It was just another evening, or so I thought. A strong wind rattled the trees, sent leaves swirling, and whispered secrets into the water. I woke the next morning expecting my sparkling pool, but instead, I found a murky mess. The pool stared back at me, cloudy and accusing. I swore I had done everything right. But the truth lay hidden, waiting to be uncovered.
Chapter One: The Clues
The pool water looked dull, almost milky. Tiny debris floated like confetti on a hangover. I checked the skimmer, packed full of leaves. The pump was running but seemed tired, almost as if struggling to breathe.
I pressed my palm against the return jets. Weak. Like the pool had given up overnight.
Test strips showed the usual: pH was fine, chlorine was hanging on, alkalinity okay. Still, the water looked like a foggy mirror. Something didn’t add up.
I crouched down, peering into the deep end. That’s when I saw it, a faint film, like dust, settled at the bottom. Suspicious.
Chapter Two: The Interrogation
Time to question the suspects. First up: the filter. I switched off the pump, opened the filter housing, and nearly gagged. Clogged with leaves, dirt, and who knows what else. A thick, grimy blanket suffocating the system.
Next: the pump basket. Same story, jam-packed with debris from last night’s storm. No wonder circulation was a joke.
I backwashed the filter and cleaned the basket. Still, the water stubbornly held its haze.
Then I tested chlorine again and realized my mistake. The reading was deceptive. The chlorine had been “used up” battling the storm’s organic load. Free chlorine was low, even though total chlorine looked okay. Sneaky.
Finally, I checked the return lines and noticed a faint hiss. A tiny air leak near a fitting was introducing bubbles, reducing flow, and sabotaging my system.
Chapter Three: The Confession
The pieces came together. The wind had dumped a buffet of leaves, pollen, and dirt into the water. My pump and filter choked overnight. Chlorine was overwhelmed, and weak circulation let particles linger.
I hadn’t brushed the walls either, allowing fine debris to cling stubbornly. I thought testing pH and chlorine alone would save me, it didn’t.
Chapter Four: Redemption
With everything exposed, I went to work. Cleaned the skimmer and pump basket. Backwashed and rinsed the filter. Brushed walls and steps to loosen hidden dirt. Topped up chlorine with a proper shock treatment and verified free chlorine the next morning.
I even fixed that tiny leak with a new O-ring. The return jets roared back to life. The pool water slowly brightened, losing its sullen haze.
Chapter Five: Case Closed
By the next afternoon, my pool sparkled again. The cloudy mystery was solved. It wasn’t just the storm. It was my overconfidence, my assumption that everything was “fine” without checking deeper.
The pool taught me a hard truth: storms expose the cracks in your routine. But with a sharp eye, patience, and a little detective work, you can restore order.
Lessons From The Windy Night
Here’s what I learned, so you don’t have to learn the hard way:
- Always clean skimmer and pump baskets after a storm.
- Backwash or clean your filter if flow seems weak.
- Don’t trust total chlorine alone, check free chlorine.
- Brush the walls to free up fine debris.
- Look for air leaks that reduce circulation.
- Shock your pool properly to replenish chlorine.
Your pool will thank you for paying attention. Next time a storm rolls in, you’ll be ready to play detective and solve the mystery before it clouds your water.
Case closed.
