Cloudy water

[RaneeML]

Our pool water is cloudy and all the levels are good (pH and chlorine). I was told to shock it but this morning it is still cloudy and now the chlorine level is high (of course)! How can I fix this problem? I saw a product on Amazon called Super Blue, will this clear it up?

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP!

High chlorine is what you want when you have cloudy water. Read about the SLAM Process

 

[Texas Splash]

And remember ..... free store testing is often flawed (like test strips) and designed to sell you more products. Read our ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and the link John gave you. Keep in mind you do need a proper test kit. I recommend the TF-100 (link in my signature) but the Taylor K-2006C will also do fine. See Test Kits Compared Welcome to TFP!

 

[Dtkokay]

You mentioned that your pH and chlorine levels are "good," but you need to know another important water parameter: CYA. Tablets and shock add CYA to the pool. The problem is that the CYA stays there, and your chlorine level needs to INCREASE as your CYA level increases. CYA acts as a blanket for chlorine, protecting it, but it also means your chlorine level needs to go up as the CYA level goes up.

Most people just keep their chlorine level the same, as their CYA increases.

Your cloudy water is likely the start of an algae bloom. If you listen to the pool store, you will dump a lot of expensive chemicals that are essentially bandaids and do not address the real problems. So as mentioned above, dump some liquid chlorine in there asap, get a quality test kit (test strips are terrible), and report your numbers here. People will be happy to help you out.