Problem of the Month: Cloudy and hazy water

What is it?

Cloudy water is a murky appearance to the water that does not allow you to see the bottom of the pool, whereas Hazy water allows you to see the bottom of the pool, but the water is not clear to the naked eyes.  Hazy and Cloudy water are caused by many things – low sanitizer levels, improper water balance, inadequate circulation, poor filtration.  The particles in the water can intensify and can change Hazy water to Cloudy water very quickly.

Prevention:

To prevent a Hazy or Cloudy water issue, use a product such as BioGuard’s Pool Complete or Natural Chemistry’s Pool Perfect Max on a weekly basis to improve clarity and reduce contaminant levels.  Shock (Oxidize) your pool weekly to destroy contaminants.  Backwash your sand filter, or rinse / clean your cartridge filter when indicated by your pressure gauge that it is required.  Ensure your filtration system is running at least 12 hours per day, preferably 24/7, and that your return jets are facing down and away from the skimmer.  (For proper water circulation the jets should form a circle at the bottom of the pool that is pushed towards the skimmer.)

Problem Solver:

The first thing that should be addressed to solve a hazy or cloudy water issue to ensure you have a proper sanitizer level and that your water balancers are within their proper ranges.  Take a water sample to your pool professional to have them test your water and make any additions required.

As the above will fix any issues that are due to improper water balance or low sanitizer levels, they will not fix other areas that may be causing cloudy water.  Your pool professional should be asking you questions while testing your water to ensure we are combating the cloud in the proper manner. What type of filter do you have, when is the last time it was backwashed or rinsed, when did you last chemically clean the filter (yes even sand filters have a chemical cleaner which should be used at least once per season) how old is the sand or cartridge, and – in what position are your return jets? 

Your pool professional will recommend the correct product to help you based on the answers being provided.  BioGuard’s Pool Tonic or Natural Clarifier will help to eliminate the particles that are causing your cloudy water.  Once the pool system is cleared, you will want to chemically clean the filter using BioGuard’s Filter Brite.

Product Details:

Pool Complete – 3 in 1 formula adds the final touch to any pool program, keeping your pool amazingly clear, preventing build-up around the pool water line, and continuously removing phosphates.  Saving your time and effort on your pool water care when used weekly.

Pool Perfect Max – Triple technology in one bottle: cleans the filter and scum line, maintains low phosphate levels and polishes pool water add to your weekly maintenance schedule and decrease time and effort spent on pool water care.

Pool Tonic – Eliminates cloudy, hazy, or dull water while removing phosphates and other common contaminants.

Natural Clarifier – Enhanced water clarifier to keep your water clean and sparkling.  Using a concentrated natural chitosan formula.  Chitosan is produced from the exoskeletons of crustaceans which causes fine particles to bind together into larger particles that are subsequently removed by your filter.

Filter Brite – Used at least once per season, Filter brite will promote greater filter efficiency, helps keep water clear and increases the life of your filter media.  Works with Sand, Glass and Cartridge filters.