What really gives your pool that blue color is the quality of the light and how it will interact with the water molecules. Similar to the way a sunset works, water can easily absorb the red parts of the light spectrum.
While the blue parts take more time to work its way through the water. What you see is those colors working its way through. For the most part, the deeper the water is in your pool, the more dark of a blue it will appear. Here is why:. Sometimes you will see other colors reflected in your pool water.
If you see green or brown, this could indicate algae and may be a sign it is time to clean your pool. The answer is not -- contrary to popular assumption -- that the color comes from the sky or the tiles on the bottom of the pool. In fact, barring unfortunate events such as in Rio, pool water will always look blue because of the way light and water interact.
More Videos A 2nd Olympic pool in Rio turns green According to Dr Paul Coxon, a physicist from the University of Cambridge: "Sunlight is white and is made up of all the different colors of the spectrum. Swimming pool chemicals turn the water blue. Water turns light blue. No one knows.
Pools are Painted Blue All pools are painted blue to give them that crisp, blue feeling. And guess what … in most cases, the water still looks blue. There is no answer. No one knows why pool water appears blue. There is a reason why pool water appears blue. Read More. Answer: Don't worry about high chlorine levels, just leave your pump running for 24 hours and chlorine level will reduce by itself.
Make sure you are using an accurate test kit to measure chlorine and other chemical levels in your water before adding any chemical in your pool. Question: I was told to put 40lbs of baking soda in my pool. A week later my gallon pool has not cleared up but also has turned white. I put in some shock and 1 bottle of a clarifier. Waste water and added more water daily. Still not clear. Is the baking soda making the pool white? Answer: You don't use baking soda to clear a cloudy pool water.
Only chlorine should be used to clear a cloudy water. Your water turns cloudy because of low free chlorine FC level in your water. If your FC goes below 2. Baking soda will raise your pH and high pH is dangerous since it can cause metal stains and also turns your water cloudy.
As such, only use liquid chlorine to raise your FC to 3ppm every day whenever it goes below 3ppm especially after heavy swimming in the evening. Question: I have a 70,gallon pool. How much granulated chlorine should I add daily? My pool always has algae. Answer: Try using chlorine bleach liquid chlorine instead of granulated chlorine; this will clear and help keep away algae from your pool.
Free chlorine should always be at 3ppm to avoid algae and cloudy water. It was standing for about a week without the pump running. The pool is blue but it is still quite cloudy.
Answer: You need to do accurate water test using a reliable test kit to know exact chemical levels starting with FC. If your FC level is low, cloudiness will not disappear until you add chlorine so that free chlorine level is stable at 3pp. Question: Last year, I used chemicals that did not contain chlorine because my daughter has sensitive skin. There were a lot of problems with algae on the bottom of the pool it is in full sun. We have shocked it three times, but chlorine, ph, alkaline are all extremely low.
Is there something we should try? There is also a lot of dead algae floating through the water, and the water is cloudy. Answer: Firstly, you need to brush all the surfaces inside your pool to remove any sticking algae: You can then use a large leaf net to remove large debris from the water, and vacuum the pool to remove all fine particles.
Secondly, correct the pH level 7. Thirdly, tripple-shock the pool using stronger Chlorine like In The Swim calcium hypochlorite 3pounds for 10k gallons to kill all the algae; depending on the number of algae in the pool, it may take days for the pool to clear up. The filter should run 24 hours a day for faster results.
Finally, after the algae is over, balance all the chemicals starting with Free Chlorine 3 ppm then raise TA using alkalinity Increaser to read between ppm. Question: I have white particles in my pool and it's really cloudy. What is the problem? Answer: White particles in your pool might be because of high Calcium levels in your water and it won't dissolve anymore.
Confirm your Calcium Hardness level and make sure it is between to ppm for plaster pool to avoid further Calcium saturation and scaling.
You need to be very careful with your Calcium levels in your water because the only way to lower Calcium in your water is to partially drain and refill your pool water till you get the recommended levels. Which chlorine are using to shock your swimming pool? Calcium Hypochlorite granular chlorine comes with high Calcium levels and in long the run will raise your Calcium levels without knowing it.
We recommend using Sodium Hypichlorite liquid chlorine to shock your pool, otherwise, you will have to balance your calcium hardness level every time you shock your pool using Cal hypo.
Apart from scales and white particles, high Calcium levels will also make your pool appear cloudy. Low calcium level will also corrode plaster from your pool and the white particles could be plaster or cement, as such, always make sure your Calcium level is within the recommended range.
