Cloudy Water

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Tom D 2012

Member
Oct 5, 2022
13
New Jersey
Hello.

Can someone let me know their thoughts on why my pool water is still cloudy? It is getting less cloudy by running the sand filter 8 hours per day but it has been 3-4 days now. Should I try to continue to lower the pH and alkalinity? Pool water testing report is attached.
 

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If the data is to be believed then your water is not well. You're probably facing a considerable water replacement.

Unfortunately the Waterlink is not a testing method we can base specific advice on. When it's in good calibration it has an unreasonably massive margin of error, and it is very easy for it to fall out of calibration if not properly maintained. You need something better to understand what's wrong with your water, to implement the corrective measures, and then to make sure everything stays in line so this sort of thing doesn't happen again.

Here's a list of the test kits that fit the bill. I'm partial to the TF line as they're well made for the testing needs of a residential pool, but anything on the list will give you the data you and we need to get the water moving in the right direction: Test Kits Compared
 
Donldson said:
Please post up a full set of results from your TF-Pro
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt

If you could too, it would help greatly if you could fill out your signature with your pool information. That helps us make sure our guidance is compatible with your pool and equipment

Create Your Signature - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
Thank you.

I added details of my pool to my signature. I will do the other testing when I get home today. I added Muriatic Acid yesterday to lower the pH and TA and the water became less cloudy throughout the day as the water aerated. The water was also nice and clear up until a couple of days ago when I added phosphate remover. I have been adding clarifier as well and it doesn't seem to be helping.
 
Stop adding anything until you post the levels asked above with a non expired test kit. Phosphates on TFP are for the most part a non issue. Clarifier is also one of those items that are left on the shelf in the pool store so don't buy more of it..
 
OK. I will check everything when I get home today. This all stemmed from adding the phosphate remover (maybe too much was added). The water was crystal clear before adding it. Once the phosphate remover was added, I let the pool pump run for 8 hours and the water was still clear. The pressure on the filter jumped about 8 psi, so I had to backwash it. Once I started back washing, this is when the water became milky white in the sight glass. I backwashed and rinsed until I got the water clear in the sight glass, but once I started filtering again is when the water started to turn cloudy. Its day 3 now of running the filter after this ordeal and the water is getting clearer everyday.
 
Hello.

Below are the results from the testing using the TF-Pro Salt Kit and also the WaterLink automatic testing unit. Ive also attached some pictures of the pool as well. The cloudiness is much better today. At the start, I could not see the drains in the deep end of the pool.

TR-Pro
FC 7.5 ppm
CC 1 ppm
pH 7.8
TA 140 ppm
CH 375 ppm
CYA 100 ppm
Salt 3200 ppm

Waterlink (report attached)

FC 5.37 ppm
CC 0.36 ppm
pH 7.5
TA 134 ppm
CH 273 ppm
CYA 122 ppm
Salt 3462 ppm
 

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That CYA level isn't good, any idea how that got so high? Your FC level might actually be low if your CYA is over 100, based on the FC/CYA Levels we prescribe. That's likely contributing to the issue.

For CYA over 90 ppm you want to try doing the diluted test to confirm just how high it really is.

Water Testing Instructions - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 

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Hello.

I wound up draining some of the water in my pool (removing water from the low end) and then refilling. My new test results are below and the water is now clear. Ive also increased my salt water generator to run at 60%. To lower the TA to my target of 60, do I just keep lowering the pH to 7.0 until the TA gets to the 60 ppm value and then raise the pH back to 7.6?

FC 5 ppm
CC 4 ppm
pH 7.6
TA 140 ppm
CH 60 ppm
CYA 60 ppm
Salt 3000 ppm
 
That CC level is concerning, but some municipalities sanitize their water with chloromines so that might be the cause.

Re-test the water tonight for FC, CC, and pH and if you still have more than 1 ppm CC then start the SLAM Process. It will likely be a short one, but best to make sure that everything is gone from the water so your SWG isn't constantly fighting against something all summer.

As for the TA: I'd just adjust the pH as needed and as you do that the TA will drop. As the TA drops the pH will become more stable until they find the happy medium where you rarely have to adjust the pH. That will be the best TA for your pool. TA is definitely the "less a rule and more a guideline" value, where each pool is different and the best level is the one that keeps the pH stable.
 
Thank you. As you stated, I think the high CC could be because of the new water that was used from the hose to fill the pool. When I get home today at around 3 PM, the filter will have been running for 24 hours with the SWG on at 60% so I will see if the CC has decreased significantly. If so, instead of SLAMing the pool (I dont think its necessary at this time since water is crystal clear and no sings of algae) , can I just raise the SWG to 100% output and continue to run the filter for 24/7 to see if the CC continues to decrease?

Also, my CH target is 125 ppm but is it even necessary to try and raise this with a vinyl pool?
 
I wouldn't worry about your CH, neither the pool nor heat pump need it.

If your test results indicate the need to SLAM, what is the benefit to not performing it? Not everything that can be wrong with a pool is as obvious as murky green water.
 
Thanks and understood.

For the SLAM, its tough to find the time to dedicate to doing it properly as I am working during the week and then after work and weekends are booked up with kids activities/sports. I figured if I could superclorinate for 24 hours using the SWG than that's a simple fix as everything is controlled from the Pentair App. I will see what the testing looks like today when I get home and then go from there.

I am also going to add boric acid in a couple of days to around 40 ppm once I get the FC, CC, pH and TA dialed in.
 
Unless you see symptoms of copper staining I wouldn't worry about it. Pool store testing reliability and all. If you notice some greening around finger nails or in light colored hair then it will be worth revisiting, if not then it's probably nothing to worry about. Just make sure you don't add more via algaecides or other "mineral" additives.
 
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