Backwash Your Filter Bi
While regularly cleaning your filter is a top priority, theres one other thing you can do to keep it running at peak performance.
Backwashing.
Its more of a quick fix for keeping things in order, but doing it regularly helps prevent debris buildup. And the less buildup, the longer your filter stays clean.
When you backwash your filter, youre essentially pumping your pool water backward into the filter.
Think of it like rinsing your mouth with Listerine the concept is pretty much the same. Its a quick way to rinse off any loose debris in the filter media and prevent clogging/buildup.
For the best results:
- Backwash your pool filter at least once a week
- For busier month, backwash twice a week
How To Clean Above Ground Pool
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No one wants to swim in a pool with dirty, cloudy water, so pool cleaning and maintenance skills are crucial for any pool owner. In an above ground pool, filtering and skimming the pool regularly is key to maintaining clean water — but so are brushing the walls and vacuuming the floors. Most importantly, though, you must maintain proper chemical levels in the pool so the sanitizers work effectively. However, with an above ground pool, you must be sure to use cleaning equipment that is suited for the pool’s materials so you don’t any damage during the process.
Blueberry Cream Pool Water Jello Cup
Cool off with the perfect refreshing poolside dessert! With only two ingredients, this kid friendly Blueberry Cream Pool Water Jello Cup is easy to make and can be made the day before your party. This Pool Water Jello is also great for a fun snack. After an afternoon in the pool the kids will love having a fun, cool and refreshing treat!
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Test Balance And Sanitize The Pool Chemistry
Once youve gotten the cloudy water out of the pool, you can start running the filter system again for 8-12 hours a day . Then, you should test the pool water using test strips, a liquid test kit, or take it to your local pool store.
Adjust your Alkalinity and pH first. Once you get those levels balanced, then you can add your sanitizer of choice .
After that, you should be good to go!
Why Is My Pool Cloudy When The Chemicals Are Balanced
When all the pool chemicals are fine but your water is still cloudy, there is a good chance that you have particles in your pool. In this case, a water clarifier is used to collect all the fine particles so that they can be picked up by the filter.
Alternatively, you can use pool floc , also known as a super floc, which is a chemical that is used to bring all the clouding particles to the bottom of your pool forming a large cloud that you can then vacuum up using a manual pump. The particles collected using a pool floc will not pass through the filter like they would if a water clarifier were used. Make sure that your filter is set on the backwash or waste option when you are vacuuming to avoid any damage that may happen to the filter as a result of clogging.
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Good Pool Maintenance Begins With Knowing Your Pool
Before you can properly enjoy or care for your pool, you might need to brush up on all the parts of your pool. You dont need to take an annex course or go for your doctorate in swimology from Harvard. But knowing the basic parts of your pool, and their functions, helps you keep everything running smoothlyand makes it easier to resolve issues when they occur.
Looking for even more pool maintenance tips? Weve got just the thing. Check out The Pool Care Handbook and Video Course and become a pool care master.
The Basic Components Of A Swimming Pool
Like most major home improvements, you can get as fancy as you like with your swimming pool. You can add advanced heating and lighting, install high-tech pool covers, and even enjoy music while you swim with underwater pool speakers. But whether you have a basic backyard pool or a massive inground oasis shaped like Elvis, every pool has four components that need regular care to keep the good times rollin.
These include:
- The pools interior wall or liner
- The pools filter system
- The pools system of skimmers and returns
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Vacuum Waste Out Of Your Pool
Your pools main skimmer is located at the top of your pool, helping to clear the upper portion of your pool water. It does not help to collect the cloudy particles situated at the bottom of your pool. Knowing this, we need to help your filter get to those particles.
Simply hook up your manual vacuum cleaner as if you were about to vacuum your pool, but instead of using it as per usual, leave the vacuum centred at the bottom of your pool and turn it upside down. Now your pool filter will be pulling water from the bottom of your swimming pool and releasing the clean filtered water at the top.
Assess The Situation: Do You Need To Drain It
Nobody wants to drain their pool if they can help it. To know whether or not you have to drain, start with this question:
On a scale from a greenish haze to I think a swamp thing lives here?: How green is green?
Ive found, if you can see more than about the depth of a grown mans spread hand into the water, chances are its not a lost cause. That means that you probably wont have to drain your pool. If, however, you cant see that far into the water, you may need to drain, and acid wash it.
