Cloudy water
Do this first
Check the filter first — if its pressure reads well above its clean reading, clean it. Cloudy water with good chlorine is usually the filter.
What does the chlorine test say?
The sanitizer is doing its job; the filter is not. Fine particles are passing straight through a dirty or tired filter, or the pump is not running long enough to turn the water over.
Fix it yourself
- Read the filter pressure. Well above the clean reading means it is time: clean the cartridge, or backwash sand and DE.
- Run the pump around the clock until it clears — a cloudy pool needs every drop through the filter a few times.
- Add a clarifier to clump the fine particles so the filter can catch them.
- Test pH and alkalinity too: high pH makes water hazy on its own. Bring them to the targets below.
- Still cloudy after a clean filter and two days of running? The cartridge or grids may be worn out — that is a filter visit.
What you’ll need
In the store and online.
Poolife® Backwash Filter Cleaner$27.99
1 qt Natural Water Clarifier Bottle$16.99
4-In-1 Yellow Chlorine Test Strip 50 Strips per Bottle$13.88
Or we’ll do it
Filter Clean · $150 · $100 on a service plan
We take the filter apart, deep-clean it, check the cartridge or grids for wear, and reset the clean pressure.
Book itDone when you can read a coin on the floor of the deep end and the pressure sits at its clean reading.
The haze is the start of algae or dead organics with nothing killing them. The water needs a dose of chlorine now, and then a steady level it can hold.
Fix it yourself
- Test chlorine, pH and stabilizer. Put them into the calculator — the dose to catch up is bigger than a weekly top-up.
- Add the chlorine at dusk with the pump running; the sun burns it off during the day.
- Brush the walls and clean the filter, so what the chlorine kills gets caught.
- Retest tomorrow evening. If chlorine vanishes again overnight, the stabilizer is probably low — the calculator says how much.
What you’ll need
In the store and online.
HASA 4 Gallon Liquid Chlorine Case$35.99- 4-In-1 Yellow Chlorine Test Strip 50 Strips per Bottle$13.88
Regal Pool Stabilizer Bottle 1.75 lb$11.99
Or we’ll do it
Chemical Only · $165/mo
Weekly testing and chemicals, so the chlorine never falls behind again.
Book itDone when the water is clear and chlorine still reads in range the next morning.
A load of dust, pollen, sunscreen and sweat arrived at once. The pool is not sick — it is behind. Chlorine and filtering catch it up in a day or two.
Fix it yourself
- Skim and empty the baskets, then brush the walls so the dirt is in the water where the filter can take it.
- Shock it tonight — the calculator gives the dose for your pool’s size — and run the pump around the clock.
- Clean the filter the next day; a storm fills it fast.
- A clarifier the second day clumps what is left so the filter can catch it.
What you’ll need
In the store and online.
- HASA 4 Gallon Liquid Chlorine Case$35.99
- 1 qt Natural Water Clarifier Bottle$16.99
1 qt Super Phosphate Remover Bottle$33.99
Or we’ll do it
Diagnostic Visit · $125
Not clearing in two days? We test everything, find the cause and fix it on the visit where we can.
Book itDone when it is clear and stays clear a week later.
The targets
The same numbers our techs and our calculators work to. Put yours into the calculator for the dose.
- Free chlorine
- 1–3 ppm
- pH
- 7.2–7.6
- Total alkalinity
- 80–120 ppm
Go deeper
- Why pools go cloudyFilter, chlorine, phosphates or calcium — how to tell which
- When the filter needs a cleanHow often, and cartridge vs DE vs sand
- Diagnose My PoolAnswer two questions for the likely cause and the fix
The full guides
- Cloudy Pool Water: 7 Causes and How to Fix Each One FastCloudy pool water can mean filtration problems, chemical imbalance, or algae starting. Here's how to diagnose the exact cause and clear it up in 24-48 hours.
- The Critical Importance of a Clean Pool Filter: Maintenance Guide for All Filter TypesA clean filter is the foundation of clear water and healthy chemistry. Learn why filter maintenance matters and how to keep your filter performing at peak effic
- Pool Phosphates: Why They Matter and How to Remove ThemHigh phosphates feed algae and make pool maintenance harder. Learn what causes phosphates, testing methods, removal products, and prevention for DFW pools.
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