Though the concept may seem simple enough, fill your pool with water and enjoy, there is a bit more to keeping your pool clean and clear than you might imagine.
The water in a pool is a delicate balance of chemicals that must be maintained to keep the water clear and safe to swim in and cloudy water is often an issue.
We are going to discuss some of the problems that might be causing a cloudy pool and how to remedy them.
Filter Issues
The first and most common cause of cloudy water is filter problems.
This can be a dirty filter, a filter that is back washing into the pool, or a filter that is simply not able to handle the job that it has been given.
Checking your filter, back washing it to help balance it, and making sure that it is functioning properly is the first thing you should do if you are experiencing cloudy water and want to try to clear up cloudy pool water.
Your filter is the main line of defense that you have against water that is unsuitable to swim in.
The age of your filter, the state of your filter, and how well it has been maintained can all have a negative effect on its ability to clear the water and keep it clean.
If you have a sand filter you may want to replace your sand and if you have a traditional filter you may want to swap out the filter cartridge as well.
Check your filter and if cloudy water persists, move on to another solution.
Particles and Foreign Bodies
Another issue that you might be dealing with is foreign particles in your pool.
If there are leaves in the bottom of your pool or sediment they can deteriorate into the water causing it to become cloudy and unsightly.
Often times, you can see these things at the bottom of your pool and removal should be simple enough.
You can take the time to vacuum, scrub or remove these deposits and debris to help keep the water clear and clean.
You should be removing sediment and other debris every day or every time you get into your pool to help keep the water clean and to help reduce the amount of work that your filter has to do to keep the water clear.
PH, TA and FC Levels
As stated before, a pool is a delicate balance of chemicals.
This means that each time it rains, each time you add hose water, each time you swim in the water the chemical levels are going to alter or change.
Your PH level in your pool refers to the acidity or the baseness of your pool water.
The ideal PH level for a pool is 7.2 to 7.8 which is neither acidic nor base.
You want your pool water to be neutral.
If your PH level is higher or lower than this, it can throw off the chemical signature of the water and cause cloudiness.
The TA level refers to the total alkalinity of the water.
Your alkalinity helps to act as a buffer and keep the overall PH of your pool balanced.
If the alkalinity is off, your pool water can become too basic or too acidic making it cloudy and unpleasant to swim in.
FC refers to the amount of available chlorine in the water to keep the water sanitary and clean.
Free chlorine is the amount of chlorine that is not in use and that is active in the water to help fight off bacteria and other nasty elements that might cause the water to grow bacteria and other nasty things that can make your water cloudy.
You want to keep your chemicals balanced and in check to make sure that your pool is suited to swim in and that it is pretty and clear for swimming.
You can get test kits to make sure that the chemical levels are at the right level and that you do not need to add or take away any chemicals.
Testing kits are the best way to make sure that your pool water is at the right level and that it is not out of balance.
Calcium Hardness and Ammonia
Another problem that you might have is the hardness of the pool water.
Calcium hardness can cause the water to be cloudy, to feel drying and to feel bad on the skin.
You need to make sure that the water balanced and that there is not too much calcium in the water or too little.
Hard water can also cause build up on the pump and filter and can also cause problems with the liner as well.
Hard water in your pool is much like hard water in your home, you do need to make sure your pool water is not too hard, and you can use your testing kit to test the amount of calcium in the water as well.
Too much ammonia in a pool can also cause cloudiness.
Ammonia interacts with the chlorine of a pool and can cause cloudy water.
Ammonia interacts with the chlorine in a pool to create hydrogen ions which then cause what is call mono-chloramines which can cause cloudy water.
Most standard water test kits do test for ammonia as well making it possible to check and balance your ammonia levels.
Algae and Other Growths
The last thing you want to check for is algae and other bacteria that might be growing in your pool.
Pools are designed to be chlorinated and maintained with special chemicals to prevent the growth of algae and the growth of other bacteria that can make water dirty or cloudy.
When your pool water is off or when the chlorine and other chemicals are not balanced, it can cause issue, and it can make the water cloudy and less than appealing.
With proper chlorination and proper maintenance, you can get your pool balanced and clear, and you can make sure that your water is going to be clear and suitable for swimming.
Routine testing to make sure that your pool water is at the right level and that it has the proper balance is going to be the best method for keeping pool water clear.
There are some products that can be used to help rapidly balance the water in your pool allowing you to then follow up with other chemicals to keep the water in balance.
Pools are great and with proper maintenance and care you can keep your pool water clear and perfect for swimming all summer long.