You can, however, try to clear the green pool water first, before choosing the nuclear option. You can check your filters here too, and clean them up for the next step if you wish.
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Let The Filter Do The Work
Shocking your pool removes exactly zero algae. What it does is kill it, so you can then let the filter clean it out. No matter what type of filter you use, be it a cartridge, sand, or diatomaceous earth youll need to clean it out several times while it clears the water.
If you have a DE filter, you need to backwash it before you start the process, and add fresh DE.
Allow the filter to run for at least 24 hours, after the treatment. Then, you can scrub the pool when you clean the filter, and then let it run again. You are going to repeat that process until the pool is clear.
The Cause Of Cloudy Pool Water
The cause of your cloudy water is easily determined by the color of your pool. If the water takes on a green or yellowish color, your problem is very likely algae. The easiest way to treat algae is to use a calcium hypochlorite treatment, or in simple terms, using a pool shock.
Take a look at our article on how to remove algae to help treat your case of pool algae.
If your water takes on a colorless or white-ish cloudiness, your problem may be chemical. Test your pool water using test strips to find which chemical is causing the issue.
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How To Balance Total Alkalinity
Finally, ensure that total alkalinity is within the required range of 80 ppm and 120 ppm to avoid bringing up pH levels and causing calcium scaling. To lower total alkalinity without extra equipment, add muriatic acid and aerate the pool to restore pH levels without having to add a pH increaser, which will increase alkalinity levels too.
Reasons Why You Might Have A Cloudy Pool
Before you set about clearing cloudy pool water, it helps to understand what is causing the problem.
In some ways, getting to the source of your pool’s cloudiness requires you to play chemist. We’ll try to break it down for you in plain English, though.
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Take a look at a few of the more common causes of cloudy pool water and then we’ll got over how to clear cloudy pool water.
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How To Balance The Ph In Your Pool
To lower pH, you need to use a pH reducer , such as muriatic acid or sulfuric acid. Anything below a pH of 7.0 is too low, and apart from turning water cloudy, this environment brings about harmful bacteria causing ammonia and algae.
To increase low pH levels, you need to use a pH Increaser with soda ash.
Clean The Pool Filtration And Circulation Systems
A poor water-circulation system can also be a big problem. If your water cannot circulate properly, it will become stagnant and cloudy. To fix this problem:
- Ensure that the return fittings are turned to point down, which enables the water at the bottom of the pool to circulate properly. However, the circulation system will largely depend on how the pool was built.
- Make sure you are using the right pump size to adequately clean the water.
- Make sure the filtration system is running long enough. A filter should run 24/7 for the water to remain clean all the time. However, for home pools that are not busy, at least 8 -10 hours a day might suffice.
- Remove particles that may be blocking your filter. Your filter system continuously cleans the water, and if it does not function properly, the water becomes dirty, cloudy, and may even develop algae. Large particles are fond of blocking filtration systems, especially diatomaceous earth and cartridge pool filters.
- Ensure that you regularly clean, backwash, or replace the D.E and cartridge filter medium as appropriate. Cartridge filters usually last 2,000 hours and should be replaced every 1-2 years, depending on usage.
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Why Is It Important To Keep Your Pool Clean
The two primary reasons why it is important to keep your pool clean are safety and aesthetics. Keeping the water clean will make sure that there are no bacteria in it, which can lead to various infections or rashes. This will also help prolong the life of the equipment because debris wonât be able to stick onto them as easily. Keeping your pool clean also means that people wonât be able to see dirt at the bottom of it. Nobody wants to swim in dirty water!
Why Your Pool Turns Green And Cloudy
While the rain itself doesnt generally harm your pool, it can dilute the carefully balanced chemistry in the water. This can alter your pH levels and dilute the chlorine or other sanitizers, allowing algae or other contaminants to gain a foothold. Once the algae spores have the proper conditions to grow, they multiply very quickly, which is why your clear pool can turn green overnight. A pool full of algae isnt just unsightly it presents potential health problems for bathers in the form of skin irritation, ear and eye infections, and gastrointestinal illness. Its also possible for run-off from the storm to bring unwanted chemicals like nitrates and phosphates into the pool, further clouding the water.
