- Cloudy Pool water is caused by four common issues, poor filtration, low chlorine levels,, poor water chemistry, and outside contaminants like debris or algae. Regardless Of why your pool is cloudy, there are two products that can help clear things up, pool flocculant and water clarifier, but you can't use them in every situation and you need to tackle the root of the problem first. Luckily, once you start treating your water, the cloudiness should go away quickly. So Here's a step-by-step guide on how to clear up your cloudy water in 48 hours or less.

Let's dive in. Real Quick,! if you want more help taking care of your pool,, be sure to grab our free pool care cheat sheet at Swimuniversity.com/cheatsheet. It's totally free and will help keep your pool clean and clear throughout the year. Okay, here are the four problems that cause cloudy pool water and how to fix each one..

Remember, you need to tackle the root of your issue first, otherwise the cloudy water will just come right back. Problem Number one,, poor filtration. If Your pool filter isn't functioning properly. Then it can't remove the tiny contaminants that cause cloudy pool water.

The Solution,: keep your pool water circulating properly and check the following filtration issues. Number One,, your filter needs back washing or cleaning. That means back washing your sand or DE filter, cleaning your DE filter grids or soaking the cartridge in your cartridge filter cleaner. If You need more help cleaning your filter.

Be sure to check out our other walkthrough video. Number Two,, your skimmer basket or pump basket is full of debris. Remove Any leaves, twigs, or debris in your skimmer or pump basket. If You frequently find debris in your skimmer, consider adding a skimmer door, also known as a weir.

Number Three,, your filter media needs replacing.. Change Your filter sand every three to five years and replace your cartridge filters every year or so.. And If you have a DE filter, add fresh diatomaceous earth powder after each backwash.. Number Four,, you're not running your filter long enough.

All of your pool water must run through your filter system at least once a day. That usually means running your filter for at least eight hours daily. Problem Number two, low chlorine levels. When There's not enough chlorine to sanitize your water, bacteria and bodily contaminants like sweat can build up and cloud your water.

Chlorine levels can also drop if there's a lot of debris like leaves in your pool or if your chlorine isn't stabilized. The Solution, test and adjust your chlorine and cyanuric acid. Start By testing your free and combined chlorine levels. If Your combined chlorine is too high, it means your chlorine has been used up and combined with contaminants..

Full Shock can help rebalance and reactivate your chlorine levels. Also, test and adjust your cyanuric acid levels. or CYA. CYA helps protect chlorine from breaking down under the sun's UV rays.

Your CYA levels should be between 30 and 50 parts per million. Problem Number three, poor water chemistry. High pH, alkalinity and calcium hardness can form scale on your pool surfaces and inside your plumbing and this scale can cause cloudy water. Poor Water chemistry also makes it more difficult for your chlorine to function well.

The Solution, test and balance your pH, alkalinity and calcium hardness. Be Sure to check your alkalinity first since that can impact your pH. If You need more help balancing your water chemistry. Be sure to check out our other video.

Number Four, contaminants like debris or algae. Particles, small debris and early stage algae growth can cause cloudy water, especially during the springtime.. The Solution, treat algae in its early stages by shocking your pool and balance and clean your water. When you see debris, like after a rainstorm or when pollen is high.

Once Your filter system is running smoothly,, your chlorine levels are correct,, your water is balanced, and you've eliminated any algae growth,, you're ready to clear up your water. You Can either use pool Flocculant, also known as pool floc, or water clarifier. Pool flocculent coagulates small particles into larger clumps that sink to the bottom of your pool. Flocculant is faster and more effective than clarifier,, but it requires more work.

You Must manually remove the clumped up particles with a pool vacuum and you can only vacuum out flocculant if your filter has a waste setting or a drain port. Pool Clarifier, on the other hand, coagulates particles into smaller clumps that are removed by your pool filter. It's easier to use than flocculant, but it's not as powerful and generally takes longer to clear up your pool. So, if you want to clear up your pool fast and you've got really cloudy water,, use Pool Flocculant.

Even Though the vacuuming takes more work,, flocculant works more effectively. Just Make sure you have the ability to bypass your filter when vacuuming. If Your pool water is just a little cloudy or you don't have a waste setting on your filter, opt for the pool clarifier. You can use this in any situation with any filter setup.

It's just not as powerful as flocculant. By The way,: if you're looking for products to help clear up your pool, we have our own line of pool chemicals. You Can check them out at shop.swimuniversity.com. Now, Here's how to use Pool Flocculant to clear up your cloudy water in 24 to 48 hours.

Step Number one,, balance your pH. Test Your water's pH levels and adjust as needed. Proper pH levels help your flocculent work more effectively. Two, add flocculent to your water.

The Pool flocculant will bind with contaminants that cause the cloudy pool water and then those large clumps will sink to the bottom of your pool. Number Three,, circulate your water. Circulate Your pool water with your filter system for two hours. If You have a multi-port valve, set it to recirculate.

This will bypass your filter while helping the water move. After Circulating, shut your filter system off for eight to 12 hours to let the particles settle to the bottom of your pool. Make Sure your automatic timer doesn't turn on in the middle of the night. Four, vacuum the flocculant out of your pool.

You Should now see a big cloud at the bottom of your pool. This means the pool flocculant collected all the particles and sank it to the bottom. And Now it's time to vacuum. Vacuum The water out of your pool on the waste setting.

If You just vacuum your water through your filter system. It'll blow right back in through your return jets.. And If you don't have a multi-port valve,, open the drain port on your filter and let it drain out as you vacuum. Move The vacuum slowly along the bottom of the pool or else you'll kick up the cloudy water.

And You may have to do this multiple times. Let The cloud resettle before continuing. The Flocculant filled pool. water will exit out of your filters waste port as you vacuum.

So Be sure to have your backwash hose connected and make sure your water level doesn't drop below the skimmer. Five, test and balance your water. Because You remove water from your pool, you need to rebalance your water chemistry. Once You get your pH and alkalinity rebalanced, add your chlorine.

Now That you've gotten the cloudy water out of your pool, you can start running your filter system normally. Finally, if your pool is only mildly cloudy or you don't mind waiting an extra day to clear things up,, here's how to use Pool Clarifier to clear up cloudy water. First, skim, brush,, and vacuum your pool. This helps loosen particles and removes larger debris.

Then test and balance your alkalinity and pH. Next, shock your water. This will remove any early stage algae growth and will help rebalance your chlorine levels. Run Your filter and let the shock dissolve overnight.

Then Retest your water. After Your pool shock has dissipated. It's time to add water clarifier. Keep Your filter running 24/7 while the water clarifier is working.

The filter will collect the clumped together particles. Finally clean your filters. After Two or three days, your water should be clear. Since Your filters picked up all the contaminants, clean or backwash your filter and retest your water chemistry.

If You need more help keeping your pool water clear,. grab our free Pool care cheat sheet at Swimuniversity.com/cheatsheet. It's totally free and we'll help keep your pool clean and clear throughout the year. And If you found this video helpful,, leave a comment, hit the like button, and subscribe for more pool maintenance tutorials throughout the season.

That's it. Thanks Again and happy swimming.