What Is A Pool Flocculant
A pool flocculant is a chemical that makes small particles in the pool clump together at its bottom to make it easy to vacuum them.
These small particles usually consist of viruses, algae spores, and bacteria.
Most of the time, the filter system of a pool makes the water clean but might not get rid of very small particles.
When you add a flocculant, the tiny particles form large pieces of dirt that you can easily see.
This makes it easy to get rid of them as they sink at the bottom.
It is an effective method of cleaning your pool when all the other methods have failed.
Turn The Pump On Again
Set your filter to waste to remove the settled debris.
If you dont set it that way, your filter might get clogged.
Remove the dirt using a vacuum cleaner since the filter cannot remove it all.
Make sure you do it slowly to avoid stirring the water, which would require you to let the water rest again before you start removing the debris.
You might have to vacuum the pool several times before you get rid of all the debris.
To avoid the water levels from going below the pump, place the hose in a pool as you vacuum.
Can You Swim With A Flocculant Or Clarifier In The Pool
One of the more common questions we come across is whether its safe to swim after adding a flocculant or clarifier to a pool. The answer is: It depends.
If youve added flocculant, swimming in the pool is not recommended because it reduces the flocculants effectiveness. You should only swim after the particles have sunk and been removed from your pool floor. The entire process of adding flocculant will likely just take one day but if you or your children are dying to get in the pool, a clarifier will be your best choice. A clarifier is a swim-safe chemical, and you can swim 20 minutes after adding it to your pool.
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How Do You Use A Swimming Pool Clarifier
If your pool is just mildly cloudy and you are not in a rush to clean it out, a clarifier may be your best bet. A clarifier requires less work and less water but can take to two to three days to achieve the results you are looking for.
The process of using a clarifier is simple, as long as you follow this step-by-step process. Here are the 5 key points in using a pool clarifier:
Get Rid Of Pool Cloudiness
A cloudy pool is not only dangerous but unattractive to look at.
It can portray a bad picture of its owners and even lower the value of a property when its supposed to make it go higher.
Cleaning a pool frequently and getting rid of cloudiness shows that its well maintained and gives people the confidence that its safe to swim in it.
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What Is Pool Floc
Flocculants, also called floc, are chemicals added to pools to clear up microscopic particles that escaped vacuuming. They work by clumping floating microscopic bacteria, viruses, fungi together and making them heavy enough to sink beneath the pool.
Even though it is the job of your filter to get rid of unwanted substances from the pool, some particles can never pass through a filter. So, they stay suspended on the water for a while, hence causing cloudiness in pools.
How To Use Pool Flocculants
Using pool flocculants is a simple enough process, but be ready to buckle down and do some manual work.
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Will Baking Soda Clear Up A Cloudy Pool
NO! Baking soda is a base and will hugely increase the level of pH, which actually causes the water to turn cloudy. Some people may suggest using baking soda as a quick fix if alkalinity is high, but it is not a reliable pool chemical. Chlorine should be the only substance used to clear a cloudy pool.
The Pool Water Has A Milky Colour What Can I Do
Cause: Lime precipitates, not filtered particlesSolution: Adjust the pH level to 7.2 to 7.4 . If there are suspended matters turn off the circulation pump and remove the flakes on the bottom with the pool cleaner after about 10-12 hours. Lime precipitates in the pool water usually disappear shortly after adjusting the pH level and after the addition of a flocculants . Backwash thoroughly. Clean cartridge filter or replace by a new one.
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Note For Milky Pool Water
If the pool water turns milky, lime has precipitated and there are unfiltered flock particles in the pool. As always, set the ideal pH value to 7.2 by adding a pH reducer or pH booster. If flocculated suspended matter is present, switch off the circulation system and after about 10-12 hours, use the vacuum pool cleaner to remove the flocs deposited on the floor. Lime precipitations in the pool water usually disappear shortly after adjusting the pH value to 7.2 and by adding a flocculant while the filter system is running. Thoroughly backwash the filter system. Clean the cartridge filter or replace it with a new one.