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Equipment Required For Pool Maintenance
When youâre creating a maintenance schedule for your pool, the first thing that youâll need to do is gather some equipment! Youâll want to have a skimmer or net handy, as well as a vacuum cleaner. A robotic pool cleaner is an automatic, self-contained device that has brushes, filters, and pumps for cleaning pools. They are generally programmed to run 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, or can be scheduled to clean your pool when you want it cleaned. These robots are very popular because they do not require human interaction, and they work automatically! Some will also have a remote control, so you can start them from a distance. These will make cleaning the water much more efficient! Youâll also need pH test strips, a chlorine test kit, and a brush for scrubbing the walls of your pool.
Remove Foreign Particles Scrub And Vacuum The Pool
The environment and weather may also be the cause of cloudy water. To fix and prevent cloudy water, follow all of the best practices below.
- Foreign particles, small and large, may find their way into the water, especially during spring. Body oil and sunscreen from swimmers also washes off in the water and accumulates in the pool, causing cloudiness. You can use nets to remove visible particles, and you may have to use pool clarifier to clear up the water when cloudiness persists. Also, I prefer using pool flocculant and vacuuming the pool to do away with fine particles that cannot be removed by leaf net or clarifier.
- Algae also causes cloudiness in its early growth stages. To remove algae, scrub and clean the pool using a large leaf net and vacuum: Then do a pool shock to get rid of any remaining algae. Control the amounts of pH, chlorine, TA, phosphate, and other pool sanitizers to prevent algae growth.
- Free chlorine depletes more quickly in full sunlight, but if trees and buildings are next to your pool, direct sun will be blocked. If your pool is in direct sunlight, consider using a chlorine stabilizer and a pool cover when not using the pool.
- Rain also contributes to cloudy water because it dilutes and therefore reduces free chlorine levels. All you have to do is test the chemicals, paying close attention to the chlorine levels, and adjust them as appropriate.
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Balance Your Pool Chemicals
Once the water is thoroughly clean, test it for alkaline, pH, and chlorine levels using a test kit. You can buy them online or take a sample to the local pool store for analysis.
Adjust chemicals like muriatic acid, while using chlorine stabilizer to protect your current level of chlorine. Keep the recommended chemical balances for swimming pools are as follows:
- pH: 7.4 7.6
- Chlorine: 1.0 3.0 ppm
- Total Dissolved Solids: 500 5000 ppm
Give The Pool A Shock
If the pool is still very cloudy or green, you may need to shock it to make it safe to swim in again.
Maintain the higher shock levels to kill off all the algae. This can take several days and involve multiple treatments to get combined Chloramines and FC levels to the right levels that clear the water. While performing the treatment, brush and clean the pool thoroughly every day to remove dead algae and other dirt.
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Balance Your Pool Water Chemistry
Once youre sure your water is as clean as it can be, test it or take a sample to your local pool store. To test it yourself, just use either test strips or a liquid test kit. Test strips are easier and quicker to use but are less accurate than a good liquid test kit.
Adjust pool chemicals as needed until your water is balanced. Use a chlorine stabilizeralso called cyanuric acidto protect your chlorine levels.
A Pool Cleaning Schedule
If it has proper circulation, youve already made cleaning your pool much easier. But youll still need to apply some good old-fashioned elbow grease. The basic tools youll need are:
Both Mother Nature and the folks using your pool bring all sorts of wild and wacky things into your pool, from leaves, mold, and the odd duck or frog to residues from shampoos, perfumes, and hair products. Add in the risks of bacterial contamination, and cleaning your pool becomes an absolutely essential part of safe swimming.
Skim, brush, and vacuum your pool weekly, at a minimum. This will keep debris out of your water, and your walls sparkling clean. Baking soda paste works particularly well as a basic scouring cleaner that wont damage delicate tile or a vinyl liner when you brush.
An automatic pool cleaner can significantly cut your pool cleaning time. It wont eliminate the need for regular skimming and brushing, but itll make both tasks easier, freeing you up to spend time enjoying your pool instead of cleaning it.
You can also make your cleaning life easier with a few unorthodox additions to your pool. Toss a few tennis balls into your skimmer basket, or even right into the pool, and theyll absorb surface oils left behind by suntan lotion, cosmetics, etc. You can also wrap your skimmer baskets with pantyhose to create an extra-fine filter thatll catch more contaminants than a skimmer alone.
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