Clarity – All Clear!
The swimming pool industry defines clarity as the degree of transparency in the pool water. This is typically measured by either a turbidity meter or by observing the main drain, a Secchi disk, or the deepest part of the pool through the water from the pool’s edge. Your pool needs to be clear for safety so we can observe bathers in the water, ensure the water chemistry is balanced to protect bathers from diseases, and ensure optimal efficiency of the pool equipment.
Crystal clear
There are many reasons for cloudy water. When we get the call that water is cloudy, we first check the filtration and water chemistry. Poor filtration can be due to dirty filter media, a closed valve, or a clogged line. It can also be due to poor circulation, such as not enough suction ports or returns, undersized equipment, or a poorly designed circulation system. Imbalanced water chemistry can also lead to cloudy water. Having high calcium hardness, high cyanuric levels, low sanitizer levels, and high TDS levels can all contribute to cloudy water. Algae and environmental factors also have the ability to cloud water.
Clear as mud
If you have a gunite or painted pool, a failing surface can also contribute to cloudy water. When the surface degrades, particles from the surface deposit into the pool, which can cloud the water. If your pool is painted, the paint can fail over time due to age, improper water chemistry, improper application, or insufficient dry time. These parts of the surface float around in your water, obscuring visibility and increasing TDS levels, leading to clarity issues.
Loud and Clear
The first thing we do when trying to address clarity is to check the filtration system. By looking at our flow rate, we can determine if the pressure is too high or too low versus the normal operating pressure. This can require backwashing the filter, cleaning the filter media, or replacing the filter media. The next thing we do is verify that our water chemistry is balanced. You need to be aware that adding too much of any chemical at once can also lead to clarity issues, so they must be added in slow amounts over long periods of time. If clarity is still an issue, we may consider a clarifier or flocculant. A clarifier is a specialty product that takes small particles and combines them into larger ones so that the filter can remove them. A flocculant is used with a sand filter to grab those smaller particles, make them larger particles, and collect them so they can be vacuumed out of the pool. Both of these specialty chemicals require following the manufacturer’s step-by-step instructions to complete removal.
The Coast is Clear
Do you have an ongoing issue with clarity at your pool? We can assess your filtration equipment, analyze your water chemistry readings, identify outside issues such as environmental or bather factors, and determine what is causing your problem. Then, we can develop the right plan to ensure your pool is in the clear.
