How to Prevent Cloudy Pool Water

How to precent my pool water from going cloudy? With the recent heat wave we have had, a common question we are getting is why has my pool water gone cloudy and how can I fix it. Fear not! Crush Pools has the answers for you.

How to Prevent My Pool Water From Going Cloudy?

A pool usually goes cloudy when the chlorine level is low. With the hot weather we have had lately, the chlorine in your pool will burn off quicker than it normally would. To avoid the chlorine levels from dropping too low you can do these four things:

1. If you have a salt water pool turn up the chlorine production. For example if your salt cell is set to 50% turn it up to 70%. 
2. Make sure your stabilizer level is in range. Stabilizer acts as a sunscreen for the chlorine. It slows down the chlorine from being burnt off by the sun. Increasing the stabilizer level will help hold chlorine in the water longer. Please remember when adding stabilizer you need to add it into the skimmer basket. 
3. If you have a chlorine pool make sure your chlorinator has chlorine pucks in it (you may want to add one or two more pucks than usual). You should also turn up the dial to increase chlorine production (example turn it from 4 to 6).
4. Make sure your pump is running for at least 12 hours per day (ideally during the day). If the water sits stagnate during the day your pool will turn cloudy and algae will grow. The water needs to be circulating to stay clear. The salt cell and chlorinator only work when the pump is running. Chlorine is what sanitizes the water and keeps it clear. If the pump is not running chlorine is not being produced which causes the pool to go cloudy. 

Bonus – Ideally you want an energy efficient pump running 24 hours a day. Crush pools can help with this if you are interested (https://crushpools.com/swimming-pool-pump-installations/) 

My Pool Water as Already Gone Cloudy 

If your water has already gone cloudy it will take a few days to get it back into swimming condition. In order to clear up the water you will need to add liquid chlorine. Depending on the size of the pool and how cloudy it is you should add 10-20 litres every other day until the water clears up. When you can see the bottom you should vacuum the pool. Ideally you should vacuum on waste mode. This allows you to bypass your filter and shoot the algae and debris that has sunk to the bottom of the pool out your waste line.

You should also check your filter and make sure the presser gauge is not over 20. If it is you should backwash and rinse your filter. If you have a cartridge filter you should take out the cartridges and clean them. 

If you have any more questions about your pool you can email us at team@crushpools.com or call at (905) 580-4741.