Cloudy Swimming Pool Water

[Larry]

See cloudy pool water for more info

[J Miller]

Your problem is Bacquacil plain and simple. You have no chance in obtaining clear water. I recently converted from Bacquaci to chlorine after 3 frustrating years and many $$.

The makers of Bacquakcil need to be more forthwright about their product. Personally, I think it is a rip-off.

I converterted to chlorine in 5 days to a swimmable condition. Overall pool chemistry takes a few days longer. It is NOT as difficult as some out there conjecture!!!!!!!!

jjm

[A&M]

Hi everyone

New to the site and desperate.

We bought our above ground pool in jan this year and had it put in the ground. We've had two weeks of clear blue water and ever since then all we've had is CLOUDS.

We've tried running the filter for 36 hours, continual cleaning of the filter, flocculant (which just complicated the problem), borrowed a barracuda (which keeps hugging the steps!), shocking the pool with chlorine (we use the granular type).

Now my own theory (from research undertaken) is that the cloudiness represents calcium residue from the granular chlorine we keep putting in the pool. The PH and Cl levels are good in the pool. Visibility is poor. We have wedding cake style steps and can't see past number 2 step.

If calcium residue is the problem, how do I cure it? running the pfilter continually doesn't seem to clear the problem.

We're desperate. Our pool has cost us a lot of money and we're not very happy! Can anyone help.

Feeling like cleopatra in a milk bath ....

[Donna]

We have used Baquacil for almost 15 years, but have only had continuous problems since last Summer with algae, supposedly . Our Baquacil dealer told me to flock the pool to kill algae and then vacuum to clear it up. We changed the sand. We flocked again. Well, when I flocked the second time, the pool became cloudy with the flocking material to the point that we have almost drained the pool several times trying to vacuum up piles of dust from the bottom-- which becomes resuspended whenever we vacuum!!!! We finally just dumped our remaining chemicals in and closed the pool last August. When we opened last week, there was visible piles of white powdery stuff in the bottom and floating mucous -looking white stuff which lookd like wet toilet paper. Again we spent yet another 200 dollares for some new Baquacil stuff. We swept, backwashed, ran the filter steadily for a week--no change! I cannot even see the bottom of the shallow end at all. THe dealer sdays that the algae may be in the "LINES" and the only way to get it out is to continuously pour in more Basquacil chemicals. We are thinking about draining the pool, changing the filter sand and going to chlorine as our only hope to get to swim this Summer. We will definitely change to a new chlorine dealer and pool company. I believe that besides the dealers, even the manufacturers have no clue as to how to control all of these new Baquacil products. We spent several thousand dollars last Summer in two months in chemicals, but we will NOT do that this Summer.

[mamcwifey]

We have used Baquacil for almost 15 years, but have only had continuous problems since last Summer with algae, supposedly . Our Baquacil dealer told me to flock the pool to kill algae and then vacuum to clear it up. We changed the sand. We flocked again. Well, when I flocked the second time, the pool became cloudy with the flocking material to the point that we have almost drained the pool several times trying to vacuum up piles of dust from the bottom-- which becomes resuspended whenever we vacuum!!!! We finally just dumped our remaining chemicals in and closed the pool last August. When we opened last week, there was visible piles of white powdery stuff in the bottom and floating mucous -looking white stuff which lookd like wet toilet paper. Again we spent yet another 200 dollares for some new Baquacil stuff. We swept, backwashed, ran the filter steadily for a week--no change! I cannot even see the bottom of the shallow end at all. THe dealer sdays that the algae may be in the "LINES" and the only way to get it out is to continuously pour in more Basquacil chemicals. We are thinking about draining the pool, changing the filter sand and going to chlorine as our only hope to get to swim this Summer. We will definitely change to a new chlorine dealer and pool company. I believe that besides the dealers, even the manufacturers have no clue as to how to control all of these new Baquacil products. We spent several thousand dollars last Summer in two months in chemicals, but we will NOT do that this Summer.

don't drain your pool. first vacuum all of that muck to waste. you'll lose water, but if you're going to convert from baquacil to chlorine, this will help you lower the b-cil levels.

you can start to use the chlorine when there is baquacil in the water. simply stop adding the baquacil products and get some liquid chlorine (aka bleach), and start using that. you will notice a clear green tinge to the water, which is the reaction b/w the chlorine and baquacil. from what it sounds like, it can't get much worse. once your baquacil reading is at zero, change the sand.

[Steve P]

Hi everyone

My pool (above ground 12' x 3' deep) water is cloudy and I can't seem to fix it. The ph level is in the normal range. Algae became a problem when we were away so I added a gallon of standard bleach than lots of flocculent. Nothing. Does anybody have any advice?

[Backglass]

Hi everyone

My pool (above ground 12' x 3' deep) water is cloudy and I can't seem to fix it. The ph level is in the normal range. Algae became a problem when we were away so I added a gallon of standard bleach than lots of flocculent. Nothing. Does anybody have any advice?

Hi Steve...welcome.

Start a new topic please, with all your test numbers so we can see where your water is at.

