To treat pool water made cloudy by a lack of chlorine, simply keep adding chlorine to the water until the water maintains a chlorine residual of 2ppm or more. If you suspect that the cloudiness is caused by poor water balance, simply add a pH/alkalinity decreasing chemical until the water comes into balance.
Just make sure your pump and filter are running properly. If you add algaecide, keep in mind that some algaecide contains copper, which can actually make a pool cloudy. If the cloudiness persists 24 hours after shocking, then it's possible that you used a poor-quality chlorine shock.
Use a pool brush to vigorously scrub any pool surfaces covered in algae, including the walls, floors, and steps. Apply a green algaecide according to the directions on the label. Let the water circulate for 24 hours, then brush the pool surfaces again. Vacuum or backwash to remove any remaining dead algae.
Pool chemicals could be out of balance or the pH might be off. Chlorine levels and the right pH are key to keeping a pool clear. If a pool's pump or the filter isn't working right, the water may look murkier than usual. Storms or increased rainfall can affect your pool.
How long does it take for a cloudy pool to clear? Depending on how cloudy your water is, it may take 2-3 days for your water to clear. If you're using a clarifier, you'll need to run your filter 24/7, keep your water chemistry balanced, and add the proper amount of water clarifier every other day until it's clear.
However, sometimes a balanced pool will become cloudy immediately after being shocked. This typically clears quickly on its own and shouldn't be considered a problem. Environmental factors include pretty much everything around the pool like severe weather, wildlife, construction, trees, pool algae, and people.
Pool water turns green because of algae in the water. Algae can grow rapidly, particularly when it's warm like Summer, which is why it can surprise you overnight. This generally comes down to an imbalance or lack of chlorine in the water.
Add a dose of algaecide, bring your chlorine level high by shocking, and run the filter continuously until the problem clears. The next day you should vacuum up the dead algae and backwash your filter. Algae thrives in hot weather and in pools with low or no chlorine.
Excessive levels of pool chemicals can cause your water to become cloudy. High pH, high alkalinity, high chlorine or other sanitisers, and high calcium hardness are all common culprits.
Baking Soda
Most remedies call for adding additional chlorine into the water. If your water's pH balance is between 7.2 and 7.5, however, you can add baking soda to the water to help clear it up. This serves as a replacement for chlorine because baking soda is a natural cleaning agent.
For the most part, yes. It can be unattractive and it should be addressed, but it is mostly safe to swim in cloudy water. The only exception would be if the pool is cloudy because there are too many chemicals in it. This pool water would be unsafe to swim in and should be avoided.
It could take up to 24 hours for the pool water to clear after treating with Algaecide. We suggest waiting at least 48-72 hours before adding any more items (shock, algaecide, etc) to your pool water. If there are no signs of clearing you may need to shock your pool or drain and refill with fresh water.
ADD POOL CLARIFIER
If your water is still green, wait another 24 hours and redo the steps from Days 1 and 2. Now is the time to add Pool Clarifier and let it circulate for 12 hours. This will clump the algae together into vaccumable pieces.
The presence of too much algaecide can lead to a foamy pool water. Small bubbles will begin to be produced as the water is pushed through the return jet and back into the pool. Do not confuse these bubbles and foam with another common problem, which is air in your pool lines.
In addition to adding algaecide after shocking your pool, you should add algaecide to your pool water when closing down for the year. Dark, humid weather is a prime time for algae growth, and you do not want any surprises when opening it up again.
Add an initial dose of 97 to 128 oz of Pool Time Algicide + Clarifier per 10,000 gallons of water to rid the water of algae. Thereafter, add 24 to 48 oz (per 10,000 gallons) weekly during the swimming season to prevent re-growth of algae.
Algaecide should be added to your pool water on a weekly basis. Preventing algae is the key to fun in your pool. Algaecides act as a backup to your normal sanitization program and prevent algae from starting and growing in the pool. Algaecide should be added after every shock treatment.
A pool turns green when there is algae in the water. There are several reasons why algae could grow, but it is most commonly caused by prolonged exposure to the sun, rain and temperature spikes. These factors affect the chemical balance of the pool and result in the pool turning cloudy and/or green.
Baking Soda and Green, Blue, or Yellow Algae
You'll need to use an algaecide to kill the algae and superchlorinate your pool to clear the water. After this treatment, test your pH and alkalinity and add baking soda to raise alkalinity to at least 100 ppm and pH to between 7.2 and 7.8.
When shock chlorine oxidizes the copper, it turns green and that's what you're seeing in the pool. To get rid of it you'll need to raise the pool's calcium hardness by adding calcium chloride. The other culprit can be high levels of pollen.
The water's pH may be too low or too high.
Lower than 7 indicates an acidic pool, but higher than 7.8 is too alkaline. A pool measuring at either extreme will likely be cloudy. High pH often indicates excess calcium deposits, and low pH often indicates more chloramine and less free chlorine.
To maintain a clear sparkling pool add 4 fluid ounces of Water Clarifier per 10,000 gallons of water weekly. If the pool is cloudy due to dust or to high hardness of the water, add 32 fluid ounces of Water Clarifier per 10,000 gallons of pool water.