Having your friends over for a pool party is great fun. Afterwards, you will put some chlorine in the pool to shock it. After the pool shock, you could be surprised with a cloudy pool, instead of clean and clear water.
Cloudy pool water after shock treatment is usually just a reaction to the shock treatment that causes the water to become cloudy. Adding a massive amount of chlorine to a pool with unbalanced chemicals or high in minerals may cause a chain reaction if the chemicals are out of balance.
The reason that you have a pool cloudy after shock can be attributed to a number of different factors.
What Causes Cloudy pool water
- A lack of chlorine or a high pH
A dirty filter can be caused by excessive chlorine or an excessive pH level. When there is an imbalance in the pH levels, it renders the free chlorine ineffective, thus causing the levels to decrease. A lack of free chlorine results in the formation of chloramine, and it is this combined chlorine that results in the cloudy appearance of your pool. The combined chlorine level should always have a reading under or just under 0.5 parts per million or just below 0 parts per million.
The pH of the water exceeding 7.8 will also harm the effectiveness of the chlorine in killing bacteria and other natural organisms, further affecting the water’s quality and posing the risk of things like algae overgrowing in the water.
- Too much alkalinity in the total solution
Cloudiness is often associated with pool water that has a high total alkalinity (TA). It can cause pH imbalances and calcium scaling because of its acidic properties. Generally, the higher your TA, the more cloudy your pool will become, and chlorine will be less effective, just like with imbalanced pH levels.
- An excessive amount of calcium hardness
A measure of calcium hardness is defined as the sum of all the calcium dissolved in water at any given time. Temperate-dependent CH levels should be between 100-400 ppm. Calcium scaling and persistent cloudiness usually occur if the CH exceeds 400pm. The concentration of calcium in the water can also be adversely affected by an imbalance of pH or TA if there is a high concentration of calcium in the water.
- Swimming-related particles
Your cloudy pool water may be caused by excess particles that collect during swimming. Makeup, sweat, body oils, and bodily fluids are common swimming pool contaminants. The reflectivity of these surfaces results in a cloudy appearance because they reflect light.
- Debris from the environment
The quality of your pool water can be adversely affected by environmental debris such as leaves, twigs, and flowers, especially if your pool’s water circulation isn’t optimal. Your filter can become clogged with pollen, dust, and bird droppings, even if they are as small as a grain of sand.
- Water from rainfall
You can also have a cloudy pool after a heavy storm. This is because rainwater can run off chemicals into your pool, such as nitrates, phosphates, and other elements. Chlorine levels will also be diluted by heavy rainfall, making it ineffective.
Basic Chemical Requirements for Clear Pool Water
Keeping water clear requires these three basic Pool chemical requirements.
- Free chlorine: The level of free chlorine in the pool water should be sufficient to prevent algae from growing, resulting in the pool becoming green and cloudy.
- Correct pH: The pH of your pool should be between 7.4 and 7.6 when not shocked; it should be between 7.2 and 7.6 when you shock the pool. Adding too much pH to a pool will cause it to become cloudy.
- Correct alkalinity: pH and chlorine levels are easier to maintain when alkalinity (dissolved salts) is in the right range.
Also Read: 5 Steps to Keep the Swimming Pool Water Clean
Why is the Pool Water Still Cloudy After Shock?!
- Harsh chemicals
The hardness of water increases when shock material and algaecide are used excessively. This leaves you with a cloudy mess instead of a glass-like pool. For this reason, you need the perfect ratio after shock & algaecide to prevent cloudy pool water.
- Combining shock and algaecide
Contaminants such as algae, bio debris, etc., can be effectively eliminated with either shocking or algaecide. The shocking agents, however, are rendered harmless by algaecides because of their chemical structure. Your freshly cleaned pool will appear cloudy due to the green pool water.
- The filter is broken
Pool water cleaning is important, however, not with a faulty sand filter. During the filtering process, all debris gets stirred up. The filter might leak if it is not done properly. Getting rid of the cloudiness may not be possible until the filter is fixed.
How Much Shock is Needed?
The breakpoint chlorination level is a point when molecular bonds begin to break apart due to the presence of too much chlorine. Fortunately, this is also the point at which the water is purified by removing chloramines, algae, and pathogens, which is a convenient process.
The threshold of breakpoint chlorination is usually reached at 30 ppm of chlorine in most situations.
For example, the cal-hypo required to raise the levels by 30 parts per million in a 20,000-gallon pool would be 7.8 pounds.
Before adding the shock to the pool, ensure the correct water balance, especially the pH between 7.2 and 7.6. pool shocks can be inactive if the pH is above 7.8 or 8.2.
To shock your pool properly, you need proper filtration and circulation. Pool shock won’t suffice on its own. Any remaining particles should be filtered out of the pool water after treatment.
Conclusion
Having completed the shocking process, you must set your pool’s timer so that algae or debris has enough time to be filtered each day after you have returned to normal operation.
For more information about how to shock your pool, contact Alliance Pools & Patio for expert services.