Fix Cloudy Pool Water: Well, in this post, I’ll walk you through some of the most effective ways that would help you in getting rid of cloudy pool water during an epigrammatic span of time.
Moreover, I can affirm that once you’re done with reading this comprehensive guide on fixing a cloudy pool, you would AGAIN be able to see the base of your swimming pool.
JUST WAIT…
You don’t have to spend hours getting rid of your cloudy pool.
In fact, we’ve done all the hard work, all you need to do is to expedite the steps that we would be discussing in this exclusive and comprehensive guide.
Does it make sense?
How Do I Fix Cloudy Pool Water In My Above-Ground Pool
Well, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, I can assure you that this comprehensive guide will add tons of value and would be a helping hand in dealing with your cloudy pool water.
5 Reasons That Might Be Responsible For Your Cloudy Pool
Frankly speaking, there can be numerous reasons for a pool to become cloudy, and it is next to impossible to discuss all of them, isn’t it?
However, we’ve figured out some of the most common causes of cloudy pool water, let’s have a quick look at each one of them.
Also, let me know in the comment section, whether you were able to figure out the exact reason for your above-ground pool becoming cloudy or NOT.
Trust me, it’s really difficult to find out the solution to a problem until and unless we’re NOT sure about the root cause.
I always prefer root cause analysis in order to get optimum results.
A Big Mismatch In Chlorine Concentration
Yes, you heard it RIGHT!
From a big mismatch in chlorine concentration, I mean either chlorine is too diluted or too concentrated.
If you’re a pool owner then you must be aware of the fact that adding chlorine to pool water will help in keeping the pool safe, clean, and hygienic for swimming.
Problems such as Athlete’s foot, Legionnaire’s disease, and Ear infections are well taken care of by adding chlorine in an adequate amount in the pool.
Chlorine level is not constant, in fact, it fluctuates a lot with weather and temperature changes.
For example, rainfall and sunlight are the two main reasons for the fluctuation of chlorine levels in your pool.
Moreover, you and other swimmers swimming in the pool will also contribute to fluctuation in the level of chlorine.
The Ultra-Violet rays can destroy chlorine, and similarly, rainfall in abundance can severely dilute the level of chlorine in your pool further paving the way for the growth of microorganisms and algae.
As a result, the pool would start looking dull and cloudy, and even the safety of the swimmers would be at stake.
On the other hand, if the chlorine level surges rapidly, you’ll find the pool water turning murky.
Testing the chlorine level each day would help you to get rid of the cloudy appearance, in case, solely fluctuation in chlorine concentration is responsible for it.
If you own a commercial swimming pool and loads and loads of swimmers swim every day then definitely, you need to test the chlorine level more frequently.
Try to ensure that the chlorine level falls in the range of 2.0 and 4.0 parts per million (ppm) to prevent any unprecedented conditions.
Filtration Problems and Loopholes
It is a known fact that both filters and pumps need to run for certain hours every day in order to do their job properly and efficiently.
You might be wondering how frequently should I run the filter, right?
Well, it depends upon certain parameters such as the size of your pool, how frequently people use the pool, and of course, the type of filter; DE filter, cartridge filter, etc.
What I’ve experienced and also recommend to my clientele is that you need to at least run the pool filter for eight hours.
You can’t afford to ignore running filters on a daily basis or for a lesser period of time because the consequences wouldn’t be POSITIVE at all.
If you’re NOT running the filter for an adequate amount of time then it might lead to stagnation of water resulting in the growth of algae as well as the build-up of tiny particles in your pool.
And, as a result, the water will turn turbid and opaque.
In short, ensure that the filtration and circulation of your pool water are done properly and on a regular basis to prevent any unprecedented situation.
Excessive Calcium
The clarity of your pool water can be greatly influenced by the fact that how hard the water is.
Moreover, the harder the water is the more turbid it would be.
In layman’s terms, the harder the water is the more calcium it would be having.
