All pool owners have dreams of an always-pristine pool that is crystal clear and without a speck of debris. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Pools, while incredibly fun and a great addition to any home, do have their issues and it can take some time to figure out how it all works. At some point or another, you will go out to do a regular water check or get ready for a swim and notice that the water isn’t as clear as usual. You might not think much of this at first, but it can quickly become a problem and you are left with super cloudy water.
Frustratingly, there are a few different reasons that your pool can become cloudy, so you will have to do a bit of detective work to figure out the source of your problem. Once you know what is causing your water to become cloudy, then you can work on fixing the problem.
Why Does a Pool Get Cloudy?
Like a lot of problems pool-related, there can be any number of sources for your cloudy water problem. What follows are some of the most common reasons for cloudy water:
- Excessive Rain: It might seem like water is water, but that just isn’t true when it comes to pools. Rainwater has its own set of chemicals and substances and excessive rain can do a number of your water chemistry. While it seems like pure water, it picks up impurities and other nasties from the air as it falls and once it is in your pool, these substances can wreak havoc on your chemical balance. A lot of rain can also simply dilute the chlorine so much that it is rendered ineffective, causing your water to get cloudy. It isn’t necessarily convenient to put a pool cover on every time it rains, but doing water tests after heavy rain and keeping up with its chemical needs during this unstable period is a good way to prevent future problems.
- Issues with Chlorine Balance: Rainwater isn’t the only thing that can mess with your chlorine levels. How often your pool is used, how much rain you have gotten, and how much an intense the sunlight is will all affect the level of active chlorine in your pool. Chlorine, as noted in several places, is what keeps your pool safe to swim in. Having too little chlorine can lead to the proliferation of potentially-dangerous substances and diseases like infections, skin irritation, and more. Too much chlorine can also cause skin and eye irritation, bleaching of clothing and even hair, and it can damage the physical components of the pool. Improper chlorine levels often manifest themselves as cloudy water. Remember, you want to keep the chlorine between 2.0-4.0/ppm.
- Filter Problems: Firstly, the filter has to be kept on to do its job. A lot of people make the mistake of turning their pump and filtration systems off, which means the pool is not getting the chemicals, circulation, or debris removal it needs. Even if you aren’t using it, you should run your pool system for 8 hours a day. If it isn’t allowed to run long enough, the water quality will degrade, which can lead to not only cloudy water but unsafe water conditions.
- Excessive Calcium: When people say water is “hard” what they mean is that it has high levels of calcium in it. Hard water can cause problems with pool cloudiness simply by their being a higher dissolved chemical content in the water. Hard water can be a real problem for pool owners as it can cause cloudiness and may also damage the plumbing and filtration system.
- Improper pH Level: How acidic or basic your water can have significant impacts on the quality of the water as well as its clarity. Water that is too basic (has a pH of 8 or more) will render chlorine ineffective. When your water is too acidic, it can cause damage to the lining of the pool and cloudy water.
How to Fix Cloudy Pool Water
A pool water testing kit will be your best friend when trying to troubleshoot the source of your problem. Litmus tests are not sensitive enough to measure everything that could be making the water cloudy, so you will want to do a chemical dropper test. This entails using what are called reagents that react with substances in the water to give you a color-coded water reading. Most often, an adjustment to the chemical levels in the pool is enough to fix the problem. For example, if the water is too basic, you can lower your pH with hydrochloric (muriatic) acid or sodium hydrogen sulfate. Sodium bicarbonate is the solution to raise your pH. Cyanuric acid is what is called a “chlorine stabilizer”, this is also something that will help to ensure proper chlorine levels and clear water.
Pool clarifier is also a great way to keep your pool clean and clear. It binds particles of debris together, making it easier for your filtration system to keep up. Failing to keep you pool properly clean and free of debris is also a common reason for cloudy water so making sure to regularly skim, brush, and vacuum your pool is also a great way to reduce this problem. You might also want to take a look at your filter to see if it needs to be cleaned or replaced. If all else fails, a good pool shock will often do the trick.
The solution to your cloudy water problem will depend on the source of the problem but ultimately a good water test will point you in the right direction on how to identify and solve the issue. Most often, water will be cloudy because one of the reasons we describe here and the solution will be to manually add the appropriate chemicals needed to bring the water back in balance and thus clear up the cloudiness. It may be indicative that you need to up your pool maintenance game, or it could be an indication that your filter is dirty or in need of replacement.