proper recovery and a stabiliser top-up will clear it.
My pool is BLACK, not green. Different process?
Same four steps, longer timeline, heavier chemistry, and a flocculant pass before the final vacuum. A black-swamp pool has dead algae, organic matter, and often suspended metals that all need to come out of solution before the water clears. We use a higher shock dose, a flocculant to settle the finest particles, and several manual vacuums on slow waste before the filter can take over. Recovery sits in the R2,500 to R4,500 range and usually runs 5 to 7 days. If the filter media has not been changed in years, we re-bed it at the same time, R500 extra.
Where are you and how do I book?
Ridd's Aqua Centre, 227 Ontdekkers Road, Horison, Roodepoort, 1724. WhatsApp 073 894 8248 with a photo of the pool, your suburb, and the rough pool size in litres. Or phone 011 763 1130 between 08:00 and 17:00 on weekdays, 09:00 to 13:00 on Saturday. We respond to WhatsApp inside an hour during trading hours and we usually have a same-day or next-day slot open.
Your Pool. Sorted.
Whether you need chemicals for a green pool, a new pump, regular maintenance, or advice from someone who has seen it all before. Ridd's Aqua Centre has been the Trollip family's business for over 50 years. Two branches. Free water testing. Everything but the water.
Walk in. Call. WhatsApp. We're here.