Oooh Baby, I've Got Clear Pool Water!

by Felicia A. Williams

After a couple of days of applying a full-court press, I am seeing a big difference in my pool water. Recovering from green cloudy pool water isn’t hard, but it does take diligence and time.

When I checked the water this morning I was impressed with its clarity but felt it could still get just a wee bit clearer. So, to fight the last bit of cloudiness I continued to shock the pool several times a day. Every time I checked the chemical levels and saw the chlorine levels dropped below maxim, I poured in another bottle of shock.

My filter ran 24/7 (well it did once I got enough debris out of the pool to allow my Hayward DE filter to continue to push a strong return stream of water).

Chlorine and Filtration

The key to clear water after green clouds is chlorine, filtration and filter cleaning. In my three days of hardcore algae fighting, I went through 4 cases of shock (4 bottles per case). I decreased my pH for optimal chemical cleaning and cleaned my filter more times than I’d like to remember.

My previous record for dismantling, cleaning and recharging my Hayward DE filter was 20 minutes. I’ve shaved 3 minutes off of that time and have done it in 17 minutes (repetition breeds perfection).

The Pressure is On

My daughter wants to use the pool tomorrow because she’s having one of her friends over and we’re currently undergoing a spell of heat and humidity. I think the pool needs one more day of high chlorine levels to truly Pool Bottom Drain knock out the algae so I shocked it again this evening and will let it work overnight. The only thing left is to vacuum the pool one more time, clean the filter and put the stairs back into the pool. I’m sure the sun will bring the chlorine levels back down to normal range by noon tomorrow.

Pool Ownership Coasting

At this point in time, I think my hard work is done. From here on in, it’s monitoring the levels and preventing algae. I’ll toss in a stabilizer to help keep the chlorine from breaking down so quickly on sunny days, monitor the pH, alkalinity and chlorine levels twice a day.

As far as the filter goes, I’ve got to do a thorough cleaning after I vacuum up the remaining dirt. Thorough cleaning includes washing the filter fingers and then letting them sit in a solution of muriatic acid overnight. After all, they worked really hard in bringing my pool from the brink of disaster, they deserve a little TLC.

For the record, I’ve got to openly admit that I am extremely fond of my Hayward EC40 Perflex filter. It’s a top-notch filter and I think I’m a Hayward fan for life.

Next: It’s Time to Enjoy the Pool!

About the Author: Felicia Williams is a wife, mother and grandmother who likes to write about a host of topics.

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Last Modified: 24 March 2020