Why is My Pool Cloudy After Shocking?? How to clear it up

So you've just shocked your pool and are looking forward to swimming in your sparkling oasis. But WAIT--have you found your pool cloudy instead of crystal clear? You're not alone. We receive a lot of questions on why swimming pools are sometimes cloudy after adding shock. Read on for the complete guide on how to diagnose and remedy this issue. 

Filter

First, it's important to make sure your filter and circulation system is functioning properly and you are running it enough. No matter what you do, it's unlikely your pool will clear up and impossible to keep your pool clear if your filter isn't functioning. Poor or insufficient water circulation can prevent the shock from properly incorporating into the water or your filter might not be removing contaminants efficiently leading to cloudy water. 

Run your pool pump for at least one full turnover (about 8 hours or more) every day, or longer if you are doing multiple rounds of shock. Clean out the pump strainer and skimmer baskets and check the pressure gauge on your pool filter to see if your filter is due for cleaning or backwashing. If your filter media is past its prime, consider replacing it to maintain filtration efficiency.

Test key chemical levels

Next, test your pH, calcium hardness, or CYA levels. If your chemicals are out of wack it can cause your pool to appear cloudy. Test for these 3 key levels and rebalance if necessary. For more tips on testing and balancing, check out our Pool Chemicals 101 guide here!

An important part of balancing your pool that is often overlooked is making sure any adjustments you make have time to distribute throughout your pool. So, for example, if your pH is low and you add pH Booster to raise it, you need to run your pump for several hours to give it time to distribute the product throughout your pool before retesting. This should be detailed on your products instructions, but is important not to be overlooked!

Clarify

If your pool is balanced and your water is still cloudy, you likely have microscopic particles clouding up the water. While your skimmer and your filter are champs at removing debris from your pool, tiny particles can get through. While these particles are often hard to see with the naked eye, they can cause your overall pool to lose clarity. 

A clarifier or flocculant will cause these particles to clump together into bigger lumps that then can be filtered or vacuumed out of the pool. Clarifier is generally better for a medium amount of cloudiness while flocculant can be used in more extreme situations, but to learn more about the difference checkout our Clarifier vs. Flocculant article here! Make sure you follow the products instructions to properly clear up your pool. 

That's it folks!

There you have it. Following these steps should ensure your pool returns to a crystal clear refreshing oasis no time. If you have any questions reach out to us at help@poolday.com, we are always here to help!