Cloudy Pool Water - How To Get Rid If Cloudy Pool Water

When your swimming pool water gets cloudy, it causes pool owners a lot of pool care anxiety. Relax, help is here. There are several steps to take to discover the cause. Once the problem has been identified or combination of causes are know, you can restore the water clarity promptly. The more you learn about the causes and cures it will be easier to maintain and prevent a cloudy pool in the future.

The reasons for cloudy pool water can be categorized into two main causes: chemical and mechanical. Therefore, the first step to solving the problem is to determine whether you have a mechanical or a chemical problem on your hands. Most likely, chemical imbalances are to blame - plus it is relatively easy to rule out a mechanical cause.

MECHANICAL CAUSES FOR CLOUDY POOL WATER

Take a look at each of the following mechanical causes in order to rule them out first:

FILTER SIZE - Make sure that the filter you're using isn't too small for your pool.

PUMP AND MOTOR SIZE - Check to ensure the pump and the motor are of an adequate size for your filter and type. An oversized pump can cause poor water filtration.

DIRTY FILTER - Clean the pool filter to ensure that there is proper water flow. If you have not changed the sand filter media for a few years, the sand may have developed channels in the sand bed where the water flows through preventing proper filtration. If you have a DE filter, thoroughly clean the internal parts of the filter before re-charging with DE powder. Rinse cartridge filters and then cleaned them using an enzyme or a cartridge filter cleaner.

FILTER SCHEDULE - Gauge whether you are running the filter long enough each day. Operate the filter system eight to twelve hours each day.

WATER CIRCULATION - Examine the water circulation, positioning the inlet jets downward and consider getting an automatic pool cleaner if the circulation isn't very good.

VACUUMING and BRUSHING - Be sure to vacuum and brush the pool on a routine basis.

CHEMICAL CAUSES OF CLOUDY POOL WATER

If you've taken a look at the preceding mechanical causes and have ruled them out, then you have a chemical based water quality issue. Pool water clarifier helps to coagulate small particles in the water, improving the ability of sand filters to capture them. Water clarifiers should not be your first choice to resolve this condition, so do not run out to buy them. If you have a DE filter, do not use water clarifiers as they may cause filter clogging and short cycling. The lack of proper pool water chlorination is most often the cause. This allows algae to flourish and make the water cloudy. Left untreated, the algae will advance until it blooms. Below, we briefly outline the different chemical imbalances that most often can contribute to cloudy pool water even though you are applying chlorine sanitizer into your pool.

pH TOO HIGH - When the pH in your pool water exceeds 7.8, the chlorine reacts less quickly and is less efficient at killing off algae, often causing cloudy water.

TOTAL ALKALINITY (TA) TOO HIGH - If the total alkalinity of your pool water is tested at higher than 200 ppm, cloudy water can result. Like high pH, high total alkalinity can render chlorine less effective. This is where many people get confused. One of the reasons that the term alkaline is not often used but the term "basic" is when talking about the pH scale is because this is the measurement of the total alkalinity content of the water. It is not quite the same as alkaline.

The total alkalinity is a measurement of the waters buffering ability, or its ability to resist change, absorb and neutralize acid in the water. The more alkalinity or carbonate content you have in the pool water, the less likely you will experience pH level swings. This higher carbonate content stabilizes and buffers the pH level. So, if your pH is usually low, adjust the total alkalinity on the high side in the okay test range to stabilize the pH in the water.

CALCIUM HARDNESS (CH) is HIGH - If the calcium hardness content of your swimming pool water exceeds 400ppm - and the water temperature is higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit - persistent cloudiness can occur.

HOW CAN I CURE THE PROBLEM?

If mechanical issues are the cause for the cloudy water, you should correct the issue or invest in a proper filtration system for your pool. Make sure you run it often enough, and that you also manually brush and vacuum the pool regularly. Remember that owning a pool does not have to be a lot of work. Develop a pool care routine and perform it once every week to keep it looking its best.

In the case of chemical imbalances, there are various solutions for each of the causes listed above. If the pH is too high, use pH Decreaser or pH reducer in the form of sodium bisulfate (granular) to lower it back to optimal levels. Similarly, a high total alkalinity is lowered using pH reducer too. It is common to need to make repeated applications when using pH reducer to lower the pH and the total alkalinity into the acceptable level. With high calcium hardness levels, the best option is to reduce the quantity of calcium-based chlorine that you use to maintain your pool. You should also use a settling agent to help reduce the calcium content that already exists in the pool. If you have a very high calcium level, you may have to replace some of the existing pool water with a fresh water source with lower calcium content.

What Can I Do To Prevent It?

Careful maintenance is the key to preventing cloudy pool water. Regularly check your pool's chemical levels, and shock it on a routine basis with the right amount and type of chlorine pool shock for your pool capacity. Yes, there are brands out there of pool shock that have been priced at low discount prices, so that you think you are getting a bargain price. The truth is that they are weak in comparison to a 65% chlorine pool shock and require up to two and half times as much poundage to yield the same result for proper treatment. Keeping the total alkalinity level correct makes the water more stable against pH changes or fluctuations. Therefore, maintaining the total alkalinity level will provide better chlorine performance and a successful pool care routine. If high calcium hardness is to blame, you might want to add a settling agent or drain the pool partially then refill it every now and then. Keeping your pool water clear and sparkling is definitely possible - you just have to understand a little bit more about what causes cloudy pool water.