What will clear up a cloudy pool

In fact, this is one of the most common causes of cloudy water. Having too much of one chemical or not enough of another is your fast-track ticket a cloudy pool, so checking your pool chemistry for high pH, total alkalinity and chlorine levels is always a good place to start.

Balance is key. Got a cloudy pool after opening? The best pH level for your pool water is somewhere between 7. Measuring your pools pH level is pretty straightforward using a decent test kit, so make sure you do that weekly to stay on top of any sudden changes.

This keeps your water clean but also prevents it from becoming cloudy — assuming everything else is balanced. Is your pool cloudy after shocking with calcium hypochlorite? Not to worry, this is normal and should resolve itself in a day or so as the chlorine level drops.

Just keep your filter running in the meantime. Alkalinity—or Total Alkalinity—is a pH buffer, meaning it absorbs changes in the water in order to keep your pH level stable. If your alkalinity it too high, however, it can cause your water to turn cloudy. You can use muriatic acid hydrochloric acid or dry acid sodium bisulfate to lower alkalinity, though dry acid has some unwanted side effects.

Calcium hardness is a measure of how much calcium is in the water, with the recommended range being somewhere between ppm to ppm. To clear ammonia you need to reach high levels of FC above 10ppm and maintain that level by topping up chlorine when FC drops 3ppm. If it's not ammonia then it could be your filter that needs replacement of filtering media i. E filtering agent. I did resurface of my pool and i followed all the instruction in running the pool pump for the first 72 hours after filling my pool with city water and all the chemicals required by the pool guy and changed the filter and clean it almost daily and brushing the pool twice a day now is almost 21 days passed for this procedure and still getting cloudy water can you help thanks.

What is your Cyanuric acid level? If Cya is also low, you could be having ammonia in your water. To clear ammonia you need a lot of liquid chlorine. Liquid chlorine is recommended because it will not raise your pH, Calcium Hardness, and Cyanuric acid levels like granular or tablet chlorine.

Repeat the process of testing FC after 15 minutes and raising it back to 10ppm until FC settles between ppm to be sure your pool is free of ammonia.

Leave your FC to come down to 3ppm then raise your Cyanuric acid to 40ppm for non Saltwater pool and 70ppm for Saltwater pool. I have Very Cloudy Pool Water. My PH level is normal at 7. What is the remedy to clear the water. Thank you for your help. First of all, I will recommend you use liquid chlorine sodium hypochlorite which won't raise your pH.

I can see you have very high pH level and Calcium hypochlorite is most likely the cause of that pH scaling. High pH will make your chlorine less active in killing bacteria and algae and will make your water appear cloudy and dull. I recommend you use pH minus to lower your pH to around 7. Opened my pool this year with a foot of clear water and a floor covered in algae. The water got cloudy. Assumed dead algae. Have vacuumed it a number of times, pH is currently 7.

Recently tested very high for phosphates. They gave me 2 bags of shock, said 12 hours after shocking to dump in a bottle of Pool Complete which would cause phosphates to drop to the floor of the pool, then vacuum to waste. It's been around 36 hours since dumping that in and no change. Cloudy water, can't see the floor. New media zeobryte in sand filter last year. White water through the returns may happen because of the air in the tubes and that shouldn't be a big problem since that is normal.

Air gets pulled in through the skimmer, goes through the filter, and back out to the jets where it makes those white colored water. Also, if the stuff coming back in the pool is sand, your filter might be faulty and you need to check that your filter is not releasing sand into the pool. White film on top of the water that I can't dip out with net.

NB: The right amount of chlorine shock to add in a swimming pool: For liquid chlorine or Sodium Hypochlorite with For Calcium Hypochlorite or powder chlorine, add 1 pound for every 10k gallon pool. In case of algae, triple-shock the pool by adding 3 pounds for every 10k gallons.

Only use Sodium Hypochlorite for pool sanitization, and Calcium Hypochlorite for fighting pool algae. Hello Shonnel, using baking soda in a swimming pool is not a good idea as it has a lot of side effects like affecting pH and Alkalinity at the same time and at a different rate. Instead, you can use pH plus and Alkalinity increaser to raise pH and Alkalinity respectively and Muriatic acid to lower both.

Hello Ann, the problem might be with the chlorine shock you are working with; try using plenty of liquid chlorine to shock the pool. Also due to the heat, free chlorine must be eaten up at a higher rate and you might need a chlorine stabiliser cyanuric acid to help keep chlorine in the water longer.

