Pool and Spa Troubleshooting

How to diagnose and fix water problems

Problems With Discolored Water
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Milky Cloudy Water	Clogged or worn-out filter	Check and clean your filter
	High pH or total alkalinity	How to lower your pH and total alkalinity
	Calcium hardness level is too high or too low	How to solve calcium hardness problems
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
	High bather load	Add more sanitizer
	Low sanitation from not enough free chlorine	How to increase your free chlorine
	Dust/sand/contaminants are too small to be filtered out	Use Sea-Klear Spa Natural Clarifier
	Too much stabilizer	How to get rid of excess stabilizer
	Sanitizer has lost its strength	Replace your sanitizer


Murky Green or Yellowish-Green Water	Green algae	How to treat green algae
	Mustard algae	How to treat mustard algae


Clear Green Water	Copper	How to eliminate copper from water
	Iron	How to eliminate iron from water
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
	Low Total Alkalinity	How to raise your total alkalinity


Clear Rusty or Brown Water	Manganese	How to eliminate manganese from water
	Iron	How to eliminate iron from water
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)


Clear Purple or Black Water	Manganese	How to eliminate manganese from water
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)


Clear Gray or Turquoise Water	Copper	How to eliminate copper from water
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

Problems With Spa And Pool Surfaces
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Stains	Too Much Iron, Copper, or Manganese in your Water	How to get rid of excess metals in your water
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
	Clogged or worn-out filter	Check and clean your filter
	Low pH or total alkalinity	How to increase your pH and total alkalinity


Scale Formation	Calcium hardness is too high	How to solve calcium hardness problems
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
	Clogged or worn-out filter	Check and clean your filter
	High pH or total alkalinity	How to lower your pH and total alkalinity


Soft or Eroded Plaster/Tile Grouting	Low pH or total alkalinity	How to increase your pH and total alkalinity
	Calcium hardness is too low	How to solve calcium hardness problems


Oily Water Line/Tub Ring	Buildup of perspiration, oils, dirt, soaps	How to shock to get rid of oily water
Oily Water Line/Tub Ring

Rough Black Spots	Black Algae	How to treat black algae
Rough Black Spots

Problems With Growths In Water
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Fuzzy Green Growths	Green algae	How to treat green algae
Fuzzy Green Growths

Yellowish-Gold Growth (usually on shady side of the tub)	Mustard algae	How to treat mustard algae


Rough Black Spots	Black Algae	How to treat black algae
Rough Black Spots

Pink Slimy Growth	Pink Slime	How to treat pink slime
Pink Slimy Growth

White "Tissue-Paper" Growth	White Water Mold	How to get rid of white water mold
White "Tissue-Paper" Growth

Algae (General Causes for Algae Problems)	Improper pH or total alkalinity	How to balance your pH and total alkalinity
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
	Your water isn't being circulated correctly	Check and clean your filter

Problems With Foam
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Foamy Water	Buildup of perspiration, oils, dirt, soaps	Use Sea Klear Spa Self-Floccing Defoamer
	Excessive organic contaminants or other unfilterable material	How to shock to get rid of contaminants
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
	Buildups in spa plumbing	Treat your inner plumbing with Spa Secret
	Calcium hardness level is too high or too low	How to solve calcium hardness problems
	Too much sanitizer	How to lower your sanitizer

Problems With Your Body
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Red or Burning Eyes	Too much sanitizer	How to lower your sanitizer
	Improper pH or total alkalinity	How to balance your pH and total alkalinity
	Calcium hardness is too high	How to solve calcium hardness problems
	Low sanitation from not enough free chlorine	How to increase your free chlorine
	Excessive organic contaminants or other unfilterable material	How to shock to get rid of contaminants


Dry, Irritated, or Itchy Skin	Too much sanitizer	How to lower your sanitizer
	Improper pH or total alkalinity	How to balance your pH and total alkalinity
	Calcium hardness is too high	How to solve calcium hardness problems
	Low sanitation from not enough free chlorine	How to increase your free chlorine


Burning Nose/Throat/Lungs	Too much sanitizer	How to lower your sanitizer
	Improper pH or total alkalinity	How to balance your pH and total alkalinity
	Low sanitation from not enough free chlorine	How to increase your free chlorine
	Excessive organic contaminants or other unfilterable material	How to shock to get rid of contaminants


Breathing Difficulty	Low sanitation from not enough free chlorine	How to increase your free chlorine
	Too much sanitizer	How to lower your sanitizer


Stained Nails or Hair	Too Much Iron, Copper, or Manganese in your Water	How to get rid of excess metals in your water
Stained Nails or Hair

Problems With Your Filter
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Frequent Clogging	Filter is old and needs to be replaced	Replace your filter
	Clogged or worn-out filter	Check and clean your filter
	High pH	How to raise your pH


Filter Not Doing Its Job	Clogged or worn-out filter	Check and clean your filter
	Filter has a tear and needs to be replaced	Replace your filter
	Dust/sand/contaminants are too small to be filtered out	Use Sea-Klear Spa Natural Clarifier


Scale Formation	Calcium hardness level is too high or too low	How to solve calcium hardness problems
Scale Formation

Looks Like Pieces of Filter are in Water	White Water Mold	How to get rid of white water mold
Looks Like Pieces of Filter are in Water

Problems With Smells
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Strong Chlorine Smell	Chloramines produced from not enough Free Chlorine	How to increase your free chlorine
Strong Chlorine Smell

Smelly Water	Excessive organic contaminants or other unfilterable material	How to shock to get rid of contaminants
	Lack of sanitizer	Add more sanitizer
	Mold or mildew underneath the spa or pool cover	Clean underside of spa or pool cover

Problems With Sanitation
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Low Sanitation	Low sanitation from not enough free chlorine	How to increase your free chlorine
	Improper pH or total alkalinity	How to balance your pH and total alkalinity
	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
	High bather load	Add more sanitizer
	Too much stabilizer	How to get rid of excess stabilizer
	Sanitizer has lost its strength	Replace your sanitizer
	Environmental Wastes	Add more sanitizer
	Your sanitizer isn't compatible with water temperature	Should I switch sanitizers?


Too Much Sanitizer	Too much sanitizer	How to lower your sanitizer
Too Much Sanitizer

Rapid Loss of Sanitizer	Chlorine is lost due to sunlight	Add stabilizer
Rapid Loss of Sanitizer

Problems With Plumbing
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Gunky Buildup in Plumbing	Buildups in spa plumbing	Treat your inner plumbing with Spa Secret
Gunky Buildup in Plumbing

Rusted Equipment	Low pH or total alkalinity	How to increase your pH and total alkalinity
	Calcium hardness is too low	How to solve calcium hardness problems


Scale Formation	Calcium hardness is too high	How to solve calcium hardness problems
Scale Formation

Problems With Ph
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
Rapid Fluctuations in pH	Low Total Alkalinity	How to raise your total alkalinity
Rapid Fluctuations in pH

pH Levels Are Stagnant	High Total Alkalinity	How to lower your total alkalinity
pH Levels Are Stagnant

Problems With Testing
Problem	Potential Causes (In Order of liklihood)	How To Test and Solve
False Test Readings	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is too high	How to lower your Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
	Too much sanitizer	How to lower your sanitizer