I hate cloudy puddle water as much equally I detest cloudy lemonade (which is weird, considering I actually like regular lemonade). They're ugly, dirty, and generally non platonic for swimming thanks to a number of potential health risks.

The worst office? Cloudiness tin can strike your pool in a matter of hours, leaving you scratching your head every bit to what exactly went wrong.

In this article, I'll walk you through the exact steps to place, articulate and prevent a cloudy pool for both inground and to a higher place ground pools.

Need a quick answer? The cause is either chemical imbalance, circulation/filtration bug, or environmental effects. To fix information technology, you'll showtime desire to test your pool chemistry to brand sure everything is in balance, then throw in some clarifier or flocculant to dodder the droppings. Your filter will take care of the clumps and voilà… clear water.

Expect, Just How Cloudy Is Your Pool?

"Cloudy" is a pretty vague term, and you should know that there are different stages of cloudy pool h2o. And yes, it goes from bad to worse.

Personally, I'd break cloudy water into iii categories:

  • Flat. The to the lowest degree astringent form, in that your puddle h2o still has it's color but it doesn't have the sparkle it once did.
  • Hazy. The water is starting to lose it'due south color and it'due south now hard to make out small details on the puddle floor.
  • Milky. The water is no longer translucent, pregnant the pool floor is not visible at all. This is pretty much as bad as it gets.

What Causes Cloudy Pool Water?

In that location are a number of reasons your puddle water tin can go cloudy, and agreement the potential cause will non only help you lot set it, but also prevent information technology in future.

And then permit'south talk nigh means to set up the root of the trouble before treating the symptoms — because we're non most to slap on a bandaid and call it mean solar day.

Here we become…

Cause #1: Imbalanced Pool Chemicals

If, similar me, you didn't pay attention in your school chemistry lessons, it could just be a chemical imbalance in the water. (In fact, this is one of the nearly common causes of cloudy water.)

Having too much of i chemical or not enough of another is your fast-track ticket a cloudy pool, and so checking your puddle chemical science for high pH, total alkalinity and chlorine levels is always a good place to outset. Balance is key.

Got a cloudy puddle subsequently opening? If y'all've peeled back that pool cover after a long wintertime only to find a mist of cloud has plant itself into your puddle, it means you didn't winterize correctly. In that case, you'd need to get through the aforementioned steps of testing and balancing I'k about to go over.

Is Your pH Level Right?

The best pH level for your pool water is somewhere betwixt seven.2 and 7.6 on the pH scale, which happens to be slightly element of group i.

Your water won't turn cloudy simply because your pH level is exterior of this range, but it will forbid your pool chemicals from doing their job properly, causing particles to linger which will somewhen lead to a cloudy pool.

Measuring your pools pH level is pretty straightforward using a decent test kit, so make sure y'all do that weekly to stay on top of whatsoever sudden changes.

If you lot're looking for a reliable pool test kit, I recommend this one:

AquaChek 7-Way Pool and Spa Test...

AquaChek 7-Manner Pool and Spa Test...

  • 7-IN-ane Test STRIPS: Tests the most critical...
  • AQUACHEK ACCURACY: Using medical manufacture...
  • EASY TO Apply: No more messy drops; Only dip the...

Is Your Chlorine Level Right?

You need chlorine in your pool to fight off nasty bacteria and other microorganisms, just the amount yous use shouldn't be overlooked.

The "sugariness spot" is betwixt i and 3 ppm (parts per million). This keeps your water clean but as well prevents it from becoming cloudy — assuming everything else is balanced.

Exactly how much depends on how oftentimes your pool is used, how busy it gets, and the weather condition it's exposed to. (The dominicus will "cook" your chlorine, turning information technology into gas and causing your chlorine level to drop faster.)

Is your pool cloudy later on shocking with calcium hypochlorite? Not to worry, this is normal and should resolve itself in a day or then as the chlorine level drops. Only keep your filter running in the meantime. If it doesn't clear up, either your filter-organization is compromised, the rest of your h2o chemistry is out of whack, or you're using some cheap-ass, depression-grade shock.

Is Your Alkalinity Level Also Loftier?

