My pool is cloudy -- what should I do?

First, you should find out why your pool went cloudy. It is important to remember that water clarity is 50% chemistry and 50% filtration. (See below for possible causes and ways to improve filter efficiency.) A mid-season water analysis and chemical cleaning of your filter would be the first steps to treating cloudy water. You may also need problem-solver products in addition to chemistry adjustments to restore water clarity. We recommend the following water enhancer products to help.

The first product we usually recommend is Polysheen Blue -- the newest, most improved water clarifier on the market. It is extremely concentrate so very little is needed. Polysheen Blue takes the tiny particles that are causing cloudiness and clumps them together so it is easier for your filter to pull them out. It is important to follow directions and not use too much of this product or else it can actually work against itself.
Additionally, we may recommend Sparkle-Up. This lightweight powder is added through the skimmer and sits in your filter tightening up the filter media so it can filter even smaller particles than usual. When you use Sparkle-Up, you will have to backwash very often, as your filter will get clogged much faster than usual. After each backwash you will need to reapply the Sparkle-Up because you will have backwashed it out of the filter.
Finally, if those don't work, we may recommend Power-Floc. This is a very strong product that attracts particles together and causes them to settle out onto the floor of the pool so that they can easily be vacuumed out. The greater the amount of suspended debris in the water, the faster Power-Floc will work. However, we do recommend that you vacuum the settled debris "to waste" so that you do not clog your filter. If you use Power-Floc, your filter should be equipped with a "multiport valve" instead of a push-pull valve or a bump-handle.

Patience and attention to your water chemistry will be the answers for clearing your pool. Prevention will keep it looking clear.

Submitted by:
Contemporary Watercrafters
Gaithersburg, MD
www.aquavalue.com/contemporarywatercrafters