Accurate diagnosis of pool water problems can be difficult. It's a case of considering the possibilities and identifying the likeliest cause from other evidence, e.g. water tests, appearance of the water, state of pool surfaces, etc. Read the causes for each symptom and pick the most likely suspect - if that doesn't solve the problem; try the next.

WATER CLARITY PROBLEMS

Cloudy/Milky Water -
Four possible suspects - your test kit will help indicate the guilty party.
1st suspect Suspended particles of dissolved minerals resulting from high pH or alkalinity. Cure: - Reduce the pH/alkalinity using acid. To lower pH, add 1 litre of hydrochloric acid per 50 cu m of water. Repeat daily until correct. To correct alkalinity, the dose should be doubled. Run the pump for 4 hours after dosing.
2nd suspect Build up of dirt and bather pollution due to low chlorine or poor filtration. Cure: - Backwash filter, superchlorinate to 10ppm and Flocculate.
3rd suspect Stabiliser levels are too high. The chlorine takes longer to kill organisms, which can then proliferate and lead to haziness in the water. Cure: - Replace some of the pool water by draining to waste (or do an extra large backwash), top up with mains water, Superchlorinate to 10ppm.
4th suspect The filter is blocked or ineffective Cure: - Check sand and replace with Zeolite if necessary.

Cloudy/green Water -
Caused by: - Low or ineffective chlorine levels. Cure: - Superchlorinate to 10ppm (25ppm for more serious problems). This will kill the algae. Scrub all surfaces. Backwash the filter after 24 hours. Any water haziness should be removed with flocculant.

Rust-Red Water -
Caused by: - Ferrous fittings are being corroded by low pH water. Cure: - Act very quickly. Remove rust staining from the pool surfaces with tile or liner cleaner. Replace ferrous metal fittings using PVC or copper.

Strong Chlorine smell -
Caused by: - Insufficient chlorine! There's a surprise, eh? With insufficient chlorine in the water the 'combustion' of pollutants is not completed and the part-reacted compounds, known as chloramines, are left behind to irritate the bather. Chloramines are what made the old Municipal baths so smelly, and gave us all red eyes. Cure: - Superchlorinate to 10ppm. Superchlorination will react out the chloramines, leaving you with odour-free water and no eye discomfort.

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Deep Blue Pools, Alhaurin el Grande, 952 594 393
Copyright Ken Walker, Deep Blue Pools, July 2006