Alkalinity—or Total Alkalinity—is a pH buffer, pregnant it absorbs changes in the water in order to continue your pH level stable. If your alkalinity it too loftier, however, it can cause your water to turn cloudy.

Once over again, most puddle test kits will allow you test for alkalinity, and yous'll typically desire this to be between 80 and 120 parts per million (ppm), or 100 and 140 parts per one thousand thousand for painted, vinyl, and fiberglass inground pools.

You can use muriatic acid (hydrochloric acrid) or dry out acid (sodium bisulfate) to lower alkalinity, though dry acid has some unwanted side effects.

Is Your Calcium Hardness Too High?

Calcium hardness is a measure of how much calcium is in the h2o, with the recommended range existence somewhere between 200 ppm to 400 ppm.

While depression calcium hardness levels tin crusade impairment to your pool fittings, information technology's the opposite side of the spectrum yous need to be concerned with hither. Loftier calcium hardness leads to excess calcium, which eventually results in scaling and cloudy water.

Unfortunately, about test strips won't include calcium hardness, so yous'll want to use a liquid test kit instead. (Again, I highly recommend this one.)

If you lot find that you lot have loftier calcium hardness levels, the best option is to drain some of your pool h2o and refill it. If you can't do that for some reason, you can endeavor using pool flocculant to dodder the excess calcium, but it will require a transmission clean-up later on.

In The Swim Super Floc Pool Water Clarifier

In The Swim Super Floc Pool Water Clarifier

Cause #ii: Circulation & Filtration Issues

Pool h2o that isn't existence properly circulated is ever at risk of condign cloudy water.

That's because circulation pushes your pool h2o through your filter organisation, then without it, the filter tin't work it'due south magic and keep your water squeaky make clean.

There are a few moving parts to this, so let's go through them.

Is Your Pump Powerful Enough?

A pool pump is a cadre part of your filtration system as it cycles your water through the filter in order to remove droppings and maintain circulation, this prevents the water from stagnating which eventually breeds other problems.

With that in mind, you need to brand sure your pump has the ability to bike the entire contents of your pool (turnover) at least once per day. What's more, you lot'll demand a pump that tin complete a turnover in an 8 hr period.

The speed at which a pump completes a turnover is based on ii factors:

  1. The volume of water in your pool (use this calculator)
  2. The menstruation-rate of the pump itself (this will be listed in the product specifications of any pool pump)

Notation: Menstruum-rate tells you how many gallons of water laissez passer through the pump each minute, and it'southward appropriately measured in gallons per minute (GPM).

To properly size your pump, divide your water volume past 8, and so split once again by 60. What you lot're left with is your pools required turnover rate in GPM. The flow-rate of your puddle pump should be at least the same.

Is Your Pump Suited To Your Filter?

Y'all wouldn't put all that effort into correctly sizing your pool pump only to fail your puddle filter, would you lot?

If your pump is too powerful for your filter, information technology will end pushing more than h2o than your filter tin can handle. This bottleneck not only prevents the water from existence properly apple-pie, only information technology tin also crusade concrete damage to your filtration system.

Pool filters share a similar rating arrangement to puddle pumps every bit they're rated in gallons per minute (GPM) per square pes. Again, your filter should take at least the aforementioned rating every bit your pool pump.

Are You Maintaining Your Equipment?

This is one of those "duh!" pieces of advice that most people skim over, but you lot'd exist surprised at how often basic puddle maintenance is disregarded.

Your pool equipment is your get-go line of defense force, and then making sure it runs effectively should exist at the top of your list. That includes identifying and remove blockages, regular cleaning and timely part-replacements.

Cause #3: Environmental Effects

If your cloudy water has nothing to exercise with the chemicals or the filter system, and so the only reasonable explanation left is that it's being caused by the surrounding environment.

Yep, Female parent Nature can exist a real b*tch sometimes. Here are some of the probable environmental causes:

Leaves & Small Debris

While leaves will be easy plenty to remove before they dingy upwardly your water, it's really the build up of smaller dust and particles that tin get yous into trouble.

Small Animals & Insects

Insects and modest animals will always find their way into your puddle eventually, only the biggest things to keep an heart out for is droppings, particularly bird poop. (Yeah, I said poop.)