Note: Flocculants are only suitable for sand filter systems and not for cartridge filters.
ATTENTION: After adding flocculant, the pressure of the sand filter system can increase for a short time, as many dirt particles enter the filter at once due to flocculation. Observe the pressure increase and carry out backwashing if necessary. As with all chemical aids, please observe the warning instructions.
Filters
What Does Flocculant Do To Pools
What is Pool Flocculant? Also known as pool floc, this chemical is like a super-powered version of clarifier. It also causes the particles in your pool to coagulate and clump together. The difference is, flocculant creates larger clumps that sink to the bottom of the pool, and cannot be removed by your filter.
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When To Use A Clarifier
If you wish to maintain the sparkly clear blue look of crystal clear water, then you should clarify your pool every week.
This will keep smaller particles from growing into larger clumps of bacteria and dead algae that will contaminate your pool and make it look dirty.
Used regularly, this step will cut down drastically on the amount of time you will have to spend scrubbing and vacuuming later.
Drop The Clarifier Into Your Pool
After dropping in the flocculant, cloudy particles bind together, and the larger particles sink to the bottom of your pool. This will result in the water being clear, but now the bottom of your pool is dirty.
What to Remember After Dropping in Your Flocculant:
- Remember, despite the clear water, the floor of your pool is now covered with sunken algae.
- This sunken algae is very light and is often referred to as “dust.” Don’t try to brush it away. This would defeat the purpose of having added the flocculant, to begin with.
- This waste will need to be vacuumed from the pool through the waste valve.
Flocculants clump organic matter. The heavier clumps sink to the bottom, cleaning the water.
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The Difference Between Pool Clarifier And Flocculant
Cloudy pool water is usually caused by dead algae or mists of particles suspended in your pool water. The job of a coagulant agent, like clarifier or flocculant, is to clump these tiny particles into larger clumps so that they can be collected by your filter or flushed to waste.
Now, clarifier and flocculant are two sides of the same coin. Both are types of coagulant agents that accomplish the same task using different routes. The key differences are the time it takes for the reaction to take place and the extra elbow grease needed from you to finish the job. We will discuss the pros and cons and the best times to apply which chemical.
How Often Can I Use A Pool Clarifier
You can use pool clarifier as often as you need it! However, if your filter and other pool systems are working properly, you will not need to use it too often.
If you find your pool water is getting cloudy after just a few weeks, you may need to do a full-scale inspection to see if all of your equipment is working properly. When your pool is running correctly, build up of small particles should only be a minor, infrequent issue.
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How And Why Do Pools Become Cloudy
There are actually several different causes of cloudy pools and not all of them can be treated with a pool clarifier. Lets discuss them now.
Improper and imbalanced chemicals This is actually a very common cause of a cloudy pool, and it can contribute to cloudiness caused by particle buildup, as well. Improper chlorine levels, as well as an imbalance in pH or alkalinity, or an excessively-high calcium hardness level can contribute to cloudy water.
There are a couple of reasons that imbalanced chemicals can cause cloudy water. First, improper pH causes the free chlorine level to go down, causing a buildup of chloramines, which can make your water appear cloudy, and have a strong chlorine smell. It also reduces the ability of your pool water to kill algae and bacteria.
To make sure that your pool cloudiness is not due to an incorrect chemical balance, youll want to measure it regularly with a testing kit, and maintain the proper level of chlorine, pH and alkalinity, and keep calcium levels low. If you maintain your pools water and find that its still cloudy, this was likely not the cause of the cloudiness.
A faulty or clogged filter Pool filter cartridges usually have a lifespan of about 1-2 years, depending on how many hours per day they are run. After this, their efficiency decreases, and they cannot filter out as much debris, and will have to be replaced.