I went to my local pool store I have a 16' x 16' x 48" above ground, 6, gallons to find out why it was cloudy I live in Vegas.. I was told it had no chlorine and I have 2 3" tablets in it at all times. I was told to add a bag of shock and that every other reading was perfect. I did that and the next day added a line of clairifier then vacuumed the pool the next day. I went back 3 days later cause it was still cloudy.

He took another reading and said NO chlorine and I need to add shock every 3 to 5 days. Kept pump running all night and was told all I would have to do the next day was clean the filter and it would not be cloudy. I went out at am and pool is still cloudy. I pulled the filter cartridge from pump GPH and it was like new, nothing on it. Why is it still cloudy? Yes Aquamahn, the post worth reading to keep away cloudy water and have a trouble-free pool in the summer.

Hi Ginger, please take accurate readings for other chemicals in the pool especially the alkalinity, calcium hardness, and any stabiliser you are using and make sure they are all balanced before adding chlorine.

Chlorine will not balance until all chemicals are balanced. I have an in ground concrete pool that has a painted surface. The ph is 7. I have been battling with this for a month now.

Hi Chrissy, you are not doing anything wrong, just keep vacuuming the pool till all the sand are removed. Also make sure your chemicals are all balanced all the time to avoid pool problems like cloudy water and algae. My pool water is cloudy and i have been doin everything right. I found out that one of my kids through sand in my pool.

So I been vacuuming making sure the filter is clean I have good levels. I just dont know what else to do can someone help me figure out what i need or if im doin something wrong.

Hallo Teresa, to reduce the pH, you need to add pH reducer into the pool. Unfortunately, for Calcium Hardness to be reduced, the pool has to be partially drained and replace with fresh water. Hallo Smith, confirm that all chemicals in your pool are well balanced especially Chlorine, pH, TA, and Calcium hardness. Again, runoff water which sometimes carries phosphates and nitrates into the pool might be the cause of the persistent cloudy water, so try testing for these substances.

However, if you just opened the pool recently, don't mind as the water will eventually clear up as you continue maintaining the chemicals in the water. On another though, make sure that there are not debris in the pool since pool floc works only when there is dirt in the water. Finally, your filter might be clogged, try backwashing your filter so that you can be sure it's not the filter.

Hi Sam, if chlorine level is OK, the cloudiness could be as a result of small debris. Try pool flocculant and then vacuum the pool. Hello, I have a 30, gallon in-ground pool with a liner. We had it opened a couple of weeks ago. We purchased new filter cartridges 3 days ago and have been cleaning them once a day.

The water levels seem balanced. The water is still cloudy - blueish color. When the company came to open the pool, they added 25 alkalinity as well as 25 calcium. I have used clarifier as well. We have a variable speed pump - we have been running it at RPM for 24 hours per day for the past 3 days.

What can i do to clear it up? This is kinda a hard job being that it's a Well and you cannot drain the water and replace with a fresh one. The only option for you is to saturate the Well water by adding a strong acid like Muriatic acid as directed; while this will not directly reduce the Calcium levels, it will balance the water and take care of the hardness caused by the Calcium.

Good luck! Hi Rupra, the cloudiness must be as a result of insufficient chlorine in the pool. Test for Chlorine and ensure that it is 3ppm. Also measure for all other pool chemicals like pH, Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness and see that they are all balanced.

If chlorine and all other chemicals are balanced but the pool is still cloudy, try using pool clirifier and then vacuum the pool as the white substance at the bottom might be particles or dirt accumulated when people are swimming.

Hallo Tammy, the first step you should take is make sure that your pH remains stable between 7. Try using a stronger pH plus so that you can get the pH higher faster. After the pH is stable, take the reading for chlorine and make sure that total chlorine is reading 3 ppm and not less.

Chlorine level cannot stabilize unless your pH is stable so work on it first. The cloudiness is always due to low chlorine levels. I am new to pools. I have a 30k gallon built in pool that has been cloudy for several days. I took a sample to the local pool store and the only level off was a low PH below 6. I purchased GLB up because the PH was low and I'm not sure how long it takes to work or how to know if it's even working. I don't know what my next step should be because it doesn't look like any changes habe occurred.

Thank you for your response!! It was very prompt I think! I have not heard of this so I will definitely give it a try! Hi Katertater, phosphate remover may just reduce phosphate levels in your water but will not clear up the cloudiness.

There must be another course of the cloudiness may be pH or alkalinity levels if not chlorine. If all chemicals are OK but your water is still cloudy, you will have to try pool floc to collect all the particles at the bottom of the pool first and then vacuum the pool, or use pool clarifier which will remove all the particles through the filter.

