Is Your Pool Green or Just Cloudy? How to Tell the Difference
You look out the window and the water looks... off. Is it the start of an algae bloom, or just a dirty filter? Diagnosing it correctly saves you money on the wrong chemicals.
The "White Bucket" Test
The easiest way to tell is to take a clean white 5-gallon bucket and fill it with pool water.
- If the water in the bucket is green: You have algae (planktonic algae) floating in the water. You need to shock it.
- If the water in the bucket is clear/white but cloudy: You have a filtration or chemistry issue (calcium, pH, or debris). Shocking it won't help much.
Scenario A: The Green Pool (Algae)
Signs: Slimy walls, green tint, visible spots on the floor.
Cause: Low chlorine, high phosphates, or poor circulation.
Fix: You need our Green to Clean service. It requires killing the organism.
Scenario B: The Cloudy Pool (Turbidity)
Signs: You can't see the bottom drain, but the water looks "milky" or "hazy" rather than swampy.
Cause:
- Poor Filtration: Your filter cartridge is old or clogged.
- High pH/Calcium: Scale is forming in the water.
- Early Algae: It's the very beginning stage before it turns green.
Fix: Clean the filter, check the pump runtime, and use a clarifier.
When to Call a Pro
If you've shocked the pool and it's still cloudy after 48 hours, you likely have a filtration problem, not an algae problem. Adding more chlorine won't fix a broken filter grid.