Question: I need to vacuum the bottom of my pool. However, I don't have a backwash on my filter. Answer: Backwash is very important for the pool water to clear up properly when vacuuming.
However, you can try putting the pump off and then set the valve to rinse and watch the viewing bulb if the water will clear up within 2 minutes without backwashing. Try and fix the Backwash though.
Question: I cannot keep the pool water clear without using a flocculant on it every week. Could I have purchased some inferior sand from Home Depot? That seems to be the only difference. Answer: Have you tried backwashing your sand filter? The sand could be clogged reducing its efficiency in filtering your water. I am also assuming you replaced your filter sand not long ago, you should be doing so at least after every 4 to 5 years. I am not sure of the quality of the filter sand you bought but there are better quality alternatives like filter glass or ZeoSand that you can try out if you see no change after a backwash.
Question: My pool is cloudy and I have shocked it four times already. The test strip is still showing no chlorine. What could be the issue? Answer: You can try using a better quality or liquid chlorine and see if there is a change. Secondly, test all other chemicals especially pH, TA, Calcium Hardness and be sure that they are all balanced since a wrong composition of these chemicals will affect free chlorine. Finally, you can try adding chlorine stabilizer such as Cyanuric acid to help maintain free chlorine levels.
Answer: To have Chlorine last longer in your pool you need to add stabiliser such as Cyanuric acid, which protects Chlorine from being deleted by UV light.
Stabiliser is recommended during hot sunny days. Question: Will low hardness cause my chemicals to not work and my pool to be cloudy?
Answer: Yes, low calcium hardness may affect other chemicals in the pool especially chlorine causing cloudy water and may also damage pool parts made of cement and glass. Question: We have a Doughboy 12x24, filled with well water. We had the water tested many times at the pool store, followed chemical recipes, and the water is still cloudy. We used Drop Out, waited overnight, saw excessive debris, almost like D.
Earth from our filter, on the floor of the pool. How do we keep our pool from becoming cloudy? Answer: Seems your pool filter is faulty. How is your pressure gauge?
If it rises you may need to backwash and rinse your filter since it might be clogged. Also, consider replacing your DE filtering agent if worn out and that might be the reason why you have DE and other debris in your pool.
Add chemicals directly to your pool while filter and pump are on. Some chemicals you will test on a daily basis and adjust as appropriate like FC level, other chemicals can be measured after a couple of days to 1 week and their levels adjusted as appropriate. Question: My pool is very foggy.
We had the water tested and they said that the problem is the chlorine stabilizer. Any suggestions? Answer: If Cyanuric acid level is not within 30 to 60ppm for nonsaltwater pools.
If higher than that, you may have to drain a portion of your pool water and replace with fresh water to lower Cyanuric acid level.
Also, if using tablet chlorine to shock your pool, you need to watch both chlorine and Cyanuric acid level because tablet chlorine will hugely increase your stabilizer levels in water. I recommend you use liquid chlorine to sanitize your pool because it won't raise levels of Cyanuric acid in your pool. Question: My pool is cloudy, chlorine and pH levels are fine and I have changed the sand just yesterday.
What could be the problem? Answer: Try using pool flocculant then vacuum the pool to remove any particles that might be present in your water. Question: I have shocked my grandkids pool, it holds gallons of water, but the water is cloudy. What do I do next? Answer: Check out your chemicals readings, especially Chlorine, pH, Alkalinity, and Calcium hardness and ensure that they are all balanced. Low chlorine level is the primary cause of cloudy water.
Firstly, ensure that pH is stable between 7. If all the chemicals are balanced, but water is still cloudy, there might be fine particles inside the pool, and you need to use a clarifier or pool flocculant and then vacuum up the pool.
If all do not work, try backwashing your filter since it might be clogged. Answer: Low calcium hardness CH is not associated with cloudy water but it causes damage to pool parts, especially to plaster, vinyl liners, grout in between tiles, metal rails, and concrete around the pool. Your water may appear cloudy though as a result of corroded plaster or cement.
You need to raise your CH as soon as possible to avoid damages that might cost you a lot to repair. Question: I super shocked my pool after putting in 4kg of alkajuster and now the pool is cloudy. Will it clear on its own and how long will it take? Answer: If sure all chemicals are balanced, you can try using poolfloc to collect any debris at the bottom your pool then vacuum the pool.