High level of phosphate means your water has some foreign bodies like dirt, body lotion, hair products etc etc that needs to be removed. Finally, continue adding chlorine shock after using pool floc or clarifier and run your pump high for 24 hours and you will see some change.

Sorry for the late response though. I have an above ground 24 ft round gallon pool. Up until about 2 weeks ago the water has been crystal clear. We maintain out pool very well. My husband tests it everyday and adds chemicals when needed. We have backwashed the pool, vacuumed the bottom, shocked it and it is still very cloudy. Took a water sample to out local pool place and they tested the water and all levels tested perfect.

Chlorine was a little high but all the other areas was great. They did a phosphate test and we have a high level of phosphate. Purchased phosphate remover yesterday, poured the whole bottle in the pool as told and used two bags of shock as told and today the water is still cloudy. Even more cloudy then yesterday. Can't see the bottom of the pool. I don't know what else to do and really want the pool nice and clean for Labor Day weekend. Hi 4boymomrealness, a light green color means your pool is developing algae.

An algaecide should make some changes, however if you notice no change, you will have to use a little of liquid chlorine to shock that pool until it clears up and do it fast before algae gets too much: Add 1 pound of chlorine to your gallon pool and watch it for a few hours as it clears up. The pool is not safe for swimming until the green color and cloudiness clear up.

Hello, all of my chemical readings in the pool are at almost perfect levels and my pool is still super cloudy.

I went to my local pool place, and they said try algae cleaner, did that, scrubbed and vaccumed bottom and sides.. Still really milky light green color. What can I do to clear it?? Is it safe for my kids?? It's an above ground gallon pool, had it for years, this has never happened for this long before, always was able to clear it, but this time ots been about 2 weeks. Thank you so much for any help or advice you could give.. Yes Bonebrake, add more chlorine and make sure it is stable at 3 ppm all the time.

If your pool is located where there is a lot of sunlight, you can add a sterbilizer Cyanuric acid in your water to help keep chlorine stable. Just see that you balance all the pool chemicals in your water and everything will be OK. Everything finally tested where they are suppose to except the free chlorine that said it was low on the test strip. The cloud sits on the bottom usually on the opposite side of the filter.

I usually vacuum because I have tried to use the stuff that makes the particles go to the bottom of the pool and it's usually clear water after that until I vacuum and all the cloudy stuff goes back into the water. The particles go right through that cloth bag that they give you with the cheap vacuum that you use with the hose.

If the chlorine and everything is testing fine would I still shock the pool to get rid of this cloud? This cloud has got smaller now that everything is testing better but it's still there. Does it take awhile after the chemicals are balanced before this cloud will go all the way away?

Hi Bonebrake, how are your chemicals reading? I suspect your chemicals especially chlorine not in the correct balance. Ensure that Total Chlorine is always 3 ppm and combined chlorine not more than o. Also, ensure that your pH is within the range 7. If all the chemicals are balanced but your water is still cloudy, try using pool clarifier to clear the cloudiness. Vacuuming may not help unless you are certain your pool water has some particles.

I have a 14 ft round above ground pool. I have had nothing but issues with the pool this year. I finally got all the chemicals where it is suppose to be but it keeps getting this cloud that settles in the bottom of the pool.

When I go to vacuum up the stuff at the bottom of the pool it just goes through the filter bag and makes the pool cloudy all over. So much that you can't see the bottom of the pool.

When the chemicals where not as controlled I had a slimy stuff that would go into the filter. The filter I have jus sits on the side of the pool and uses a size A paper filter. The vacuum I use is just one that uses the hose and has a bag that gets debris off the bottom but this cloud just goes through it. I have used it one of chemicals this year to get control over this and still has issues.

I thought is was algae starting but it wouldn't go all the way away and it's not green. The cloud isn't green it's whitish. Hi sunny, from the look of things, the problem is caused by your chemical readings: Your free chlorine is a little lower.

You need to raise the level of free chlorine to settle between 2. That means you need to shock your pool using chlorine and make sure you do free chlorine test on a regular basis and adjust the level as appropriate and you will not have a cloudy pool. Also, Alkalinity TA should be kept between 80 and ppm for pools with liners and between and ppm for pools made of plaster, which means the TA is slightly higher and you need to lower it a little using using muriatic acid.

