Does your pool appear to be cloudy, milky, swampy or something in between? No doubt your swimming pool being in this state discourages you and your loved ones from taking a dip. However, the unpleasant appearance of your pool should be cause for alarm. A cloudy pool is a sign of extreme bacterial growth. Which means you should clean your swimming pool as soon as possible. In the end, if not dealt with quickly, a cloudy pool can end up costing you a lot of time and money. First things first, how did your pool become cloudy to begin with? Keep reading to learn how to fix cloudy pool water.
Depletion of Your Sanitizer Supply
One reason your pool can turn from a beautiful blue to a milky swamp is the depletion of sanitizer. Although the state of your pool seemed to change overnight, the process was slow. Debris such as leaves and dirt naturally will fall into your swimming pool from time to time. Immediately your sanitizer goes to work , however it wasn’t meant to dissolve such large debris. Your filtration system is put in place to deal with debris, but it doesn’t always catch everything. If you don’t physically remove the remaining debris, your sanitizer has to try.
The next common culprits are humans. We drag in a ton of stuff into our swimming pools. To name a few, sunscreen, tanning lotion, hair products all deplete the sanitizer in your pool. To some degree you have control over these substances coming in and stealing your precious sanitizer, but there is a culprit that you can do nothing about. The Sun! Its powerful ultraviolet rays break apart the sanitizing hypochlorite ions created when you add chlorine to your pool, causing them to evaporate into the air around your pool. The sun also aids in algae reproduction, which can cause cloudiness and ultimately create an unsafe environment to swim in.
Your pools circulatory system
Problems with circulation can no doubt cause cloudiness in your swimming pool. A healthy circulation system in your pool should naturally result with a clean pool. It should also be running at least eight hours per day. The filtration and sanitation mechanisms should work together to ensure that your pool water is clean. However a broken circulatory system or even a significantly older one can cause cloudiness. Water needs to circulate to be filtered. Stagnant water is just asking for bacteria and debris to take over.
PH Balance
Another culprit is your swimming pools PH levels. You should make it a habit to check your water’s alkalinity at least once a week. To low of a PH results in bacterial overgrowth, however too high of a PH results in water hardness. So make sure to keep your pool water balanced and alkaline.
Solution Recap
Proper pool maintenance is the only way to ensure a clear and clean pool. Don’t forget about weekly testing and balancing, skimming and vacuuming, basic filter maintenance, and regular shocking.