Other than making the pool water cloudy the hard water is also known to create problems for your pool filter and plumbing.
On the contrary, the pool water lacking an adequate amount of calcium isn’t also good at all.
In fact, if the water is softer then it can lead to fast corrosion or wear down of the surface, and thus, the lifespan of your pool would reduce drastically.
pH Imbalance
An imbalance in pH can directly impact the overall look and feel of your pool water.
If the pH of your pool water is more than 8.0, then it simply means that it’s too basic, and thus would create a problem for the chlorine present in your pool water to work effectively.
On the other hand, if the pH of your pool water is less than 7.0, then it simply means the pool water has become very acidic which is again a point of concern, isn’t it?
In fact, acidic water is known to be responsible for wearing and tearing the lining of your pool.
As a result, both debris and particles from the corroding lining could make the pool water cloudy.
So, it is very important to maintain a healthy pH and keep testing your pool water on a regular basis.
Heavy Rainfall
It goes without saying that rainwater is the purest form of water, right?
But, it acts like a devil when it comes to the cloudy pool water.
In fact, the heavy the rain the more dilute the chlorine would be in your pool water.
Not only chlorine but also the concentration of other chemicals get disturbed leading to complete turbulence that no pool owner would want to have.
Though you can use a pool cover for preventing the rainfall from impacting your pool chemistry still how comfortable are you with this method is again a question mark.
Another more practical and easy solution would be to test the pH, chlorine, and other chemical levels with a high-quality test kit and then do the needful as required.
How often do you shock your pool?
As a pool owner, you’ll agree with me that at times the best solution to deal with a green pool or a cloudy one is to shock it.
At times, a higher level of chlorine is preceded by a strong chlorine odor, and if that is the case with your pool then definitely, you should opt for the shock method.
The good thing about the shocking process is that it will increase the chlorine up to 10 ppm, and you must be aware of the fact that a very high dose of chlorine would lead to the breakdown of dangerous chloramines which are the main culprit for that unwanted and irritating “pool” smell.
Another benefit that you can reap from a higher level of chlorine is that it will kill bacteria and algae present in both water and the pool’s filter system.
But, shocking also comes with a drawback, and yes you guessed it RIGHT.
Shocking your pool can be the cause behind the cloudy pool water if you’ve recently expedited the process.
At times, it has been found that cloudiness is temporary and goes away with time.
But, if that is not the case, then definitely, you need to run your pool’s filter in order to clear away debris, and other particles that might be causing the water to become cloudy.
Most importantly, the condition of your pool’s water before the shock is expedited is also responsible to a great extent that whether or not the water will become cloudy afterward.
Moreover, if your water on testing has a pH of 7.8 or more then it simply means the water is highly basic and shocking can disrupt the solution of bicarbonate in the water.
In order to prevent such incidents, you need to test your pool water for chemical balance and pH before expediting the shock.
For a successful expedition of shocking it is really important that the pH falls in the range of 7.2 and 7.4.
Needless to say, the hardness of pool water can also bring a potential problem for shocking.
Let’s understand the hardness of water with an example and the problem that it can bring.
Suppose your pool water is already hard that simply means calcium is present in abundance, right?
If you’ll add any product that has a higher calcium content then the condition would further worsen and you’re likely to end up with water that’s clouded with calcium particles.
So, you might be wondering what’s the solution to such a problem, right?
Well, your best bet would be to choose a pool shock that doesn’t contain calcium hypochlorite.
Using a product that comprises calcium hypochlorite may leave a tangible amount of small particles floating on the surface of your pool water so it’s better to refrain from using it even though water hardness isn’t a problem for you.
For shocking purposes, I recommend products that are chlorine-free or ones that are made of very fine particles and can be dissolved easily.
So, how to clear cloudy pool water fast?
Before, we discuss, some of the effective and less time-consuming ways, I just wanna know whether we’re on the same page or NOT.
Moreover, getting success in fixing cloudy pool water problems to a large extent depends upon how successful have you been in finding out the root cause.
