Why is my pool cloudy but not green?
Cloudy water that is not green is almost always one of four things: not enough filter run time, a dirty or channeled filter, high pH or calcium pushing minerals out of solution, or fine particles too small for the filter to catch. Check run time and filter first — they explain most cases.
Work through the causes in order
- Run time: the pump is not turning the water over enough hours a day
- Filter: pressure is high, the media is dirty, or a cartridge is past its life
- pH and alkalinity drifting high, which clouds water and scales surfaces
- Calcium hardness too high for the water to hold in solution
- Very fine debris — pollen, dust, or post-storm runoff — passing through the filter
What not to do first
Dumping in clarifier before testing is the common mistake. Clarifier clumps fine particles so the filter can catch them, which does nothing if the filter is already loaded or the pump is barely running. Fix flow and chemistry, then use clarifier to finish.
Cloudy after a storm
Heavy Brevard rain dilutes chlorine and stabilizer and washes dirt and phosphates into the pool at once. Cloudiness after a storm usually clears in a day or two with balanced chemistry, extra run time, and a filter clean.
If the water stays cloudy for more than a few days with good chemistry and a clean filter, the filter itself is usually the problem — channeled sand, a torn grid, or a cartridge that no longer seals.