People don’t want to swim in cloudy pool water. After all, who knows what’s lurking in there? Better to avoid it than catch something that will make you sick. The reluctance is a mark of good sense but, if you’re running a commercial pool, then this is bad news. Murky water can turn people off and cause you to lose out on profit if you don’t address the problem as soon as possible.
Cloudy pool water happens for several reasons, but they usually fall into either of two categories: an environmental factor or a maintenance problem. City Wide Pool Service, a trusted pool cleaning service provider in Las Vegas, shares the following tips on how to clear cloudy pool water, depending on what causes it.
1. Low free chlorine levels
Low free chlorine (FC) levels are the usual culprit of hazy pool water. A low FC means the pool has chloramine, which is chlorine combined with ammonia from bodily fluids. Chloramine builds up and creates a cloudy appearance in the water.
Chloramine also accumulates in the air if there’s not enough fresh air around the pool. This is why cloudy water is common in indoor pools.
The recommended combined chlorine (CC) level is no more than 0.2 parts per million (ppm). If your measurement is higher than that, you need to shock your pool to raise the FC level to the recommended 3 ppm. Shocking means adding chlorine into the water. You need to add 0.00013 ounces per gallon to raise the FC level by 1 ppm.
2. High total alkalinity
The recommended total alkalinity (TA) for pool water is between 80 and 120 ppm. If your TA is around 200 ppm or higher, the water’s pH level will become imbalanced. This will then result in calcium scaling, which is an unsightly white-grey stain that forms on the walls. The calcium stain gets into the water and causes it to become hazy.
You can measure your pool’s TA using test strips. Dip the strip in the pool water for several seconds or according to manufacturer instructions, then wait until it changes color. Check the color scale provided on the test strip to know your pool’s alkalinity level.
After confirming that the pool’s TA is too high, you can lower it using muriatic acid. Turn off the pump then wait for an hour before pouring the chemical according to the instructions on the bottle. The muriatic acid should sit in still water for about an hour before you turn the pump back on. Let the pump run for at least five hours then test the pool’s TA again.
3. Debris from swimmers and the environment
Leaves, pollen, twigs, and other environmental debris make your pool water dirty and murky. They also accumulate in the pool’s filter, impeding the cleaning process. Make sure to clean the cartridge filter at least once a month to prevent it from getting clogged.
Commercial pools that are used daily by different people need to be cleaned more often, maybe around once every two weeks.
If the water is still cloudy after checking for these three causes, there might be something wrong with the pool. Contact a pool cleaning service immediately to have the problem seen too quickly.
Efficient Pool Cleaning Services in Las Vegas
Using our decades’ worth of industry experience, City Wide Pool Service provides reliable pool cleaning services for commercial and residential swimming pools in Las Vegas. We employ a 7-step process to make sure your pool meets water chemistry levels for the best swimming comfort and safety.
To learn more about our pool cleaning process, browse through our service page or fill out our online form.