Anyways, I would be walking you through some of the best ways to fix cloudy pool water.
Water Testing
By simply seeing the pool water, you wouldn’t be able to say the reason responsible for making it murky.
In fact, no one can guess the exact reason behind the pool water becoming cloudy including me and you.
So, what’s the solution?
Well, the problem isn’t as complex as it seems to be.
All you need to do is to use a highly effective yet affordable pool water testing kit just like this one (check the current price on Amazon) to find the root cause of the problem.
The good thing about the aforementioned testing kit is that it will allow you to measure a variety of factors that might affect the quality of your pool’s water so that you can find a solution such as chemical balance, etc to the problem.
Generally, you’ll find two options when it comes to testing the water.
Either you can purchase test strips that you can dip in your pool water and find out the readings for pH, calcium hardness, alkalinity, chlorine, etc.
OR, you can purchase a test kit that also includes reagents that you can add to your pool water.
The reagent will make the water turn colored based on the chlorine present or pH level.
It totally depends upon your preference and as per my knowledge and experience, both will give you the result.
Before we move further, it’s important for us to recall that high alkalinity, high pH, and high calcium hardness can cause the pool water to become cloudy.
The best practices include getting a sample of pool water from 20 inches or more below the surface and before the sunlight to get optimum results.
Furthermore, the UV rays present in sunlight are known to eat up chlorine and so the pool water sample collected in sunlight might give you the wrong inference.
Well, the pool water cloudiness can be well taken care of by simply balancing the chlorine, pH, calcium hardness, etc.
Sodium hydrogen sulfate and hydrochloric acid can be added to the pool water to reduce the pH, in case the water is too basic.
For raising the pH to get rid of acidic pool water, my best bet would be the use of sodium carbonate.
Cyanuric Acid is my best bet for protecting chlorine levels, and you can think of it as a chlorine stabilizer.
Pool Clarifier
Once you’re done with root cause analysis and finding the best solution for your cloudy pool water, the next thing that I would recommend is to use certain products that would act as a preventive catalyst in order to keep your pool water sparkling clear.
Well, a pool clarifier such as the one that I’ve been using (check the current price on Amazon) for quite a few times now would help you to deal with the murkiness in your pool water.
What actually a clarifier does is, causes tiny particles in water to clump together and your pool filter would then be able to filter the large clump of particles better, removing them from the water.
Pool Floc
Definitely, you’ll find some similarities between pool flocculant and pool clarity but both aren’t the same thing.
I’ve been using pool floc from the brand Aqua-Chem, and so far it has given me a great result.
All you need to do is to dissolve the powder in water and then spread it over the surface of your pool.
Then, you need to switch your filter pump off and wait for up to 48 hours.
During this time, the particles that are making your pool cloudy should clump down, and trust me, I’m saying the same thing that I’ve been doing for a couple of years.
Once you’re done with the aforementioned steps, you’ll find these particles getting accumulated at the bottom of your pool rather than moving through the filter.
Lastly, to clear the water, you might be needing a manual vacuum to vacuum up the clump of particles.
Support the Filter System
Well, if the filter is located at the top of your swimming pool then that’s great for removing the particles that are floating on the surface of the pool water.
However, you need to try something different for the debris that is trapped at the bottom of your pool.
In fact, by expediting certain processes you can easily help your pool’s filter work more efficiently and keep the pool water clean.
Drain Water from Bottom
This could be a great step if you own an in-ground pool as most of them are likely to have at least one bottom drain.
Moreover, opening up the bottom drain on occasion can help circulate the water in the pool so that the particles from the bottom rise to the top where they can be easily cleaned by the filter.
Vacuum your Pool
So, if you own an above-ground pool like me then definitely vacuuming your pool could be a great option.
All you need to do is to place your pool’s vacuum cleaner in the center, at the bottom of your pool, and then turn it upside down.
As a result, the mimic effects of a bottom drain will stir the particles upward toward the filter.
