How to Get Rid of Cloudy Pool Water

How to Get Rid of Cloudy Pool Water

How to Get Rid of Cloudy Pool Water

Taking a dip in a swimming pool is a great way to escape a scorching summer morning. It rids your body of heat and replaces it with a cool, refreshing feeling. However, how will you react when you step into this artificial body of water and feel thick layers of algae and insect larvae?

Causes of Cloudy Pool WaterCloudy water occurs even in well-maintained swimming pools. Chemical imbalances, poor filter systems, excessive rain, low chlorine, heavy use and presence of microorganisms are just several factors that contribute to the haziness of the water's surface. Just like any problem, it is necessary to find out the cause of your cloudy pool water to come up with a solution for it.

• Bacteria. They are the primary reason you feel sick once you get out of the pool. They are your motivation for cleaning your pool and maintaining it.
• pH. Since water is a neutral substance, it makes sense to maintain its pH level, which is anywhere between 7.0 and 7.5. If the water is too acidic or below the neutral pH level, the structures that support the pool ,like metals and plaster, could deteriorate and dissolve. On the other hand, the water dissolves the carbonates surrounding the pool and turns murky if the pH level is too basic.
• Chlorine. Similar to pH levels, the health of your enclosed recreational space depends on how much chlorine you put into it. Too little chlorine encourages bacterial growth and all kinds of waterborne illnesses, while too much is painful to the eyes, nose and skin.
• Calcium. Low calcium hardness or calcium content corrodes the pool’s surfaces and metal components. If you put in too much calcium chloride, the filter and pipes become clogged, leading to misty waters and reduced water flow.

As you may notice, maintaining a hygienic pool is tricky and demanding. Besides bacteria, pH, chlorine and calcium levels, you still need to consider mechanical and environmental factors if you want your homemade pool in pristine condition.

ToolsThe most immediate thing you can do is to clean the pool yourself. To do that, you need some of the tools listed below to restore the sparkle in your swimming space. If you have a pool at home, you should have these instruments anyway.

• Telescoping pole. The telepole is the heart of the pool cleaning system. They are made of aluminum or fiberglass and are often eight feet long, although some reach up to 24 feet in length. They skim unwanted items off the surface of your pool and pick up items at the bottom using their magnetic tip.
• Leaf rake. This is used in combination with the telepole. By combining the two, you create a professional, deep-net leaf rake to pick up the debris on the pool surface. It is better to have a net made of metal than plastic because it won’t easily break when scooping out huge volumes of wet leaves and debris.
• Scrubbing brush. Wall and floor brushes are used to remove the dirt, stains and other material sticking on the interior surface. The bristles are made from nylon, while the aluminum shank is designed to fit with the telepole. Never use a brush that isn’t stainless steel because they could easily snap off during brushing or leave stains on the interior when they rust.
• Dirt sucker. Vacuums are not just used on carpets and home floors. They are also efficient in extracting dirt out of your recreational pool. You may suck the dirt directly from the water and send it to the filter or use water pressure from a garden hose to force debris into a bag that you must then remove and clean.
• Testing kits. Water testers and thermometers tell you the chemical level and temperature in your pool water. This allows you to make the necessary adjustments to keep it in a safe and balanced level.

ProcedureTurning your pool from green to clean isn’t an easy task. Fortunately, there is a proven method to clear your pool of dirt in the least amount of time possible.

• Shake things up. The first step is to concentrate on the large particles beneath the pool surface. Use a large leaf net, and not a hand skimmer, to pick up those pieces. Your artificial pond might look bad for now, but the stirred-up debris will settle within a few hours. Never vacuum your pool if you can’t see the bottom because of the heavy amount of debris floating around. This may clog your skimmer, filter and underground pipes, making the situation much worse.
• Balance chemical levels. Test your pool at least once a week to check its pH and chlorine content to ensure that the water is at a safe level. Then, once a month, check how much alkaline, calcium and total dissolved solids there are in your pool. Adjust them accordingly using a good pool test kit, preferably one that uses tablets rather than liquid drops. Never used expired tablets and test liquids because they are unreliable and unsafe. Rinse the cells of your test kit thoroughly before filling them with water from at least 20 to 30 cm below the surface for testing. Never empty the test solution back into the swimming pool when you’re done.
• Shock the pool. This procedure doesn’t involve electric wave, but rather massive doses of chlorine. Pour three or four gallons of liquid chlorine into your pool if it contains huge amounts of bacteria and algae. Leave it for several days to kill those microorganisms thoroughly. If you see no results overnight, add another three gallons the next day. Continue until the pool becomes cloudy white, light green or clear. Remember that you can’t shock a pool too much. The more you add chlorine, the faster it will clear. Add a high quality algaecide to the water if you desire.
• Filter and backwash. Filter the pool for 24 hours straight and backwash three times to purge floating fragments quickly. Backwashing is done when the filter has accumulated a large amount of dirt, preventing the water to pass freely. This forces water through the filter to flush the trapped dirt out. Since your filter would be clogged repeatedly during this procedure, you may need to backwash your filter numerous times until the pool clears. Just like shocking, there is no limit to backwashing a pool filter.
• Apply final touches. Once the water clears up, use your own pool vacuum system to suck up the small amount of debris on the pool floor. If there is still too much dirt underneath, have a professional power vacuum the dead leaves and algae instead. This should save your filter system from wear and tear, while making sure your pool pipes remain clear from garbage and junk.

If you are having a difficult time cleaning up your pool, you could always call someone for a professional do-over. Still, it would be better to finish the chore yourself, considering how expensive hiring a specialist can be. Nobody wants to dip into a pool of slime and dirt. Keep your pool clean to feel fresh and relaxed, not filthy and cloudy. If you enjoy reading this article you'll surely enjoy reading how to clean a swimming pool and how to maintain a swimming pool.