Cara's Pool School — cloudy water

If it's a cartridge filter, remove the cartridge and chemically clean it after a good hose-down, thoroughly rinse it to remove any foaming from the treatment, and then put the filter back into operation. If it's a sand or D.E. filter, start with backwashing and then confirm that the pressure has adjusted back to normal operation parameters. If the cloudy problem persists, D.E. filters may need to be disassembled and cleaned; while sand filters may need a chemical cleansing of the sand media, or even replacement. If you're not comfortable with performing such maintenance or making related repairs, consult with...

There are several common causes of cloudy water. Although proper water balance can be an obvious culprit (lack of chlorine, inadequate pH and/or Total Alkalinity levels, low calcium levels to name a few), most cloudy issues stem from poor or improper circulation and/or filtration. You should always start with adjusting the run-time for your filter when addressing a cloudy condition, and confirm that the filter is clean and operating at optimal capacity and efficiency. In some instances, cloudy water could be the first indicators of a looming algae outbreak; so applying an effective shock treatment could be a good first-step...