Your swim spa – the one place you go for so many different things – tranquility, peaceful relaxation, vigorous exercise and fun with friends and family.
But wait – what’s that? Cloudy water?
Don’t stress, cloudy water is the most common problem in swim spas. But it’s fixable. Follow our simple steps to restore your swim spa water’s clarity and get back to all the versatility your swim spa offers.
Why is My Swim Spa Cloudy?
But first, why is your swim spa water cloudy, hazy or lacking its usual clarity? Knowing the causes can help you learn how to avoid them in the future!
Cloudy water can be caused by:
- Unbalanced water: When chlorine, Total Alkalinity, pH or Total Hardness levels are off, sanitizer becomes less effective and cloudiness quickly develops
- Dirty or clogged filters: Filters that are clogged, worn or torn can’t trap debris effectively, allowing particles to stay suspended in the water
- Contaminants from bathers: Oils, lotions, sweat and cosmetics overwhelm sanitizer levels and leave water looking dull or cloudy
- Poor circulation: Inadequate water flow prevents debris from reaching the filter, allowing contaminants to settle and cloud the water
- Environmental factors: Dust, pollen, leaves and outdoor debris can quickly enter uncovered swim spas and disrupt water clarity
- Insufficient shocking: Without regular shocking, organic contaminants build up and sanitizer levels struggle to keep water clear
Whatever the reason, these 9 steps will help you restore water clarity:
How to Fix Cloudy Swim Spa Water
1. Test, monitor and adjust your water balance
Water balance is essential to clean, clear water. Test the water regularly to ensure that the water parameters are within the following ideal levels (always test and adjust Total Alkalinity first, pH second and Total Hardness third):
Total Alkalinity: 80 – 120 ppm
pH: 7.2 – 7.6
Total Hardness: 150 – 250 ppm
For more information on balancing your swim spa water, check out FROG’s Water Balancing Guide for Swim Spas. You’ll find a step-by-step process to help you get your water balanced.
2. Check your sanitizer(s)
Check your sanitizer levels to make sure they are within ideal range.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends free chlorine concentration of at least 1.0 – 3.0 ppm in hot tubs/swim spas.1
If you use dichlor in your swim spa, test to make sure your chlorine level is between 2.0 – 4.0 ppm. Adjust as needed.
However, if you use an EPA-registered sanitizer that combines a low level of chlorine and sanitizing minerals, like FROG® @ease® Sanitizing System for Swim Spas, you’ll use up to 75% less chlorine*, and keep chlorine levels between 0.5 – 1.0 ppm.
FROG @ease uses SmartChlor®, a unique, proprietary type of chlorine, that works with FROG Sanitizing Minerals®; together, they kill bacteria in your swim spa.
Plus, using less chlorine means water feels softer, swimsuits don’t fade and surfaces are protected.
The Mineral Cartridge works together with the SmartChlor Cartridge to create Fresh Mineral Water®∞ in the swim spa – using much less chlorine, keeping chlorine levels consistent and water feeling soft.
If you use FROG @ease in your swim spa, be sure both cartridges are replaced when needed.
An added benefit: you don’t have to keep adding chlorine. Each silver SmartChlor Cartridge lasts 3 – 4 weeks and self-regulates the chlorine level in your swim spa.
The blue Mineral Cartridge lasts 4 months – if yours is 4 months old or older, it’s time to replace it.
3. Clean your filter cartridges
Maintain clean filter cartridges in your swim spa to ensure filtration and prevent the accumulation of debris and contaminants.
Regularly remove, rinse or clean the filters and backwash as needed to remove trapped particles. And replace old, worn or torn filters.
4. Maintain continuous water circulation
Circulate your swim spa water continuously until clarity is restored. Proper water circulation promotes effective filtration and chemical distribution throughout the swim spa. As a result, suspended particles are eliminated, and water clarity improves.
5. Use a metal out or phosphate remover
Bring a sample of your water to your local retailer. If they find it’s high in metals, they’ll recommend a metal out product.
If they find it’s full of phosphates, they’ll recommend a phosphate remover. That means no “food” for algae, and no opportunity to discolor your water.
Both will correct the source of what’s causing cloudy water and clear it up.
6. Shock the water
Shock the swim spa water to eliminate organic contaminants, bacteria and algae that contribute to water cloudiness. Use a shock treatment product and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dosage and application.
We recommend FROG Maintain® for Swim Spas. It’s an easy-to-use single dose maintenance shock.
Cut open, pour in and 15 minutes later your swim spa is clean, clear and ready for you! No measuring, no mess, no guess!
7. Use a clarifier
Consider using a clarifier that removes suspended particles to clear up your swim spa water. Clarifiers work by coagulating tiny particles, so they are easier to filter out of the water. While clarifiers provide temporary relief from water cloudiness, they don’t address underlying water chemistry issues and should be used in addition to our other steps.
8. Consider draining and refilling
If cloudy water persists, it may be time to drain and refill your swim spa with fresh fill water. It will help to remove accumulated contaminants and restore water clarity.
It’s generally recommended to drain your swim spa every 3 months, however, there isn’t a set time limit. Consult your swim spa dealer for guidance on the recommended frequency of draining and refilling based on your swim spa use and water care habits.
If you’re draining and refilling – bring a sample of your source water to your local retailer to check for Total Hardness and phosphates – clear up potential issues in your source water before you refill.
And while you’re at it, consider purging your swim spa.
9. Purge
If you’ve never purged your swim spa, it may be time. Your swim spa has jets and many internal components that need to be regularly cleaned and maintained.
Purging prevents bacteria or other harmful microorganisms from building up, and causing cloudy, hard-to-manage water.
How to Prevent Cloudy Swim Spa Water
Whew! Now that you’ve cleared up cloudy water, you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t happen again! Here’s how:
- Establish a Maintenance Routine: Consistently test, clean and balance your swim spa water – this is key to keep water clear
- Monitor Use: You may need to shock your swim spa more frequently after heavy use
- Invest in Quality Products: Use high quality water care products like FROG, they’ll help you simplify maintenance and improve results
Cloudiness Concluded
Now that you’ve conquered cloudy water, you can enjoy relaxing or working out in your clean and clear swim spa!
If you need help with your swim spa or have questions, reach out to our customer service team at 800-222-0169, Monday – Friday, 8 – 5PM CST. We’re here to make swim spa water care easy and stress free!
1 CDC.gov
* Compared to the minimum ANSI recommended bromine or chlorine level of 2.0 ppm for a swim spa
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