How to Fix Cloudy Water

Even if your pool doesn’t have debris in it, cloudy water can give it a dirty, uninviting look. There are many factors that can contribute to cloudy water, but some more common issues include a lack of chlorine, filtration problems, weather, and increased swimmer usage. If you need to quickly get your pool crystal clear, watch the following video or follow the link to wikihow.com:

Why is the Water in My Pool Cloudy / Smoky / Hazy?

There are several possible causes of cloudy, smoky, or hazy swimming pool water. Here are some of them, along with the solutions:

Poor circulation or filtration: Backwash and clean the pool filter. Clean the skimmer baskets and pump strainer basket. The filter may need to be chemically cleaned.
Improper water balance: Test the pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness, and make the necessary adjustments.
High total dissolved solids (TDS) and/or calcium hardness: If one or both are high (TDS over 3,000 ppm or calcium hardness over 400 ppm), drain off 1/3 to 1/2 of your pool water and replace it with fresh water that is low in hardness. Adjust the chemical balance.
Excess organic waste: Shock with one pound of pool super shock for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
High total alkalinity: Add a pH reducer.
Low sanitizer level: Add chlorine to bring sanitizer into its proper range.

Why is My Pool Water Green?

Your swimming pool is suffering from green algae growth. A common free-floating variety of algae imparts a cloudy green color to pool water. It’s easy to correct if treated early. Shock your pool, then use the proper dose of algaecide for the size of your pool.

Your pool may also be experiencing low total alkalinity, which can contribute to green algae growth, so you may also need to add an alkalinity increaser.

What do I do now?

Follow the instructions below for the best results.

Remove most of the large debris from the pool floor with a large leaf net (not a hand skimmer!).
Adjust the pH and Alkalinity levels of the water using pH Plus, pH Minus and Alkalinity Plus.
Shock the pool. This means super chlorinating the water to kill off any bacteria and algae.
Run your filter 24 hours a day and backwash 3 or 4 times a day for quickest results.

If you follow these instructions and your pool does not clear up within 4 or 5 days, your filter may not be functioning properly. If this is the case with your pool, have the filter system checked out by a professional.

Check our “How to” section for more details.