CLOUDY WATER: Cloudy water is a concern for pool owners. Water will become cloudy if conditions are favorable.

For more specific information on cloudy water, select from the following topics:

• CAUSES OF CLOUDY WATER
• CLARIFIER
• TYPES OF CLARIFIERS

CAUSES OF CLOUDY WATER: Cloudy water is usually caused for four reasons:

• Poor filtration, which is either the result of sporadic and insufficient water circulation or a dirty filter that needs to be cleaned.
• Poor water chemistry. Regarding water chemistry, a low chlorine (or its alternative) reading, neglect of shock, or a high reading in either pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, or a combination of any of these three water balancers could result in cloudy water.
• Environmental factors, such as rain and wind, along with other factors, such as trees hanging over the pool, lawn clippings, nearby construction, pets, and large human bather loads can also cause cloudy water, as they place additional demands on the chemicals.
• The presence of millions of microscopic particles (bacteria, dirt, and other microscopic debris) that are too small to be killed by chemicals or trapped by the filter, and remain suspended in the pool water.

CLARIFIER: If your circulation and filtration are adequate, and if your water chemistry is in range, then the cause for cloudy water is likely to be millions of suspended particles (bacteria, dirt and other microscopic debris) in your pool water. These particles are so small that they escape both the chemicals and the filter. If this is the case with your pool, a Clarifier should be used to restore water clarity. Clarifiers are liquid. Read the instructions on the label to determine the amount to add, how it should be added (either diluted or broadcasted), and other precautions, such as if it should be added before or after shocking the pool; clarifiers are often used in conjunction with shock to restore water clarity.

TYPES OF CLARIFIERS: There are (2) types of water clarifiers on the market:

ORGANIC WATER CLARIFIERS: Organic water clarifiers are often referred to as "coagulants." Organic water clarifiers are positively charged, which attract to the negative electrical charge of the small particles (bacteria, dirt, and other microscopic particles). Once combined with the small particles, Organic clarifiers coagulate (bond) these small particles into larger particles so that they can be killed by the chemicals (chlorine, or its alternative, as well as shock) and trapped in the filter, for permanent removal from the pool. Read the instructions on the label in order to determine the proper amount to add (per 10,000 gallons of water), how it should be added (either diluted in water or poured straight from the bottle), and when to shock the pool-before or after adding the clarifier.

ALUM WATER CLARIFIERS: Alum water clarifiers are often referred to as "flocculents." An Alum water clarifier is more difficult to use than is an Organic water clarifier. Before an Alum clarifier can be added, the water level of the pool must be raised to its highest point. This will allow the pool to vacuumed straight to a waste-line (which is either plumbed in with your equipment or is manually installed). When the water level is raised, an Alum clarifier is added to the pool water. The Alum clarifier will form a gel-like adhesive that traps microscopic particles (bacteria, dirt, and other microscopic debris) as they suspend in water, forming larger particles. This process is called flocculation. After adding the Alum clarifier, you need to allow the equipment to operate for approximately 4 hours. Then the equipment is turned "off" overnight, allowing these now-larger particles to drop to the bottom of the pool. The next day, the larger particles will sit on the pool floor in a nice pile to be vacuumed out of the pool. The equipment is turned back "on". Then, you must vacuum these settled larger particles out through the waste-line until all the particles are removed from the pool. Within hours, your water clarity should be restored, as long as water chemistry and filtration remain adequate. Read the instructions on the label of the product in order to determine the proper amount to add (per 10,000 gallons of water), how it should be added (either diluted or poured straight from the bottle), the time frame between powering "on" and "off" the equipment and other precautions, such as what else needs to be adjusted to assist the Alum clarifier to restore water clarity, as well as when to shock the pool-before or after adding the clarifier.