How To Add Clarifier To Pool
- Read and follow label instructions on the Clarifier product exactly, in regards to pool water balance requirements, correct dosage, application method, and pool filtration following treatment.
- Dont Overdose the pool with polymer Clarifiers can change the charge of the suspended particles from negative to positive , resulting in increased water turbidity.
- If pool clarity problems began with an algae bloom, be sure to kill algae before clarifier treatment. This requires 10-30 ppm of chlorine, with a suitably low pH of around 7.2.-7.4
- Operate the filter 24 hours per day during treatment, or as long as possible each day and night to improve circulation and filtration.
- Resist the urge to over-clean the filter. Backwash or clean the filter only when the pressure gauge has risen 7-9 lbs.
- Always maintain proper water balance and chlorine levels following treatment.Some clarifiers may increase pool pH levels.
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Does Clarifier Get Rid Of Algae
A Clarifier is a swimming pool chemical containing polymers. When added to the pool it makes the very small particles floating in the water to coagulate and lump together to form bigger lumps. It works equally well on both biological and non-biological particles.
The small particles floating in the pool are what makes the pool look cloudy and dull. The pool filter is unable to trap them as they are too small. Once the small particles coagulate into bigger particles, because of the pool clarifier, the filter can trap and remove them.
A Clarifier does not kill algae or even prevent growth of algae. A Clarifier helps get rid of dead algae in your pool.
The result is a crystal clear blue pool!
The Pool Water Is Cloudy And Dirty What Can I Do
Cause: Faulty filter function, too many organic substancesSolution: Backwashing. If the filter system is calcified, use an acidic filter cleaner. If the filter system is ok, make a shock chlorination, meaning raise the chlorine level of the pool water up to 3 mg/l for a short time. The addition of flocculant is recommended as an additional measure . Backwash thoroughly. Clean cartridge filter or replace by a new one.
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Difference Between Flocculants And Clarifier:
Pool flocculants can often be confused with clarifiers, as they perform the same job in different ways. With pool floc its up to you to manually vacuum cloud particles from the bottom of the pool. Whereas clarifier requires less work, as your pool filterdoes the job. Heres how you clean your pool using flocculant.
How Much Flocculant Do I Put In My Pool
Method of use Cloudy water: Add 100ml to 200ml of liquid flocculant per 10 m³ of water. Maintenance: add 5 ml of liquid Flocculant for each 10 m³ of water. Flocculation in the pool is only recommendable when there is no possibility of eliminating the cloudiness of the water with the filtering process.
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How To Use Pool Flocculant
Benefits Of A Pool Clarifier
When you know the benefits and negatives of a product, you’ll be able to understand what you need for your pool’s situation.
- Easy to use. Simply pour the clarifier in the pool and let it do its job.
- Can be used at anytime during the week. You don’t need to wait for a special time to add your pool clarifier.
- Excellent for mild to moderately cloudy pools.
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What Is The Best Pool Clarifier
If you decide a clarifier will work best for your situation, there are many options. Weve done the research and identified two brands that are consistently beloved by pool owners.
First, theres Clorox Pool & Spa Water Clarifier.
This is one of the cheapest clarifiers you can buy, and has outstanding consumer reviews. This clarifier is safe for all pools and works in 12 hours. With only 1 ounce needed per 5,000 gallons of water, you can also make this clarifier last. The downsides of this product are limited, but you will have to use the product weekly to benefit from it. Note also that this clarifier can only be used for backwash pool filters.
The second major option to consider is Robarb R20154 Super Blue Clarifier.
This product is more expensive than Clorox but still comes at a very reasonable cost, given that you need only 1 ounce per every 5,000 gallons of water. You can also use this clarifier in a saltwater pool, which is a nice feature. Other benefits are its compatibility with any filter type and effectiveness at all temperatures. This product also claims not to affect pH balance, although we recommend checking your pH balance before and after adding any product to your pool water. The few cons of this clarifier are the increase in nitrates it may cause.
