One of the main worries a pool owner has is having cloudy water. It is a clear indication that your pool is not healthy, and you might begin to wonder what possibly caused such a situation. You may start to ask questions like, can too much chlorine cause cloudy water, and a lot more?
Pool maintenance can be tedious. You might begin to wonder about ideas like, can too much chlorine causes cloudy water, or if you are using the best brand to maintain the cleanliness and good condition of your pool. There are plenty of possible reasons why the pool can be cloudy and to devise wise solutions to fix it, you have to identify such reasons.
In this article, we are going to answer the question, can too much chlorine cause cloudy water, as well as figure out other important reasons why your pool water turns hazy?
Part 1. Is it Safe to Swim in Cloudy Pool Water
One must wonder how safe it would be to swim in a cloudy pool. Although there can’t be any form of major effects, it could still bring noticeable and significant changes to any swimmer’s health. So, the best thing that you can always do is to take precautions and pay attention to everything that you can do to make your pool dashing clean and healthy.
On the other hand, it would be dangerous to swim in hazy or cloudy water if there is a chemical imbalance as this may result to having bad skin effects like rashes, and other types depending on the sensitivity of the swimmers’ skin and body.
Part 2. What Are The Common Reasons for a Cloudy Pool?
Let us dig deeper into these different reasons and know more about them to easily create a solution to fix them.
1. Total Chlorine is High but Free Chlorine is Low
It indicates the presence of chloramines, which means there isn't enough active chlorine to keep the water clear. In this case, you need to shock the pool to eliminate combined chlorine. If both total chlorine and free chlorine levels are high, it indicates an excessive amount of chlorinating chemicals in the pool.
However, the high levels of free chlorine are not typically the cause of cloudiness. Too many chemicals in your water can reduce the delicate pH balance. Using too much of any pool chemical can cause cloudy water. High pH, high chlorine, and high alkalinity are all possible culprits.
2. The presence of algae.
One of the most common reasons why you have a cloudy pool is the presence of algae in your pool. Once algae infestation is severe, it can lead to lots of serious problems. Aside from seeing the most common type of algae which is the green one, other types can pose serious problems to your pool water, and pool equipment as well. One of the effective ways to have a clear pool is to treat algae which requires you to have a better understanding of algae and its types.
3. Chemical Imbalance
Once the levels of parameters and chemicals do not follow the standard or required levels, chemical imbalance is obtained. It is not safe to have low chlorine levels, same with having too much well, it can affect the presence or levels of other chemicals and parameters necessary to make sure that there is no cloudiness in your pool water. High pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness can cause calcium to precipitate, making the water cloudy.
4. The pool pump has low runtime.
The heart and soul of pool operations are good filtration and good water circulation, once these two are properly working chemicals can be mixed well, and pool parameters will achieve the necessary ratio. Once a pool has low runtime, its ability to circulate well and wash off debris continuously will be ruined, and chlorine might be put to waste by being activated all day fighting off debris and bacteria.
These are just some of the most common reasons could result in having cloudy water that would be unpleasant to the eyes of the bathers. On the other hand, it is a good thing that there are ways to eliminate such causes of cloudy water and help every pool owner achieve sparkling clean water. Let us get to know these solutions as we go along the article, below.
Part 3. How to Clear Cloudy Pool Water Fast?
Now, that we have ideas on the possible answers to the question, can too much chlorine cause cloudy water, let us try to identify ways to fix the dilemma and help pool owners to obtain clean and sparkling pool water.
There are several ways to fix cloudy water and transform your pool to its best state. So, if you are new to owning a pool, there is no need for you to panic, we will help figure out things that you can do. There are many fixes or ways to save your pool, you just have to be responsible enough to handle your duties and responsibilities as a pool owner. In this part of the article, we are going to focus on the possible solutions that are easy to do and will make sure that there will be no time wasted while you are saving your pool.
1. Keep the levels of pool chemicals and parameters in balance.
One of the important things that you have to always check when owning a pool are the levels of parameters and chemicals. These parameters include pH, chlorine levels, and even calcium hardness. Once you have made sure that all the needed chemicals are of the needed and required range, pool operations can be an easy task to do, and you will eliminate cloudiness and feel easiness in operating your pool. You have to include parameter level monitoring in your weekly maintenance list so you won’t forget when to add needed chemicals to your pool.
2. Shock your Pool Weekly
One of the most effective ways to battle off cloudiness in your pool waters is through pool shock, test the cloudy water before adding pool shock to be sure that low chlorine is the cause. It is a process where pool owners add two or more times than the usual dose of chlorine into their pool. This will also help you fight off algae, bacteria, microorganisms, pathogens, and a lot more debris that are present in your pool. This is recommended to be executed based on how often your pool is used. If you usually have lots of bathers every day, you have to shock your pool more than once a week. If there is heavy rain or storm, immediate shocking must be done, it is also the same when you have used your pool for a party where there is a possible heavy load of bathers. Other than these situations, you can conduct parameters or chemical level testing, and see if you need additional doses or strong doses of chlorine to aid in the cloudiness of your pool water.
3. Frequent Checking of your Pool Equipment.
One of the most important tasks a pool owner must always do is to check every pool equipment including the filtration and circulation systems. If you have a defective filter, it would be too hard to filter out and eliminate small-sized debris which can be the main reason your pool is cloudy. Creating a list of everything that you have to check and execute on a daily and weekly basis will help speed up the work needed to be done as well. It is also helpful to list out everything so you would not miss every important step to avoid unpleasant pool water that would be a major turn-off for your pool patronizers.
These are just a few of the things that you can do, and will help you address answers to the question, can too much chlorine cause cloudy water? At the end of the day, your dedication as a pool owner is the most important thing that could save your pool from any damage, and save you as well from lots of financial responsibilities.
Part 4. Conclusion
It is not an easy task to maintain a pool, sometimes it can be tiring, but as long as you are happy, good results will eventually be achieved at the end of the day. It is also good that you choose the best partners in maintaining your pool, this includes choosing the best brands of chlorine that can be used for adding needed doses to your pool, and even in pool shocking. Once a good brand is chosen, your heart and responsibility as a pool owner are next.
FAQs
1. Will Shock Fix a Cloudy Pool?
If the cause of the cloudiness is a low level of chlorine, the shock could clear a cloudy pool. Test the cloudy water before adding pool shock to be sure that low chlorine is the cause.
2. Can Too Much Chlorine Make Pool Water Cloudy?
Yes, too much chlorine can unbalance the chemistry of a pool and make the water cloudy. High pH, high chlorine, and high alkalinity are all possible culprits.