Pool Algae

Despite what many pool owners may think, the secret to clean and clear swimming pool water is more complicated then just balancing the chlorine and pH levels. Sometimes that alone just isn’t enough. What do you do when you are faced with cloudy pool water? Or how about if you are confronted with green pool water despite your best efforts?

how to fix green or murky pools

Basic chemical requirements for clear pool water

First, let’s first consider some basics. Unless the water has a sufficient level of free chlorine, algae will grow and make your pool green and you will have cloudy pool water. For shocking a swimming pool the pH should be between 7.2 and 7.6. Shocking a pool with too high pH will cause cloudy pool water. The right range of alkalinity or dissolved salts, that keep the pH stable makes pH and chlorine levels easier to maintain.

green pool

I shocked my pool, so why is it still green?

Even though plenty of swimming pool owners shock their pools, the problem may be the source of chlorine. Over time, if you use tablets to supply your pools chlorine, levels of the stabilizer from the tablets can become elevated. This causes them to essentially trap or lock up the free chlorine.

Even in circumstances where you get a very high chlorine reading on your test kit, the chlorine can’t kill algae since it’s not in the right chemical form. You need to lower the stabilizers in your chlorine.

how to fix a green or cloudy pool

I shocked my pool, so why is it still cloudy?

It has to do with your pool filter. If the pH in your pool is not too high, filtration issues are likely the cause of your cloudy pool water. The issue may depend on the type of filter you posses as well. If you have a sand filter it could take a week or more for the pool to completely clear. That’s true even if it’s a good healthy working sand filter.

If you have a cartridge filter, a good cartridge is necessary because a cartridge can only handle so much for so long. If you are experiencing cloudy pool water, the cartridge needs to be cleaned everyday until the pool is clear once again. If you have a DE (or diatomaceous Earth) filter and your experiencing cloudy pool water, you are either not running the pump on a long enough cycle, or the DE needs to be backwashed.

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