How to Fix Cloudy Water

There is nothing worse when you have had a long day at work and you are just about to step into the lovely warm waters of your spa to find it has gone cloudy or milky white. This is probably one of the most often calls we receive - help my water has gone cloudy, what do I do?

What Causes Cloudy Water

Firstly, it helps to understand what causes the water to go cloudy in the first place and here are some of the culprits: -

Low level of sanitiser, chlorine or bromine levels have dropped too low (can take less than a day to go cloudy)
Incorrect pH, alkalinity or calcium levels
Poor filtration caused by a dirty filter or the filtration cycle has been turned down or off
Human elements such as oils, perfumes, sun cream etc.

How to Fix

Do not worry if it has not been left too long, we can try to salvage the water, but you are going to need your hose, test strips, chlorine or bromine, non-shock chlorine and pool clarifier.

With your test strips check your chemical balances. This example shows FCI at 1, which needs to be increased with low Alkalinity and pH, so we add more chlorine or bromine and pH plus. To get the alkalinity correct this requires pH plus to be added over a period. Note: With older water the chemicals can cause the water to become acidic, so regular addition of pH plus is required.

Adjust your chemical balances in accordance with the results and recheck again.

Now we will shock dose the water by adding 15g to 1000 litres of water of Non-Chlorine Shock, this will oxidise the waste itself and kill any bacteria. Run the jets for 5-10 mins. Note: A weekly shock dose of Non-Chlorine Shock Granules is recommended to remove and prevent organic contamination.

Next, add Pool Clean Water Clarifier by dosing 100 ml per 1000 litres of bathing water. This is a liquid product that flocculates (coagulates) these particles into large clusters so they can filter out of the water.

Finally, turn off the power to the Spa, remove filter and give it a good thorough clean. Once clean replace the filter and turn the Spa back on, if your filter is more than a year old then it will need replacing. You can also check your programming and see how often the filtration cycle is set, if too low increase it. This information is available on your control system user manual.

Leave your Spa for 24 hours, if the water is still cloudy after chemical adjustments and shock treatment it will need to be emptied, cleaned and filled back up with fresh water. All spas will need to be drained down every three to four months.

QUICK TIPS

Bromine tablets last longer than granules, we would recommend purchasing the below when you have used all the granules. You simply place two to three tablets in a floating dispenser, set collar and allow to float around in the spa, these can last up to 2 weeks, just check it every time you are in spa to ensure always 2-3 full sized tablets are in it. Always purchase chemicals from a reputable chemical supplier.

Order Bromine Tablets and a Feeder.