Cloudy Pool Water

[JimMorrissey]

Just opened our pool today. Ahhh, chemicals, it's amazing how well they eliminate aquatic life.

So...now the water is cloudy, it's blue, but hard to see the bottom. I checked the alkalinity, the chlorine, and the PH. All are right on the money. Any ideas how to clear up the water and what might be causing this? -The pool was just opened yesterday and was green with algea 48 hours ago. Maybe the cloudy water is from all the dead algea and I just need to let it sit and filter out for a few days.

Super hot here....Can't wait to swim!

 

[techman]

Could be dead aglea. Usually I find that cloudiness is PH related. If it doesn't start to cleat in 24H pust the PH a little more acidic.

paul

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Jim,
If it is a white cloud then you have to balance the PH and the alkalinity. It would be VERY UNLIKELY be algae if it was white. You need to test the water for the ph and alkalinity levels and get them set, if you do an accurate test, know the number of gallons of water in your pool and measure your chemicals reasonably close to the recommendations, you can clear of a cloud in a couple hours. I struggled with them for a couple years until I finally decided to look into buying a garden center/pool store. The guy who was trying to sell me the store taught me how to balance my water, but I ended up not buying the store. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[JimMorrissey]

That's possible....I threw a bit too much pH down in. I was high on the pH.

 

[JimMorrissey]

Bob, It's not white...hard to describe, just cloudy and can't get real good look at the liner below.

I'll give it a day. I think I'll get some new sand for my filter too. I've heard they can "channelize" if you haven't changed it in a couple of years. Once it channels, it's like you are just recirculating.

 

[seapea]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Bob, It's not white...hard to describe, just cloudy and can't get real good look at the liner below.

I'll give it a day. I think I'll get some new sand for my filter too. I've heard they can "channelize" if you haven't changed it in a couple of years. Once it channels, it's like you are just recirculating. )</font>

Is it sort of a whitish gray? I've run into this 3 or 4 times before when the Chlorine went to 0. I think it might be a bacterial bloom, but maybe it's algae. I shock the pool real well and dump in extra algaecide. It clears up in a day or two, after which my DE filter needs cleaning.

 

[imported_OWDouglas]

Jim, try using a chemical called Floc (any pool store should carry it) put it in following the directions at night, the next morning it should be crystal clear. What happens is, all the particles in the water coagulate and sink to the bottom then you just vacuum it up. I had to do it last year and was amazed how great it worked. Good Luck.

 

[Volfandt]

When I opened mine up, it was slightly cloudy but clear, like you indicate. I took a sample down to my local pool supply store and it tested out good, everything was good and within specs. They recommended that I backwash it, shock it, add some algeacide, vaccum then back wash it again. I did this and now it's crystal clear.

I gotta say that my pool is the biggest PITA I've got going now. The kid will be a Jr in college come fall and the pool just doesn't hold the facination for her or her mother that it used to several yrs ago so, the only activity it gets is my weekly cleaning /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I don't care if a tree is a mile away, it's leaves will find that danged pool!

I told the Mrs that it's just an accident waiting to happen and hopefully /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif the BH or FEL won't accidently clip it and make it leak....

Volfandt

 

[heehaw]

i went thru the same problem this year, till someone suggested pointing the eyeball in the deep end, down,
did that and it cleared up in a couple days..
heehaw

 

[Dargo]

This year was odd for me. For some reason I just couldn't keep my chlorine at the correct level. While I was battling the chlorine level, I too had cloudy water. After finally getting the chlorine level stable at the correct level, my cloudy issues vanished. I've now had perfectly clear water for a month now.