07/17/2026
Some tips to help mitigate the smoke and ash from the Canadian Wildfires.
Wildfires—and even distant wildfire smoke drifting into Virginia—degrade pool water by introducing ash, soot, and chemical contaminants.
These pollutants cause severe pH imbalances, rapidly deplete chlorine levels, feed algae blooms, clog filtration systems, and make the water cloudy and unsafe for swimming.
Key Effects on Pool Water
Chlorine Demand: Smoke and ash introduce heavy organic loads, carbon, nitrogen, and ammonia into the water. This rapidly consumes your sanitizer, leading to zero chlorine readings and cloudy water.
pH and Alkalinity Changes: Ash is highly alkaline. As it settles into the pool, it can cause your pH and Total Alkalinity to spike, which contributes to scaling and cloudy water.
Phosphate Build-up: Ash acts as a fertilizer, adding phosphates to your pool, which fuels persistent algae blooms.
Clogged Filters: Fine airborne ash bypasses the skimmer basket and clogs sand, cartridge, and DE filters, which reduces overall water circulation and system efficiency.
How to Mitigate and Recover
Run the pump 24/7: Continuously run your pool's circulation system to keep the water moving and assist the filtration process.
Clean filters frequently: Monitor your pressure gauge and backwash or rinse your filter elements often.
Remove debris manually: Skim and vacuum ash from the pool before it breaks down further.
Using a skimmer sock or fine mesh leaf bag helps capture ultra-fine ash.
Shock and balance: Test your water chemistry regularly to bring pH levels back to the ideal 7.4–7.6 range. Add a shock treatment (such as a chlorine shock) to re-establish a healthy sanitizer level.
Manage phosphates: If you are dealing with algae growth or heavy ash contamination, use a phosphate remover to eliminate the nutrients fueling the algae.
Elite Pool Service & Supply carries all of the pool chemistry needed to keep pools clean and balanced.
We offer FREE water testing!