The Dreaded Algae

Insects and modest animals volition e'er detect their way into your pool eventually, but the biggest things to proceed an center out for is debris, particularly bird poop. (Yeah, I said poop.)

Surface Runoff

Heavy rain can cause h2o to accumulate on the ground, in some cases making information technology'south way to your pool bringing enough of other nasties with it (depending on your pool type and setup).

Don't forget… On acme of all this, y'all besides have to account for the countless things that we humans take into the pool every fourth dimension we decide to become for a little swim. That's right, you're not as clean as yous like to think. 😉

How To Fix Your Cloudy Pool

Now that we've looked at (and hopefully identified) the potential cause for your cloudy pool water, let'south talk nigh clearing it up.

As yous might expect there are a few ways to fix cloudy pool h2o, so let'south break them down 1-by-1.

Method #1: Using Pool Clarifier

Pond puddle clarifier is a chemical that's used clean up your pool water, and they're pretty damn good at it as well.

How do they do it?

Well, it works through a procedure chosen "coagulation" and information technology'southward really not as complicated as information technology sounds.

Cloudy pool h2o is essentially a buildup of tiny particles, and your filter can have a difficult time catching those because of their size — but that'southward why coagulation is useful.

Coagulation aids your filter by clumping those smaller particles together, making them much easier to remove. (If you want to nerd out on the specifics of how this works, read this.)

Method #two: Using Pool Flocculant

When it comes to pool chemistry, puddle flocculant (or pool floc) works similarly to puddle clarifier in that it clumps those pesky particles together to make them easier to remove, except it does have i distinct deviation.

Rather than work with your filter to eventually remove the particle clumps, flocculant attracts them to the lesser of your pool where they'll need to be removed via vacuuming.

At that place's a few of import points to note about this process:

  • Manual: You won't be able to utilize an automatic pool vacuum to do this, it'll have to be done manually.
  • H2o: As you vacuum out the cloud particles, you'll naturally lose a considerable amount of water, and so information technology'southward a good thought to go on the hose running equally you're doing this.
  • Filter: It should take around one-half a solar day to clear out the droppings from the bottom of your puddle, during which point your filter should be turned off

Why would anyone choose to go this route?

Well, simply put, information technology clears your cloudy pool h2o fast. If you're in a bustle to clear up your cloudy h2o for whatever reason, this is the mode to become.

Method #iii: Profitable Your Filter

The last method is just letting your filter make clean upwardly the mess.

We all know how important filters are for swimming pools, but nosotros also know they can't office properly without a bit of help from time to time.

A good example of this is your pool'due south skimmer, which works in harmony with your pool filter to siphon off droppings from the surface of your pool. (I know, it'south similar magic or something.)

The problem in this case is, however, is that the cloud particles won't be floating to the surface. Not without a piffling nudge, at least. *wink flash*

You can exercise this in two means…

#one: Stir It Like A Cup Of Tea

This i involves getting your behemothic spoon out and stirring your pool like the BFG. Only kidding. (But seriously, you could do that if you had a giant spoon.)

Ideally, though, you'll want to use a pool brush to get the particles in motion and eventually pushed to the height pool. That manner, your skimmer and filter can do their thang.

#2: Suck It Up With Your Drains

If y'all have an inground pool with a bottom drain, you do have another choice that'due south less labour intensive.

Your bottom bleed will permit your filter to pull water from the pool floor, at the same time sending a menstruum of clean water to the surface — essentially giving you the aforementioned effect.

If you don't have a bottom drain, there'south a piffling hack you tin can use that also works with to a higher place ground pools.

Quick Tip: You lot can simply connect your manual vacuum cleaner as usual, only instead put the vacuum upside down in the eye of your puddle, forcing information technology to pull water from the bottom. What a ninja!

That's A Wrap!

Nobody likes waking up to cloudy water in their pool, but it doesn't have to be quite as devastating equally many first-timers believe.

The methods outlined above are by the far the easiest and nearly affordable ways to clear a cloudy pool, and also prevent it from happening again the future.

Expert luck and happy swimming!