You’re all ready for a swim. It’s hot outside and the pool is beckoning. Can you swim in cloudy water? That’s a question you didn’t want to ask, but now that you’re at the edge of the pool and it’s cloudy, does that mean you need to walk away and find something else to do?
The swimming pool contractors from Seahorse Pool & Spa Service in Fort Worth, Texas say all may not be lost and it all depends on the reason the water is cloudy. This can be determined by grabbing a water test kit and checking the water chemistry.
When you take on the maintenance and service of your swimming pool there is a chance you will run into cloudy water more frequently than you would if you worked with an experienced pool contractor. A swimming pool service contractor quickly notices changes in water chemistry — even subtle ones — and makes corrections to chemicals to bring it back into balance. That could mean the difference between cloudy and not cloudy water.
Can you swim in cloudy water?
What can turn your swimming pool water cloudy? There are a myriad of factors that go into clean water and when they aren’t in concert can lead to cloudy water. From out of balance chemicals to pool equipment that isn’t functioning properly, you may see cloudy water in your pool.
Here are potential culprits to cloudy water:
- There is not enough chlorine in the water.
- the pH and/or alkalinity levels are too low or too high
- High calcium hardness levels
- The pool’s circulation and filtration system are having mechanical issues
- The swimming pool pump is not being run as long as it is recommended. You may need to run it for up to 12 hours a day; don’t skimp. Don’t worry about running the pump for that many hours a day — they are designed to do just that. If you have a variable speed pump you will be able to run it without too much strain on your utility bills.
- If you’re heating the pool or even if the ambient temperatures are extreme, the water can turn cloudy
Cloudy water may require a super chlorination treatment aka shocking to rid the water of undissolved solids and clear the water up. Bottom line, you probably should avoid swimming in the pool if the water is cloudy; if it’s being caused by algae or bacteria you run the risk of illness. Call us when you notice the water isn’t crystal clear.