Muriatic acid also lowers the level of pH and extra care needs to be taken not to add a lot of it. Set the handle back to filter and you're good to go. Filter sand lasts for anywhere between five and ten years. Pool water clarifiers are a good quick fix, but they should not be used if you have a cartridge filter as it will clog the paper pleats, leaving you needing to replace your cartridge filter element.

Pool clarifiers work to gather the tiny particles that have made your pool water cloudy, bringing them together to create bigger particles that will be easier for your filter to pick up. They are a form of a coagulant. Most swimming pool chemical retailers will carry more than one form of swimming pool clarifier. Confirm if the chemical is a coagulant and you will be well on your way to a crystal clear swimming pool.

Again, flocculant should be avoided if you are using a cartridge filter as it will clog the paper pleats. You can use it in an emergency, but be prepared to replace your cartridge filter element in the weeks to come. Let's say you have a pool party tomorrow and your swimming pool is cloudy. By using pool floc and a little extra work on your part, you can clear your cloudy swimming pool overnight. Pool flocculants work by gathering all the particles that are making your pool water cloudy and sending them to the bottom of your pool, creating a cloud of particles on the floor of your pool.

Unlike a water clarifier, this chemical will not help your filter trap the particles as they settle at the bottom of your pool. Once the particles have settled, you will need to manually vacuum them out of the pool using your pool pump instead of an automatic pool cleaner.

The idea is to vacuum the cloudy water right out of your pool, as putting that much dirty water through your filter will not work, sending the dirty water right back into your pool.

You will lose a fair amount of water from your pool, so be sure to keep a fresh hose of running water in your pool during vacuuming.

A manual vacuum must be used for this process. Automatic pool cleaners will not work and will end up blowing the larger particles formed at the bottom of your pool, right back up. It is a difficult process and a lot of water is wasted, but it will clear your pool in 24 hours if done properly. It does not help to collect the cloudy particles situated at the bottom of your pool. Knowing this, we need to help your filter get to those particles.

Simply hook up your manual vacuum cleaner as if you were about to vacuum your pool, but instead of using it as per usual, leave the vacuum centred at the bottom of your pool and turn it upside down. Now your pool filter will be pulling water from the bottom of your swimming pool and releasing the clean filtered water at the top. Number one, checking your filter, is the clear winner in our eyes. Having a good quality filtration system and staying on top of cleaning your system regularly will help you to avoid cloudy pool water.

A good idea is to pull a sample of water from 18 inches below the surface. It's also ideal to catch your water in the morning before the sun has had a chance to burn off any chlorine. If there is a problem with the chlorine, pH or other chemical levels in your pool, adjusting those levels can be enough to correct the cloudiness. For example, if your pool water is too basic, you can add hydrochloric acid or sodium hydrogen sulfate to lower the pH.

If the water is too acidic, you can use sodium carbonate to raise the pH. Be sure to also use chlorine stabilizer aka cyanuric acid to protect your chlorine levels. Sometimes, a bit of preventative maintenance is what it takes to keep your pool water sparklingly clear. A water clarifier, such as the Robarb Super Blue Clarifier click here to check the price on Amazon , helps to reduce murkiness in pool water.

The clarifier causes tiny particles in the water to clump together, and your pool's filter is then able to filter the larger clumps of particles better, removing them from the water.

Pool flocculant, or "floc," has some similarities to a pool clarifier, but isn't quite the same thing. When you use pool floc, such as this one from Aqua Chem click here to check the price on Amazon , you dissolve the powder in water, then spread over the surface of your pool.

The filter on your swimming pool is most likely located at the top of the pool. That's great for removing particles that float to the top, but not so helpful for debris that gets trapped on the bottom.

There are a few ways you can help your pool's filter work more efficiently and keep your water clear. Keeping your pool's filter clean helps it work more efficiently and improves the overall appearance of your swimming pool. If your pool's filter is gross and clogged up, the best option might be to replace it with a new one. Maintaining your pool throughout the season will not only keep the water looking great, it will also ensure that the water is safe enough for anyone who wants to jump in.

For best results, create a weekly maintenance routine to monitor the health and quality of your pool. Keep your pool water clear by testing it often, making adjustments as needed and keeping out with routine maintenance!

Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Not only that, but clearing cloudy water is actually an EASY fix. Without further ado, let's walk through how to do exactly just that. Contents 5 reasons why you might have a cloudy pool. Have you shocked your pool lately? Chlorine is too dilute or concentrated.

Adding chlorine to pool water helps to keep your pool safe for swimming—simple as that. You should test your pool's levels each day to make sure they aren't too low or too high!