Stir the Water
Well, one of the best ways to bring the debris to the surface of the water is by brushing the water with a pool brush.
Moreover, people going swimming on a regular basis would also help to some extent bringing debris from the bottom to the top surface.
In fact, any event that involves stirring water on a regular and constant basis would help bring the debris to the top.
Clean or Replace Your Filter
For the health and appearance of your swimming pool, it is very important that the filter works perfectly fine.
All you need to do is to clean and maintain your pool’s filter for reaping the maximum benefits it.
Moreover, the more debris and particles build up on the filter, the more the performance of the filter degrades.
If you’ll take the worst scenario then the filter might get clogged, and as a result, it wouldn’t be able to do anything.
In case, after proper cleaning also, the filter isn’t performing up to the mark then definitely, you need to replace it.
Maintenance
Like any other thing, you need to maintain your pool throughout the season for reaping maximum benefits.
In case, you’re expediting the maintenance steps on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis then definitely the pool water will remain clean, clear, and safe for anyone to jump into it.
I highly recommend you should create a monthly maintenance routine to monitor both the health and quality of your pool.
In case, you’re just starting out and NOT very sure of what needs to be done as a weekly maintenance regime then you can follow the below-mentioned steps.
- Remove larger pieces of debris including leaves on a regular basis and prevent their accumulation
- Also, brush the sides and bottom of the pool to remove dirt and especially algae
- Regularly run the pool pump
- Check the filter and remove huge clumps if present
- With the help of a test kit, regularly check the pH, chlorine, hard water, etc level
- Last but not least, shock the pool
FAQs
Well, in this section, I would be responding to the queries related to cloudy pool water, and if you also have a query then feel free to ask us in the comment section.
Is it dangerous to swim in a cloudy pool?
DEFINITELY NOT!
Frankly speaking, there is more than one reason why you shouldn’t swim in a cloudy pool.
To start with, if you’re a struggling swimmer, chances of you getting drowned will increase multifold in a cloudy pool as you wouldn’t be able to see the base of the pool, and thus, you might end up misinterpreting the depth of the pool.
Secondly, one of the reasons for the pool water to become cloudy is the presence of bacteria and pathogens, and as a result, you might suffer from some health problems including urinary tract infections, skin problems, eye irritation, etc.
Lastly, a cloudy pool isn’t a hygienic place to swim as the water might contain a high amount of debris, sediments, sweat, urine, etc.
Should I use baking soda to clear up my cloudy pool?
A BIG NO…
Chlorine is the only chemical that I recommend for cleaning up a cloudy pool.
Since baking soda is basic in nature so using it in the pool water will increase the pH, and as a result, the water will become more cloudy.
In simple words, baking soda might do more harm than good.
Some of you might have gotten temporary relief using a baking soda when the alkalinity of your pool water would’ve been quite high, right?
But, still, I don’t recommend baking soda as a feasible, reliable, and trustworthy solution.
Why is my pool cloudy even though the chemicals are well-balanced?
To be honest, I’ve been facing this question for quite a few years now, and I’ve seen especially the newbies struggling with it.
Well, if you’ve tested your pool water with a testing kit and found that all the chemicals are balanced then the probability is very high that your pool water has particles and sediments.
So, you need to take the help of a water clarifier which will collect all the fine particles so that they can be picked up by the filter.
As discussed earlier in the post, you can also try a super floc that will bring all the clouding particles to the bottom of your pool, and these can be easily vacuumed up using a manual pump.
And, finally, you’ll get rid of the dusky and cloudy pool water.
It’s A Wrap
First and foremost, I would like to thank you for the unfeigned underpin and ungrudging courtesy for being with us till the end.
Trust me, I along with my team have put loads and loads of effort to come up with a feasible and effective solution.
Moreover, it would be great if you could give us your feedback on a scale of 1 to 5 with the latter being the best.
Last but not least, share this piece of information with the ones who are in need of it.
After all, sharing is caring, isn’t it?
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