Ep 77. Cloudy Pool, Causes and Solutions

Frank and Jacque discuss what makes some pools cloudy and what some solutions are to clear cloudy pools. Covering four possible causes and some solutions, including water balance, pool chlorine issues, poor circulation, and pool filtration

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00:00-04:30 introduction

04:31 – We are getting a lot of questions in our stores and on Facebook about why pools are getting cloudy

06:00- residential and commercial pool requirements for reasonably clear pools

07:16 – There can be several reasons that a pool is cloudy, and different solutions to correct cloudy pools

08:40- if you don’t know how to determine why your pool is cloudy, call a pro. Don’t waste your time and money on solutions that are not for your cause.

09:34- four things that can make a pool cloudy. Low or improper pool chlorine management, poor pool water balance chemistry, poor pool circulation, poor pool filtration, or a combination of these causes.

10:35 The first thing to diagnose why a pool is cloudy is a complete water test, including all components of water balance to calculate LSI, total and free chlorine levels, and combined chlorine levels. Correct pool water chemistry problems first through proper dosing.

13:20- know when the best solution is to drain or dilute your water with fresh water. Consider hiring a reverse osmosis service.

18:00- low chlorine levels. Heavy loads of organics from body waste, sunscreens, and other organics can deplete your chlorine. This can also clog your pool filter, compounding your cloudy pool water issues.

21:38- what is a boatload of chlorine? 40 to 60% of your cya in free chlorine

24:10- enzymes, phosphate removers, or floc with alum to help ease the load on oxidizers

28:00- combined chlorines or chloramines can cloud water. Formula to achieve breakpoint chlorination (shocking the pool). Measure the free chlorine level and total chlorine level in the pool. If there is a difference between the two, that difference is chloramines. To eliminate chloramines, you must achieve breakpoint chlorination by raising your free chlorine level to ten times the combined chlorine level. You may have wasted your shock treatment if you don’t achieve ten times the amount.

30:35- ozone and AOP can also oxidize organics and help your chlorine.

31:18- proper pool circulation and filtration are critical in helping sanitizers clear your water.

32:40—What is pool turnover? It is moving the entire volume of water in the pool through the filter. I recommend a minimum of two turnovers per day in a residential swimming pool.

34:00- backwash and clean filters as needed

35:45- keep the pump and skimmer baskets emptied

36:25- sand filters may need help to achieve good filtration by using filter fiber or clarifiers. Replacing the sand in a sand filter with glass filter media greatly improves the sand filter filtration

39:25- circulation and filtration issues can also turn into water chemistry issues


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The Deep End Pool Podcast focuses on residential pool maintenance and may not cover commercial pool requirements. Please consult the CDC and local authorities regarding the code requirements for commercial pool maintenance.

Do you have a pool question for Frank? You can email him at [email protected]. He just might read and answer your question on air!