what to do if your pool is cloudy

Cloudy puddle water is caused by 4 common pool bug: poor filtration, low chlorine levels, poor water chemistry, or contaminants in the h2o, like debris or algae. Here's a step-past-step guide on how to fix these common issues, and how to clear up a cloudy pool fast using a clarifier or flocculant.

You tin can watch the quick video tutorial below. Or go on reading for the complete cloudy pool water troubleshooting guide.

four Causes of Cloudy Pool Water And How To Fix Information technology

Poor filtration, depression chlorine levels, poor water chemistry, and outside contaminants cause cloudy water. Here'south how to troubleshoot each ane of these bug.

1. Poor Filtration

Filter bug are the main cause of cloudy pool h2o. If your filter isn't functioning properly, then it can't remove the tiny contaminants that crusade cloudy puddle water.

SOLUTION: Keep your pool's apportionment system flowing with regular cleaning, maintenance, and run times. Check for the following filtration problems:

Your pool filter has a clog or build-up. If you haven't cleaned your filter in a while, information technology's fourth dimension to backwash your sand or D.Eastward. filter, clean your D.E. filter grids, or make clean the cartridge in your filter. Check out our puddle filter cleaning walkthrough for more help.
Your skimmer basket or pump basket is total of debris. Remove any leaves, twigs, or other droppings in your skimmer or pump basket. If yous're frequently finding debris in your circulation system, accept a look at our puddle skimmer troubleshooting guide.
Your pool filter media needs replacing. If your filter media is worn out or damaged, it won't be able to capture contaminants that cause cloudy water. So every 5 years, alter your filter sand or replace your cartridge filters every 2-3 years. If you have a D.E. filter, add fresh diatomaceous earth powder or replace your D.E. grids.
Y'all're not running your filter long enough. To fix a cloudy pool, all of your puddle h2o must run through the filter system at least once a day. Y'all need to run your filter system for at least viii to 12 hours a 24-hour interval.
Your pool pump or filter needs replacing. Every bit it gets older, your pool filter system can offset to fail and you may demand to supplant major pieces of equipment.

2. Low Chlorine Levels

Pathogens, bacteria, and cloudy water grade when in that location's not plenty chlorine to sanitize your h2o . Chlorine levels tin can drop if there'southward lots of debris like leaves in your pool.

Also, if there's a build-upward of actual contaminants like sweat or sunscreen, or if your water is exposed to the sun's UV rays and your chlorine is non properly stabilized.

SOLUTION: Test your free chlorine and combined chlorine levels, add daze to rebalance your chlorine levels, and add cyanuric acrid to stabilize a sun-exposed pool.

Test your free chlorine levels. "Gratis Chlorine" is the corporeality of chlorine that's bachelor to sanitize your puddle water. If these levels are low, y'all don't have enough chlorine working in your water. To test for complimentary chlorine, use test strips, a liquid test kit, or take a sample to your local pool supply store. If you accept a chlorine or common salt water puddle, your free chlorine and combined chlorine should read betwixt 1 and iii ppm (parts per million).
Calculate your combined chlorine levels. If your free chlorine levels are lower than your total chlorine levels, y'all tin can end up with chloramines. Chloramines are the byproduct of chlorine sanitizing which tin can be irritating and even corrosive. Your Combined Chlorine is the difference between your Complimentary Chlorine reading and the Full Chlorine reading. Your combined chlorine should be beneath 0.5 ppm.
Shock your pool with cal-hypo shock. To quickly bump up your free chlorine levels and remove chloramines, shock your pool using calcium hypochlorite shock. Calcium hypochlorite should be the main active ingredient in your pool shock (around 60 to 80%). Shocking your pool once per week during peak pool season refreshes your sanitizer levels and prevents cloudy water. If yous need more help using shock, check out our guide on how to apply pool daze.
Test and add cyanuric acid if needed. Brand sure you lot have the proper levels of cyanuric acid or CYA in your water. This will assist prevent the sunday's UV rays from breaking downwardly your chlorine too rapidly. Your CYA levels should be between 30 and 50 ppm. Be sure to read our guide on how to balance your cyanuric acid levels.

