Q&A: Cloudy Water?

Q: I tied a pool slide into my pool water system close to the pump before the filter (couldn’t get enough pressure after filter). I tied a small canister filter into the line but the water still gets cloudy after a few hours. Any solution? Thanks, Bob

 

A: What do your chemical levels look like? If the water is clouding it could be the filter is not large enough, or it could be fluctuations in your pH level, or sanitizer level. You should shock the pool once per week and maintain a 1-3ppm of chlorine in the pool. High pH (above 7.6) and/or high alkalinity levels can also cause cloudy water.

You didn’t mention the type of filter- if you couldn’t get enough pressure after the filter I’d take a look at the filter itself as needing maintenance or replacement. If it is a sand filter, sand should be changed every 3-5 years. DE filters should be cleaned with acid once per season, and cartridges get old and can use replacing when you have cloudy water issues or it just doesn’t filter like it used to.

Do any of these make sense in your case?