Are you the proud owner of a pool, but is it turning milky and cloudy? Cloudiness in pool water always indicates a problem, which in most cases is caused by errors in use or cleaning. If you're having the same problem, it's important to determine the cause. This is the only way to use a suitable treatment method without the pool water becoming even cloudier or milkier.
Pool water is milky
Many people wonder if cloudy water in the pool is dangerous for their own health. Since the most common cause of a cloudy pool is dirt particles, this question is entirely justified. However, you can swim in the milky water with peace of mind as long as the pool does not smell. If the water starts to smell foul, in most cases the fill water is gone and has to be completely replaced. Milky water in the pool is in itself only a cosmetic factor, which can become harmful to swimmers only after a long time if the causes are not treated. So don't take too long to fix it, especially if the pool hasn't been cleaned too often.
tip: If the fill water stands for an extremely long period of time, contamination with bacteria such as Legionella or Escherichia coli occurs. These pose a high health risk and are present in particularly high numbers when the water in the pool is particularly cloudy or milky and has an unpleasant odor.
causes
Pool water can become cloudy and milky for a variety of reasons. Since these are not immediately recognizable at first glance, you have to compare the individual causes to be on the safe side. There are a total of five reasons why your pool water can become so intensely discolored. These are explained in detail below so that you can take quick and effective action against them. Note, however, that such a cloudiness does not simply appear overnight. It is a slow process that lasts for several days or weeks and is therefore not immediately noticeable. Of course, other reasons can cloud the pool immediately, but these are mostly accidents with materials that do not belong in the pool. For example, if you are using sediment in your garden and it gets into the fill water, it will likely become cloudy.
neglected cleaning
The most common cause of a milky pool is neglecting pool maintenance. If you don't clean your pool regularly, the fill water will become cloudy over time as numerous dirt particles, organic materials and organisms accumulate in it. Chlorine and a filter pump are not enough here, you have to lend a hand to stop the turbidity, because it can become problematic after just two to three weeks. The following ingredients may be responsible for cloudiness:
- algae
- leaves
- branches
- pollen
- blossoms
- bacteria
- viruses
- insects
- insect larvae
- hair
- cream residues
- Earth
- sand
This list gives you a rough overview of the components that can constitute a contamination. Algae and rotting materials in particular are responsible for milky water as they become suspended particles. If these floating particles accumulate in large numbers, the water in the pool becomes very cloudy, which can appear milky. Because of this, you need to regularly clean the pool to fix this problem. It is particularly important to combat algae, which can appear after two weeks. Therefore, do not miss your regular cleaning measures, which must be carried out every week or every two weeks:
- Collect materials such as leaves or insects
- Thoroughly brush the floor
- Thoroughly brush pool walls
- vacuum the floor
- Don't forget to clean the skimmer
- Clean the filter pump if necessary
- replace the cartridge filter if necessary
- Check filter system
- Perform shock chlorination to finish
With these measures you keep the water as clean as possible. If you want to avoid dirt in the swimming pool, you should put on a cover. This protects the pool water from deposits and materials such as leaves and can save you a lot of effort when it comes to maintenance. If your pool water is cloudy, you should also follow the steps above. Cleaning is the ideal solution to your problem.
notice: If you use too many detergents and disinfectants, the fill water can also become cloudy. Even when it comes to pool maintenance, less is more, or you should simply not overdo it with the use of the resources.
Missing disinfectants
Sometimes pool owners do not provide the fill water with sufficient treatment agents to ensure clear water. Since pools have a permanent water cycle, the agents in the pool water become less over time and the effect weakens significantly. This leads to a turbidity in the pool that appears very milky. So if you have a clean pool and are cleaning it regularly, but it's starting to cloud over, you need to refresh the sanitizers. Depending on which disinfectant you use, you must also use this regularly. Only regular use helps ensure that the pool is not cloudy and has pleasantly clear water that you can use for bathing and swimming. Above all, you have to pay attention to how often the individual methods have to be used so that the disinfection works effectively at all. The following overview will help you:
Suitable disinfectants
1. Chlorine
Disinfection with chlorine is the typical variant. Chlorine granules and tablets are quite cheap and can be used without any knowledge at all, which is what makes them so popular. Chlorine is refilled at a pH value of 7.0 to 7.4 as soon as the content is below 0.5 mg/l. In this case there is clearly too little chlorine in the water and it should be refilled.
2. Bromine
Bromine is known in a similar way to chlorine and can be used in the same way. Here, however, the values differ significantly. On average, you must add bromine to the fill water every fourteen days or when the content falls below 3 mg/l.
3. Active oxygen
When you use active oxygen, it is more difficult to establish a regular rhythm. Since active oxygen behaves differently in the pool than chlorine, a measuring station is usually used here that shows exactly when the disinfectant has to be used again. There are oxygen tests for private consumption. If the content falls below 5 mg/l, it should definitely be refilled.
4.UV
Also interesting for many people is the use of UV light to disinfect the pool. This is switched on as soon as the filter pump is used. If you forget to do this, the UV effect cannot be used, resulting in the pool not being disinfected. So don't forget to switch on your UV system.
Be sure to check how you sanitize your pool and if you've forgotten anything or haven't refilled in too long.
tip: If the pool water turns milky after a shock chlorination, too much or too much chlorine has been used, which usually becomes visible after a short exposure time. In this case you should simply wait for the chlorine level to drop or drain off some water and replace it with fresh water.
Faulty filter system
Another problem that can quickly lead to cloudy pool water is a filtration system that is either damaged, improperly adjusted, or clogged. These issues are often overlooked as the filtration system is still active and the pool water is being filtered. However, the performance is significantly weaker and so the number of microorganisms and dirt in the pool increases, which in turn leads to turbidity. For this reason, check regularly whether your filters are clogged. This can clean the fill water again within a short time.
notice: You must not use cartridge filters together with flocculants. In contrast to sand filter systems, these clog and ensure that the pool water becomes very dirty and milky within a short time.
Alkalinity too high
The water values in the pool have to be right so that it doesn't tip over. If individual values are not correct, this leads to water in the pool that is milky and cloudy. A commonly overlooked cause is high alkalinity in the water. This refers to pH values that are well above 7.4 and can even damage the vinyl and metal components in the swimming pool. The consequence of this is also a turbidity of the water, which you can improve by lowering the pH value. In this case, run a test to measure the pH. If this is not between 7.0 and 7.4, but significantly higher, you must lower it. Hydrochloric acid in granular form is usually used for this. The dosage can be found in the manufacturer's instructions. It depends on the size of the pool.
Calcium hardness too high
Calcium hardness can also be too high if the pool is milky and cloudy. Compare high calcium hardness to milky tap water, which is very hard and contains a lot of lime. The same happens with too much calcium in the water, which can be recognized by deposits on the walls, floor and pipes. This is lime, the levels of which you can reduce using the following methods:
- partial water exchange
- use softer water
- Use water softener
Make sure the calcium content does not exceed 400 ppm. The level should also not fall below 150 ppm. However, the pool water only becomes milky if the calcium hardness is too high.