3. Poor Water Chemistry: High pH, Alkalinity, and Calcium Hardness Levels

Loftier levels of pH, Total Alkalinity, and Calcium Hardness can form scale on your pool surfaces and inside your plumbing. This can lead to pool filtration, leaner growth, and cloudy water. And poor water chemistry makes it more difficult for your chlorine to role well and kill contaminants.

SOLUTION: Test and rest your pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness levels.

The proper pool water chemistry levels are:

pH: vii.4 to 7.six.
Alkalinity: 100 parts per million (ppm) to 150 ppm, with 125 ppm being ideal.
Calcium Hardness: 175 ppm to 225 ppm for vinyl liner pools, or 200 ppm to 275 ppm for physical and plaster pools.

Test and balance your Total Alkalinity (TA) levels. Your alkalinity helps preclude fluctuations in your pH, and so you'll want to suit these levels first. High alkalinity levels can cause pH and calcium scaling, which can cause cloudy water. To lower your alkalinity levels, use muriatic acrid or a pH decreaser. To raise your alkalinity levels, use an alkalinity increaser or baking soda.
Test and balance your pH levels. Improper pH levels tin affect your chlorine and the other chemicals in your water. High levels of pH can cause calcium build-up and scaling which leads to cloudy puddle water. Depression levels of pH tin cause your chlorine to become overly reactive and quickly depleted. This ways information technology's less effective at sanitizing, leading to a build-up of contaminants and cloudy pool water. You lot can lower your pH levels with a pH decreaser. You can enhance your pH with a pH increaser or soda ash. If yous desire more assist balancing your pH and total alkalinity, bank check out our consummate guide to bones pool water chemical science.
Exam and balance your Calcium Hardness levels. High calcium hardness levels can cause calcium build-up and scale inside your pool plumbing and equipment. This creates a cloudy pool water problem that'south not easy to fix. If you have loftier calcium hardness levels, the only thing you tin can exercise is dilute your pool water. Partially drain your pool and refill with fresh water from a garden hose filter. Simply remember that diluting your pool water will affect all of your water chemistry levels, and then you'll demand to test your h2o once again. For more than assist, check out our guide on how to residue your calcium hardness levels.

4. Contaminants, Like Debris or Algae

Contaminants, particles, and small debris in your pool tin can cause cloudy water. This is especially common during the springtime. Early on-phase algae growth may besides cause cloudy pool water.

SOLUTION: Care for algae in its early stages by cleaning and shocking your pool. Examination, balance, and make clean your water afterwards a rainstorm or when debris or pollen accumulates in your pool.

Treat algae. If yous already have visible algae growth, you'll need to get rid of your algae problem earlier you treat your cloudy pool water. Unfortunately, algaecide won't solve the problem. Information technology'south better every bit a preventative measure, not a treatment. To remove algae, you'll need to skim, brush, and vacuum your puddle. Be certain to featherbed the filter past vacuuming on the waste setting. Then, you'll want to daze your puddle. If you need a step-by-stride tutorial on getting rid of algae, check out our guide on how to get rid of algae in your pool.
Test, balance, and clean your pool after a rainstorm. Storms can accident clay and debris into your puddle and the pelting tin dilute your pool water. That means your chlorine levels can drop, which we know can lead to cloudy water. Examination and balance your water after a rainstorm and skim, brush, and vacuum the pool every bit needed. If y'all need to lower your h2o level, follow this guide on how to drain water from your pool afterwards rain.

Tired of cloudy water and desire to learn how to never bargain with this trouble over again? Check out our puddle maintenance video form today!

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The Pool Care Handbook

If yous've tackled these mutual problems and y'all want to fix cloudy puddle water fast, you can utilize either a puddle clarifier or puddle flocculant (aka pool floc). Nevertheless, your cloudy pool water will return if you don't correct the underlying causes. And then exist certain your filter system is running smoothly, your chlorine levels are correct, your water is balanced and you've eliminated any algae growth.

Pool Clarifier vs Pool Flocculant

How To Use Pool Clarifier (Clears Cloudy H2o In 48-72 Hours)

Pool clarifier uses your pool filter organisation to clear upwardly the cloudy water. This is the easiest method for clearing cloudy pool water, but it takes a few days depending on your pool filter arrangement'due south power. A puddle clarifier works with any filter type and works all-time with milder cloudy water bug.

