Chlorine pool cloudy

Have you used clarifier? Usually, post algae bloom and correction, dead particles are small enough to pass through sand filters and the result is cloudy water even when every test is good. A clarifier will coagulate the particles to large enough to get caught in filter. Itll take a few days to clear up.

If you want to clear it fast or if its really cloudy, a more extreme clarifier called flocculant is available. It will clump the same particles together and sink to the bottom. The con is that the clumps can not go to your filter. You must vacuum the clumps while bypass filter to waste, so you lose your water.

Having spent DAYS dealing with this issue here is my advice:
1) Get the Taylor chemical kit I think it's 2006 or something. Don't trust the test strips.
2) Make sure PH, Alkalinity and CYA are in range first. If they aren't, you are wasn't $$$ on adding chlorine and other chemicals.
3) Then address the chlorine issue with a good shocking - I tired to reach 20ppm or so. If you do have some organic algae or something, it will EAT the chlorine. Just adding a little won't do the job. You'll be right where you started. You have to add enough to kill off whatever is causing the problem. It can be a lot...
4) If this doesn't clear the pool, it isn't a chemical issue - it is algae or other particles.
5) algaecide the pool to kill all the algae- a full dose, not just the weekly maintenance amount. ALSO if it is mustard algae, make sure your algaecide says it will kill mustard. Some do, some don't. There is also mustard/yellow specific products.
6) Do not use clarifier - if the pool is very cloudy, you need FLOC. After the algaecide treatment, floc the pool. Put the filter on recirculate, pour in the floc, let it recirculate for 2-4 hours. Kill the filter. Give it 24 hours or so and everything causes the cloudiness will fall to the ground. MANUALLY vacuum the bottom with the filter set to waste. This will stir some of the mess back up. If needed, let it settle again and vacuum again the next day. It took me about 3 vacuum cycles. NOTE: vacuuming to waste will cause you to lose lots of water. Be sure you add some overnight to maintain levels. It is at this step I could finally start seeing the bottom of the pool, especially the shallow end first.
7) After this, my pool cleared up a lot. I then used a clarifier to top it off.

If you have a sand filter - the sand may need changed. If you moved into the house with the pool already there, you may have no clue how long it has been since the sand was changed, if ever.

Another piece of advice... do the math on how many gallons your pool is. Some of these chemicals will recommend how much to add but it is based off of a 10,000 gallon pool or that is usually where the charts starts If your pool is 35,000 gallons or something, you are drastically under adding the needed dosages.

Just my two cents after spending $1000+ in pool chemicals the last two summers.

What are chlorine and CYA levels? These are the chemical parameters most related to clarity.

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What are chlorine and CYA levels?

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I don’t know what CYA is. I haven’t checked my chlorine today since I shocked it last night.

I have a sand filter

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Everyone I talk to says how easy it is to take care of a pool. Watch videos online, it’s easy…. Well this guy thinks it’s hard. I’m very frustrated at this point. I appreciate all the replies

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Sorry brother. I’m sure it’s frustrating. Admittedly I have only had a couple pool for around 15 months. But so far it has been fairly straightforward. I test with a Taylor test kit about weekly and add what I need to keep it balanced.

This spring has been a little tougher - I have had a few close calls where it nearly got away from me due to me not keeping on top of it as often as I should. But as long as I stay vigilant with testing and checking my chemicals, it’s been fairly simple.

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I test with a Taylor test kit You have the 2006?

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Is that worth the money and how hard is it to use? I have the ph and chlorine tube kit. I can read the PH pretty easily but the chlorine is always way darker than what the scale is. Even if my chlorine is low. I used to use the test strips and I trusted it. If it was in line, my pool stayed clear.

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I think that’s it. It’s super easy to use and worth the money.

I test weekly for pH and chlorine (free only typically but kit can test for total and chlorine demand). It’s literally 5 drops each of two different reagents for free chlorine and 5 drops of a single reagent for pH.

I probably test for alkalinity, CYA, and calcium hardness every six to eight weeks. Those are slightly more involved but it’s still essentially the same process of adding reagents dropwise into the water and watching for color change. If my dumbass can do it, you can certainly do it as well

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You probably never fully killed the algae.

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That’s what I’m afraid of.

Also, I’ve never cleaned my sand and I’m reading that needs to be done yearly. So…. I may call someone to come fix it and maybe they’ll teach me a little along the way.

Is this the test kit?? Amazon Link

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Baers Foot

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Dude, thank you. I have been looking for something like this. All I ever find are links to buy stuff.

You guys rock!

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get pool sand from a local pool supplier; do not use the quikrete brand pool sand at big box stores

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Do you think there is a big difference in the 2? Last year I replaced my sand with the Quikrete brand and have had trouble with the fine particles settling to the bottom of the pool every few days even with the pump running 24/7.

I need to rebuild the pump for the Polaris so I haven't been using it. I have a 20x40 pool with only 1 skimmer on the top and none in the bottom. I'm thinking it needs the Polaris running to keep the particles stirred up so the skimmer can eventually catch them?