[Sissy907]

Hello everyone, I'm new here and have a few questions. (I have been reading but haven't found my answer yet)

We have an above ground 18' x 4' deep metal frame intex pool it's 5000 gallons-ish I think. (we are military and that is about the best thing we can have)
We had it up for most of the summer last year and I didn't have any issues with it. Left the water in for the "winter" (we are in florida) and then drained, scrubbed -with plain water- and refilled and shocked the pool.
I have been testing the water with the little kit I picked up at walmart with the clorine and ph test in it. I was having a hard time keeping the clorine levels up but the ph was fine. So I super clorinated the pool (doubled the dose of clorine) I normally add and the very next day, it was GONE.
I am now fighting this algae bloom/ cloudy water thing and I have a little one who wants to have a pool party for her birthday. I haven't checked the clorine lvls today as it is rainy and I don't want to take chances with the lightening...
Everyday it seems the clorine doesn't want to stay in the pool and the ph is in the optimal range. -and now this cloudy water thing with a slight green tinge to it. Any help would be grately appreciative, the birthday party isnt until the 31st so I have a bit of time.

Alli~

[Sissy907]

I should say I tried algaecides and water clarifiers twice already and it hasn't changed anything in the pool.

[chem geek]

You need to raise the FC level to a high enough level relative to the CYA level and have to maintain it. See this post and refer to the links given.

[Nandrew]

I have owned a pool previously, last year we moved into a house that we are renting and it has a inground pool 16x36 when we opened last year it was fine. I have always been lucky at having beautiful clear sparkling water all summer without too much effort. This year my husband got a little excited and he filled up the pool but we didnt start the pump right away so of course the water just sat there and turned to green to almost black. I poured 20 litres of liquid chlorine in and a bottle of high percentage algecide. It got rid of the green/black water but now my water is cloudy. My husband poured in more chlorine about 10 more litres, this did not help what so ever. We took a sample of our water in to be tested, they told us all our levels were great the chlorine was a little high but not by much, they suggested we use floc. They told us to put the whole bottle in and follow the instructions. We did this but it has been 4 days now and cannot see any difference really just slightly in the shallow end. Now I am reading that Floc is not such a great thing to use. Help!! I do not what else to do now. I am almost tempted to drain the whole pool and refill it again. Can anyone give me suggestions. What about CLear Blue Tabs has anyone heard of this and would it work do you think. We also have a product cooled pool perfect that we tried to use because it is supposed to clarify the pool and that did not seem to help either.

[Inscotland]

I initially tried tradtional chlorine and chemical based approaches, but in the end opted for a salt water chlorination system. Although the limescale build-up does pose problems, I have never experienced a cloudy or algae related pool problem since making the change. You can see a few photos of our pool at our Holiday Villa

[Tancy123]

HELP!

I have been trying to clear up my cloudy pool for almost 2 weeks now. I took a water sample to be tested and I am told the water is perfectly balanced. I purchased a clarifier, that did not work. I turned the cleaner upside down in the middle of the pool for over 24 hours and that did not clear it up. The PSI is at 20.

The pool is a 24ft above ground pool with a sand filter, the warer temp is 72.

Please advise that to do to clear up the water.

Thanks!

[CBI]

What did u do I am having the same problem

Hi everyone

New to the site and desperate.

We bought our above ground pool in jan this year and had it put in the ground. We've had two weeks of clear blue water and ever since then all we've had is CLOUDS.

We've tried running the filter for 36 hours, continual cleaning of the filter, flocculant (which just complicated the problem), borrowed a barracuda (which keeps hugging the steps!), shocking the pool with chlorine (we use the granular type).

Now my own theory (from research undertaken) is that the cloudiness represents calcium residue from the granular chlorine we keep putting in the pool. The PH and Cl levels are good in the pool. Visibility is poor. We have wedding cake style steps and can't see past number 2 step.

If calcium residue is the problem, how do I cure it? running the pfilter continually doesn't seem to clear the problem.

We're desperate. Our pool has cost us a lot of money and we're not very happy! Can anyone help.

Feeling like cleopatra in a milk bath ....

[Denali]

What did u do I am having the same problem

Hi everyone

New to the site and desperate.

We bought our above ground pool in jan this year and had it put in the ground. We've had two weeks of clear blue water and ever since then all we've had is CLOUDS.

We've tried running the filter for 36 hours, continual cleaning of the filter, flocculant (which just complicated the problem), borrowed a barracuda (which keeps hugging the steps!), shocking the pool with chlorine (we use the granular type).

Now my own theory (from research undertaken) is that the cloudiness represents calcium residue from the granular chlorine we keep putting in the pool. The PH and Cl levels are good in the pool. Visibility is poor. We have wedding cake style steps and can't see past number 2 step.

If calcium residue is the problem, how do I cure it? running the pfilter continually doesn't seem to clear the problem.

We're desperate. Our pool has cost us a lot of money and we're not very happy! Can anyone help.

Feeling like cleopatra in a milk bath ....

Hi CBI,

The first step in clearing any pool is to completely test the water. You either need a good test kit or have it tested at a pool store. Only when you have a complete set of numbers can you (or anyone on here) figure out what needs doing.