1. Skim, Brush, and Vacuum Your Puddle

Remove large debris with a heavy-duty skimmer. Brush your walls well with a potent pool castor, and then vacuum manually.

Practice not use an automated pool cleaner. It won't properly suck upwardly finer debris. Then vacuum your pool. Just if y'all think y'all've got an algae problem, be sure to check out our guide on how to go rid of pool algae hither first.

2. Exam and Residuum Your Water

Test your water with examination strips or a liquid test kit. Test strips are easier and quicker to employ but are less accurate than a good liquid test kit. Or you tin can have a water sample to your local pool shop. Then, adapt your pH and alkalinity equally needed until your water is counterbalanced.

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3. Shock Your Pool

To eliminate whatsoever contaminants or chloramines in your cloudy puddle h2o, add together a high dose of chlorine by shocking your pool. If the cloudy water in your puddle is due to a pool algae bloom, you'll have to double or triple shock depending on the blazon of algae yous accept. And e'er shock your puddle at sunset or night for maximum effectiveness.

Run your filter and let the daze dissolve overnight or for at least 8 hours. Then retest your water.

4. Run Your Filter 24/7

You'll need to continuously run your filter over the side by side few days to aid clear up the cloudy water. Then y'all can render to regular filter run times once your water is clear.

Your puddle will clear faster depending on the type of filter yous own. D.E. Filters, for example, filter out extra fine particles and will clear up cloudy water more quickly. If you accept a cartridge filter, it will take a bit longer. If you have a sand filter, it will take the longest.

five. Increase Your Pool Circulation

Your skimmer located at the surface of your pool tin can't go to the droppings or cloudy h2o at the bottom of your pool. To assistance all of your pool water laissez passer through your filter, you can increment your pool'due south apportionment.

Position your return jets. Point your return jet(southward) downwardly at a 45° angle and all in the same direction. This will help churn the cloudy h2o up from the bottom of the pool to the top where your master skimmer can become information technology into your filter arrangement.
Use your bottom drains. If you have an inground pool, make sure the primary bleed at the bottom is on and is pulling water from the bottom of the pool into your filter system. This volition speed upwards filtering and clear the pool h2o faster.
Turn your vacuum upside down. If you have an higher up ground puddle with no principal drain, you can hook upwards your transmission vacuum cleaner and plough it upside down at the bottom of the pool to mimic a bottom main drain.

half dozen. Add together Pool Water Clarifier

Subsequently your pool water has circulated and your shock has dissipated, it'southward time to add together your clarifier. Clarifier helps bind tiny particles into bigger particles that your filter tin capture. Exist certain to read the manufacturer's instructions to brand sure you're adding the correct amount for your size pool.

Here'southward our recommendation for a pool clarifier:

Our Top Pick

Clorox Super Pool Water Clarifier

This full-bodied pool clarifier creates crystal clear pool h2o. Cracking for weekly use or for a pool party, pool clarifier clumps together small particles that are then easily removed by your filter.

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Clarifier works to clear mild cloudy puddle water. Add together it every other day as your filter runs until your h2o clears. If you have extremely cloudy water, y'all need to use a pool flocculant.

How To Use Pool Flocculant (Clears Cloudy Water In 24-48 Hours)

Pool flocculant, also known as Puddle Floc, causes the particles to coagulate together, creating big clumps that sink to the bottom of your pool. It'south much faster and more powerful than a pool clarifier, but information technology takes much more work and requires a lot of manual vacuuming.

The coagulated particles cannot exist removed past your filter, then yous must be able to vacuum the water out of your pool while bypassing your filter media.

i. Balance Your pH

Test your water's pH levels with test strips or a liquid test kit. Then, adjust your pH equally needed, either with a pH increaser or pH decreaser.

ii. Add Pool Flocculant (Floc) Your Water

Pool flocculant binds the contaminants that cause cloudy pool water. Those big clumps then sink to the bottom of your pool. Be certain to read the manufacturer's instructions to make certain you're adding the correct amount of floc for your size puddle.

