No one likes to swim in cloudy pool water. Cloudy water can be caused by a number of factors. Check the following items in the order they appear for sources of cloudy water.

FILTRATION- Filters must be run enough hours a day and must be clean in order to effectively remove dirt and debris from the pool water.  The filter should be run a minimum of 8 continuous hours a day for halogen pools and 12 hours a day for SoftSwim pools, during daylight hours.  When problems exist, the filter should be run continuously.  The filter media (sand, DE, or cartridge) must be chemically cleaned every 4-6 hours for  SoftSwim systems and every 3 months for chlorinated or brominated systems.  Check the Filter for damage, dirty filter media and the length of time the pump is run daily.  (Even if the pump is being run 8 hours a day, it may not be adequate during extremely hot weather, with heavy bather loads, or if the pump is run for short periods, then turned off, then turned back on again.)

WATER BALANCE- High PH, Total alkalinity, and/or total hardness can cause minerals to fall out of solution, which clouds the water.  This is actually the beginning of scale buildup, and should be addressed as soon as possible.  Perform a complete water analysis and follow the ALEX recommendations for proper water balance.

SANITIZING AND OXIDIZING-Proper sanitizer residuals and normal oxidation keep bacteria and algae from growing in the pool, and elimate undesiraable compounds that can promote their growth.  If these residuals drop, even temporarily, bacteria and other organisms can take a foothold and begin growing, and can cloud the water.  In chlorinated or brominated pools, shock using Burn Out Extreme, Burn Out 35 or Super Soluble.  (Use these products if the water is already cloudy and you suspect a growth. For regular maintenance to prevent cloudiness, you may use any of these or Bioguard Lite or Oxysheen.)  In SoftSwim pools, use SoftSwim C regularly to maintain a SoftSwim C level of 20 ppm or higher.  An inability to maintain proper sanitizer and oxidizer levels can indicate a problem and can cloud the water.  In chlorinated, Mineral Springs or brominated pools, test for demand.  SoftSwim pools may have Clarifier Demand.

ALGAE-The beginning stages of algae growth will often simply cloud the water before turning it a color.  Apply shock products appropriate for your sanitizer and add an initial dose of algicide.  (Often, algae growth indicates a lapse in regular application of a preventive algicide.)

INSOLUBLE COMPOUNDS-A buildup of insoluble compounds often cannot be removed by the filter.  This is usually caused by inconsistent maintenance or by not shocking after heavy bather loads.  Apply shock products appropritate for your sanitizer.

SOLAR COVER OR INDOOR POOLS-Sometimes, if a pool is indoors or is kept covered most of the time, gases that normally evaporate are reabsorbed into the pool water.  This reabsorption causes a phenomenon referred to as bicarbonate scale.  In this situation, the PH tends to drift down and the total alkalinity drifts up and adjustments to either are not effective.  To eliminae this problem, remove the solar cover and rebalance, or for indoor pools, ventilate well and rebalance.  In the future, remove the solar cover or ventilate an indoor pool several hours daily to allow the pools to offgas properly.

Information Source: BioGuard Alex Program Encyclopedia- This information is designed for use only with the BioGuard® brand products named in this information and is correct to the best of BioLab, Inc  knowledge.