While the Valley sure could use a few cloudy days (and some rain to go along would be nice, too!), no one wants a cloudy pool — regardless of the time of year. Even if the pool isn’t getting used every day like it was in the summertime, a cloudy pool takes away from the aesthetic of a beautiful backyard. The good news is a cloudy pool is quite common, and generally a quite simple problem to solve. Aquaman Pools dives into why pool water gets cloudy and what to do about it.
First of all, it’s important to know that not all pool water issues are created equal, nor should they be treated the same way. That’s why it’s always a good idea to have an expert or a pool service professional take a look at the pool water problem before “jumping in” to fix it without the proper solution.
To find that proper solution, the problem needs to be properly diagnosed from the get-go. For example, cloudy pool water can be attributed to multiple things — a dirty pool that hasn’t been cleaned, skimmed or swept properly; a filter that’s not working; or a chemical imbalance in the water.
Muddy water is generally attributed to a chlorine, pH or calcium imbalance or calcium hardness. When the pH isn’t at the proper levels, the effectiveness of chlorine on keeping the water crystal clear is significantly reduced — leading to unsightly muddy or cloudy water. A water test kit or an examination from a pool service technician can usually detect this right away and rebalance the chemicals to clear up the water.
If a chemical imbalance is not at fault, it’s time to look at other issues. For example, the water can be cloudy simply because it’s dirty! (When was the last time it was cleaned, after all?) Well, the beauty of having a pool service technician from Aquaman come on a regular basis is that pool owners never have to ask that question! But for those that find themselves wondering, the answer is probably “it’s been too long.” And due to that, filters and skimmer baskets can get clogged. The top of the pool water should be skimmed and the filter cleared out to make sure that the equipment isn’t clogged and that it’s working at its most efficient capacity. A good sweeping, skimming, brushing and clearing the filters should solve the problem of dirty water — but it will take a few days for the filter to “catch up.”
If the pool doesn’t clear up after that is done, then a faulty or broken filter could be at work here. Again, assessing whether or not this is the problem is easy work for a professional pool technician from Aquaman — after all, it’s their job to know exactly to solve pool owners’ problems! Hopefully, the issue is just a matter of a simple repair or new hardware.
These are the three most common causes of cloudy pool water and how to correct them. But if after all these have been tested and the pool water is still cloudy, the pool might require the addition of a clarifying chemical or a “Floc,” a substance that literally holds onto debris in the water and gathers it down at the bottom of the pool to be vacuumed up (this requires a good deal of vacuuming).
Cloudy water is fairly common and fairy easy to fix so pool owners needn’t worry. And for an even faster fix, Aquaman Pools’ expert technicians are standing by to help!