Here's our recommendation for a puddle flocculant:

Our Peak Option

BioGuard PowerFloc Pool Flocculant

This powerful pool flocculant helps articulate up excessively cloudy h2o. The more debris in the water, the faster information technology works! It binds together particles and sinks them to the bottom of your puddle for vacuum removal and sparkling clear water.

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3. Broadcast Your Water

Circulate the puddle water with your filter system for two hours. If you have a multiport valve, set it to "recirculate" to bypass your filter.

After circulating the pool chemical for two hours, shut off the filter system for the adjacent 8-12 hours to allow the particles settle to the lesser of the puddle. Brand sure your automatic timer doesn't turn on in the center of the nighttime.

4. Vacuum Water Out Of Your Puddle

You should now come across a big deject at the lesser of the pool. This means the pool flocculant collected all the particles that were making the water cloudy and sank them to the bottom. And that means it'due south time to vacuum.

If y'all only vacuum your water through your filtration organization, it'll just blow right dorsum in through the return jets. Instead, you lot have to vacuum the water out of your pool.

To do this with a multiport valve on your filter, merely set it to the Waste product choice. This volition transport the pool water out of the backwash port as you vacuum. Continue a garden hose in your pool to refill your water while you vacuum.

If you don't accept a multiport valve, open the drain port on your filter and let it bleed out equally you vacuum.

Move the vacuum slowly forth the bottom of the pool or else you'll kick up the cloudy water. You may have to do this multiple times. Let the cloud resettle before continuing.

5. Examination And Residual Your Water

Because yous've removed h2o from your pool, you'll need to rebalance your water chemistry. Test your pool water using test strips or a liquid test kit and adjust your Alkalinity and pH. In one case you get those levels balanced, add your chlorine.

Now that yous've gotten the cloudy h2o out of the pool, yous can start running your filter arrangement normally (8-12 hours a day or still long it takes your water to wheel through your filter at least once).

Ofttimes Asked Questions Nigh Cloudy Puddle Water

Looking for more help with your cloudy pool water? Hither are some common questions and answers.

How long does information technology accept for a cloudy pool to clear?

Depending on how cloudy your h2o is, it may accept 2-3 days for your water to clear. If you lot're using a clarifier, yous'll need to run your filter 24/7, keep your h2o chemistry balanced, and add the proper corporeality of h2o clarifier every other solar day until it'due south articulate. Pool flocculant is more powerful and can clear up your cloudy pool water in 1-2 days. But you will need to use a manual vacuum to remove all of the coagulated particles.

Should you swim in cloudy pool water?

No, y'all should not swim in a cloudy puddle. Cloudy pool water is full of contaminants and pathogens. There'southward also an increased risk of drowning since swimmers can't run across the bottom of the pool.

Why is my pool cloudy after shocking?

Adding pool daze to an otherwise perfectly clean and balanced pool can even cause temporary cloudiness. This is common and it volition misemploy over time as your filter runs. This can also happen if you employ a cheaper shock. Be sure to apply cal-hypo shock and read the instructions for the proper dosages.

Does too much chlorine make pool h2o cloudy?

High doses of chlorine, like pool shock, can crusade temporary cloudiness as it kills contaminants. High levels of pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness are more likely to crusade cloudy water.

Will rainwater make my pool cloudy?

Rainstorms usually cause cloudy puddle water. They tin can wash contaminants into your pool water and the additional rainwater can throw off your pool h2o chemistry and lower your chlorine levels.

Will a cloudy pool clear on its ain?

If your filter arrangement is running properly and consistently, your chlorine levels are correct, your water is balanced and you've eliminated any algae growth, your cloudy pool can clear on its own. Otherwise, consider using a pool clarifier or pool flocculant.

Need More Pool Maintenance Help?

Download our complimentary Pool Care Cheat Sheet. Information technology's a gratis, easy-to-use guide to help you keep track of taking care of your pool.
Subscribe to our Swim Academy YouTube Channel. We publish free video tutorials throughout the pool season.
Cheque out our Pool Care Grade. You'll become thirty+ step-by-stride videos and a pace-by-step downloadable guide with everything you need to know about pool maintenance.

Matt Giovanisci is the founder of Swim Academy® and has been in the pool and spa industry since 1995. Since then, his mission is to make pool and hot tub care easy for anybody. And each twelvemonth, he continues to help more than people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting.

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