Cloudy Water Without A Green Cast
Persistent cloudiness that does not have a green or color tint is the result of either:
1. Inadequate Pump Flow
2. Improper pH
3. Lack of oxidation and chlorination
4. Poor Filtration
It’s best to approach this situation by addressing each possible cause in the above order.
1. Inadequate Pump Flow
Adequate pump flow is critical to maintaining clear water. A loss of pump flow is reflected in a lower filter pressure. For example, if the filter pressure normally runs at 15-20 and it’s now running at 10-15, this indicates a pump flow problem. The pool owner may also observe a visual reduction in flow through the skimmer and the return inlets.
If loss of pump flow is suspected, the cause could be as simple as a clogged impeller. This problem as well as most pump flow related problems may require a professional technician.
2. PH
The pH must be in the 7.3 – 7.7 range. With persistent cloudiness, it’s best to have the pH in the lower range of 7.2 – 7.4. Keep in mind that each 4# of chlorine shock added (such as Poolife Turbo Shock) will require 3# of pH Down to maintain the pH constant.
3. Lack of Oxidation or Chlorination
Water will not clear when high levels of contaminants remain in the water. The contaminate level cannot be discerned visually, but we often get a hint of these levels with the “combined chlorine level” from a professional water test.
Even if the pool has been recently shocked, Another strong shock with a large dosage of chlorine shock and oxidizer is recommended. A good rule-of-thumb would be:
- Add 5# SUPER SHOCK N' SWIM (chlorine) for each 10,000 gallons
- and… Add 3# White Lightnin' (oxidizer) for each 10,000 gallons
4. Poor Filtration
Sometimes the problem is tiny particulate that are too small to be trapped by the filter. Whereas there may be nothing wrong with the filter, there simply may be an overwhelming amount of tiny particles that are difficult to filter out. Thus, the first steps should be:
A. Use a clarifier (either Pool Baron's Ultra Clarifier) along with Pool Perfect Enzymes
B. Vacuum the pool with the valve set “to waste” to remove any fine sediment.
C. Use of ZeoFiber on sand filters to help capture all particulate in the water.
ZeoFiber works incredibly fast on sand filters. After adding the coating through the skimmer, it goes to work filtering the tiniest of particles. Users should carefully observe the following:
- See if any “white cloud” appears through the return inlets a few moments after adding through the skimmer. If there is any such “cloudiness,” this indicates a problem with the sand filter.
- Monitor the pressure closely. I may go up in a matter of hours! Backwash as the pressure increases to its normal “backwash pressure,” then recoat again with ZeoFiber.
Continue to use ZeoFiber until the container is empty OR there is no further problem with cloudiness.
After performing the above, there should be noticeable clearing within a couple of days. If not, there is likely something wrong with the filter. Based on your filter type, you should do the following:
Sand Filter - Inspect the filter valve and sand. It would be smart to change the sand at this time.
Cartridge Filter - Clean and inspect the cartridge. Even if the cartridge looks “ok” to you, a new cartridge may be the answer.
D.E. Filter - Open up and provide a GOOD cleaning of the grids. Inspect the grids for holes and replace if you find any. Holes in a D.E. filter will allow a small amount of DE powder to return through the pool’s inlets when the D.E. powder is first added Make a point to observe the inlets when adding fresh D.E. powder.
Fall-Out: A FAST Option
If time is critical to clear the water, using Pool Baron's Fall Out offers the quickest solution. FALL-OUT is added to the pool with the filter on “circulate” (NOT Filter). A few hours later, the pump is turned off and Fall-Out goes work settling out virtually all the particulate in the pool. The next morning, a cloud of particles will rest on the pool’s floor. This cloud must now be carefully vacuumed out with the filter on “waste” position. Another vacuuming is likely the following day.
Even though FALL-OUT will help clear up a pool, all the above issues (1 through 4) must be addressed to maintain on-going clarity in the water.
Note about Painted Pools: Some painted pools may begin to chalk as the paint ages. Such “chalking” may cause on-going cloudiness that is difficult to filter. A new pool painting may be required to resolved the problem.