Cloudy water is a familiar complaint for anyone managing a pool, and it becomes more frustrating still when the chlorine level checks out fine. With no obvious explanation on hand, it is easy to assume the test itself is unreliable. In reality, chlorine is only one part of a pool’s overall balance, and several other factors can cause cloudiness even when disinfection levels are correct. Identifying which one is responsible means looking beyond the chlorine reading at the areas a standard test will not reveal on its own. Once chlorine has been confirmed as adequate, the following checks help narrow down what is actually affecting the water’s clarity. 1. Check Free Chlorine, Not Just Total Chlorine A standard test can measure total chlorine, which combines free chlorine (the active sanitiser) with combined chlorine, or chloramines, formed when chlorine reacts with sweat, oils and urine. Because of this, a pool can show a normal total chlorine figure while free chlorine, the portion primarily responsible for disinfecting the water, sits too low to keep it clear. Testing for free and combined chlorine separately gives a far more accurate picture of what is really happening in the water. 2. Inspect the Filter and…