How To Fix A Cloudy Swimming Pool

My pool is cloudy – Now what?

Imagine waking up on a beautiful day only to see your pool has gone cloudy overnight. It happens. Not only is a cloudy pool annoying, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to get your pool clear again.

In this post we will look at the reasons as to why a pool goes cloudy and how you can overcome the cloudiness without too much drama and time spent. In order to be able to easily and effectively clear the cloudy water, it is important to understand what causes the pool water to go cloudy.

Why does my pool go cloudy?

The environment: Everything that surrounds your pool can cause your pool water to go cloudy. The natural water created by the Bionizer can be easily affected sometimes if the pool water is not in balance. So it isn’t just the people in the pool that have an effect on the water, but also the weather, birds, trees, shrubs, gardens, nearby construction etc.

Water/chemical balance: If your pool water is out of balance, your pool will be more vulnerable to environmental effects. An excessive amount of pool chemicals can cause your pool to get out of balance but also a lack of pool chemicals or lack of pool maintenance. High pH, high total alkalinity and/or deficient calcium hardness levels and phosphates along with sunscreen oils and swimmer waste can produce conditions that cause cloudy water.

Filtration system: Another explanation for cloudy water is a filter that needs backwashing or cleaning, but also other faults in the filter could have occurred.

Body oils and bather load: If you are not using an Eco-Oxidizer or other oxidising device or additive with your Bionizer, bather load, body oils and swimmer waste can cause your pool to go cloudy. Chlorine or chlorine from salt chlorinators burns these oils off the water but, with a pool ioniser like Bionizer, you can choose your own chlorine free oxidising agent (see below for recommended options).

How do I clear my cloudy pool?

1. Balance levels

The first thing that you will want to do is check the levels of pH, total alkalinity, phosphates and calcium hardness and adjust them to the recommended levels as per Snap Pool Balance Chart (page 35 of Bionizer Instructionbook).

2. Check filter

Check your filter equipment. Backwash or clean if needed. There could also be a fault in the filter that needs fixing. Is the filter medium old and or worn?

3. Oxidise the pool water

If you are not using an Eco-Oxidizer or other oxidising device in conjunction with the Bionizer, then the use of a chlorine-free oxidiser such as Hydrogen Peroxide or an Oxy Shock such as one that contains Potassium Monopersulphate should clear the cloudiness. Also some liquid chlorine may be used. Add to the pool late in the day and run the filter for several hours and the water should be sparkling again by morning. The liquid chlorine used should preferably be unstabilised.

4. Add clarifier

If the water remains cloudy after these checks and tricks, then use a compatible clarifier such as Focus WaterPolish Plus. A clarifier collects the smaller particles together so they become big enough to be filtered out of the pool water by your filter. For a Bionizer pool, make sure the clarifier you use is Polymer based and that it doesn’t pull metals from the water in your Bionizer pool.

5. Add pool flocculant

Another effective but time-consuming alternative is a pool floc or flocculent. A pool flocculent works by binding the particles together and sending them to the bottom of the pool. This will create clumps of matter on the floor of your pool. This alternative, unlike the clarifier, does not enable your filter to pick up the particles but collects them on the bottom of the pool so you can manually vacuum the matter out of your pool water. Do not use an automatic cleaner but use your pool pump, filter to waste (or backwash) and manually vacuum the pool until the cloudiness is gone. The reason you filter to waste is that otherwise, it will end up back in your pool again. Be aware that this alternative uses a lot of water and you will have to top your pool back up with new water. Ideally, fill the pool to the brim before commencing the vacuuming action.

These are our recommended steps and tricks as to how to get rid of cloudiness in the pool and to get you back in a sparkling and clear pool as soon as possible. Note: If you go to your pool shop to purchase any chemicals you might need, make sure they are compatible with pool ionisers.

Happy Swimming!