When you’re swimming you just want to enjoy the process – moving your arms, kicking your feet, powering yourself through the water. What you don’t need is to be wondering if the water is clean† and safe. When your swim spa water appears cloudy, it’s probably not a reason to begin worrying about it harming you, but if left unattended, cloudy water could eventually start causing real health problems. The key is to prevent it from happening in the first place. You should also learn how to clear up cloudy water in a swim spa if it appears. In this article, we’ll cover both.
Prevention is the Best Defence
By regularly attending to key maintenance procedures, it’s possible to prevent your swim spa water from becoming cloudy and remove any worries about possible health issues. Following a regular maintenance schedule will lower your usage of chemicals and reduce the amount of labour required to keep the swim spa clean†.
Test the Water
Performing water tests isn’t difficult. It doesn’t require a university degree in chemistry. Simple paper testing strips or liquid reagent kits will quickly tell you if you need to add chemicals to the water to prevent it from becoming cloudy. When certain levels, such as pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness become too high, solids begin to precipitate out of the water and make it appear cloudy. Test the water at least once a week and more often during times of heavy swim spa use.
Clean† the Filters
Water filters play an important role in straining out solids from the water that could cause it to appear cloudy. Water filters should be rinsed off with fresh water once a week. Simply remove them from their housings and spray them down with a garden hose to get rid of any accumulated matter. Water filters should be given a thorough soaking in cleaning† fluid every three or four months which is typically an overnight process. Having a spare set of filters can help limit any downtime due to water filter cleaning†. Whether they appear damaged or not, water filters should be replaced every year. If you do notice damage or signs of significant wear the filters should be replaced immediately.
Use a Swim Spa Cover
Using a swim spa cover can prevent rain and airborne debris from getting into the water and causing the water chemistry to change. Replacing the cover when the swim spa isn’t being used also prevents water evaporation which can also affect the water chemistry. When the water chemistry is altered, there’s a greater chance of organic matter buildup.
Take a Shower
We, as swimmers, introduce a lot of substances into the swim spa water that can cause it to become cloudy. Sweat and body oils, remnants of personal care products and soap residues trapped in our swimsuits can create ideal conditions for organic growth and cloudy water. Rinsing off our bodies with a quick shower before swimming can greatly reduce the number of adulterants we introduce into the swim spa. Also allowing our bathing suits to air dry after they’ve been laundered will reduce the incidence of cloudy water.
Sanitize the Swim Spa
Adding a chemical sanitizer to the water will break down any buildup of organic matter and help clear up any cloudiness. Sanitizers are usually chlorine or bromine-based chemical additives that are regularly added to the water. However, if conditions such as water cloudiness or odours become a problem, an extra dose of sanitizer can often take care of the problem.
Now that you have some ideas about how to clear up cloudy swim spa water, download a free buyer’s guide for more information, or visit us at our swim spa store.