Question: Our pool has turned cloudy blue and can't see bottom after adding soda ash, it's been 48 hours and has not cleared up. Tried backwashing etc.
Pool people recommended a bag of balance pack for low ph. Post this they still can't register a ph level. What do you think? Answer: You don't need to add soda ash in a cloudy pool. You need chlorine to clear chloramine by raising FC level to at least 3pp and maintain it there. Blue or greenish colour might indicate green algae and if so, you need a lot of liquid chlorine preferably in order to kill algae. Answer: First, you need an accurate test kit to measure your total chlorine and free chlorine.
Total Chlorine is the sum of combined and free chlorine. In most cases, your total chlorine and free chlorine should be same or close and the wider the range, the more your combined chlorine will be, which makes your pool appear cloudy. So when balancing free chlorine, make sure it reads 3ppm, which means your combined chlorine noneffective chlorine should always be 0ppm or slightly above 0ppm but not more than 0. In short, just make sure your free chlorine is always 3ppm by taking readings daily and adjusting it to 3ppm.
You can use liquid chlorine for daily shocking, and Calcium hypo chloride for cloudy and algae infected pool. Question: I added citric acid to my pool to remove a stain. I realized later that was a mistake, since it eats up chlorine. How do I get out of this trouble? Answer: Leave the pump running for a day or two for the citric acid to be used up, then balance the pH and chlorine starting with the pH.
We have been cleaning the filter daily. We added shock treatment, Muriatic acid, clarified, phosfree two bottles and a bottle of mineral and stain control, Not all at one time, but following instructions, our pH is low, and our pool is cloudy. There is no algae. What do we do now? Answer: Balance the pH first to be between 7. After Balancing pH, add liquid chlorine in the pool and make sure free chlorine is stable at 3 pmm; cloudiness will disappear only after you balance chlorine.
Answer: Yes, you can use pool floc in a pool with any type of filter. Pool floc collects debris and dirt at the bottom of a pool and you need to Vacuum the pool to remove all the debris after using pool floc. Question: Our pool was completely clear. We had to get a new furnace. The chemicals are all where they need to be but the pool got really cloudy.
What can we do to clear it up? Answer: Try using poolfloc and vacuum the pool, you might be having debris in your water. You need to lower stabilizer first. I am sorry but the only way to lower cya is by draining and refilling the pool. I suggest you stop using stabilized chlorine to shock your swimming pool since they add cyanuric acid in your water.
Thank you for the reply. I'm confused about the Cy Acid as it seems to be in range 30 to according to my local pool store and my last two readings are and Also, I had my pool refilled just last July so the thought of refilling, even partially, is quite upsetting.
For reference I have a 23, gallon pool, vinyl liner. You also need to raise your calcium hardness as it's too low, it should read between ppm and ppm.
Hi Rob, the problem seems to be high Cyanuric acid level, the higher the stabilizer level the more chlorine you will need to clear cloudy water. Lower the Cya level to read between 40ppm to 60ppm by draining and refilling a portion of your pool water.
High phosphate levels also contribute cloudy pool water. Get phosphate remover and lower phosphate levels in your pool. As a follow up to the below I had my water tested again on Monday and gave the cartridges a thorough hosing off this morning. They were pretty dirty. Unfortunately, the pool seems even cloudier than the previous days. I did use a clarifier Monday evening which didn't seem to do much but I probably should've cleaned the filter cartridges before hand I just cleaned them today.
Any thoughts? Hi, after heavy rains from the hurricane last Wednesday my crystal clear pool is somewhat cloudy - ie. Immediately after the storm I fished out several branches, lowered the overall water level, vacuumed and cleaned out the filter basket. I have noticed I am getting green algae staining along the walls and deep end floor which seems a bit odd as the pool is properly chlorinated. It does easily brush away but seems to come back quickly. The only way to lower your Cyanuric acid Cya without causing more chemical problems in your pool is to drain and refill a portion of your pool water.
After lowering Cya to recommended level, start by raising pH and TA to their recommended levels, then add chlorine to raise FC to 3ppm. Best way to lower Cyanuric acid levels. It is reading high. Some say drain your pool, buy cyanuric acid granules, or wait for a heavy rain lol. When all chemical levels are fine but your water is still cloudy, that means you have debris in your water that is coming in due to faulty pool filter that needs backwashing or replacement of filter media.
Try backwashing your pool filter or replace the filter media ie filter sand or D. E filter media if you have not changed it for more than years.
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