# Kiddie pool clarity **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206 "2007-07-10T15:12:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/1 "2007-07-10T15:12:09Z")
The kids bought a 3x10 pool. We have very hard water from the hose-we have a well… The water is a murky brown, and looks nasty. We’ve tried an iron out type of product, and a shock treatment, to no avail. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/2 "2007-07-10T15:25:13Z")
You drink this water? If so, why should swimming in it be problematic? ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/3 "2007-07-10T15:28:56Z")
It’s probably some kind of sediment - dissolved minerals shouldn’t affect the color of the water. You need a filter. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/4 "2007-07-10T15:33:42Z")
They can swim in it, I don’t mind, it just looks nasty. We have a filter running non stop that was provided with the pool. Doesn’t seem to help much, if at all. There is iron colored sediment on the bottom of the pool. When I first fill it up, it is clearer, and tolerable, but the next day it turns brown. Is that from oxidation? We have a water softener in the house lines, but not for outside hoses. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/5 "2007-07-10T15:48:22Z")
Ahhh. It’s not iron; it’s algae. You need to vacuum that stuff off the bottom every few days. Did you get a Bernoulli-hose-attachment-with-a-bag-thingy with the pool? ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/6 "2007-07-10T16:03:45Z")
[QUOTE=fisha] When I first fill it up, it is clearer, and tolerable, but the next day it turns brown. [/QUOTE] I have read (somewhere) that kiddie pools are designed to be emptied after each use, then refilled. Here is one cite: [http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/healthy\_swimming\_in\_pools\_-\_cyh.html/context/588#home%20pools](http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/healthy_swimming_in_pools_-_cyh.html/context/588#home%20pools) > [@](#): > > The little play pools that people have at home, and fill with water from the garden hose, should be emptied straight after use. ETA: here is what I was searching for: > **[How to keep kids pool clean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=423537)** > > This could go either way, here or in IMHO. So I’ll leave it up to the mods to boot it if it’s wrong. We’re trying to get a small pool set up for our 2 year old daughter to play in this summer. We picked up this one and set it all up. In about 2 days... ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/7 "2007-07-10T16:07:42Z")
It sounds like the 3’ X 10’ pool mentioned in the OP is one of [these.](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4634029) ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/8 "2007-07-10T16:18:23Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] It sounds like the 3’ X 10’ pool mentioned in the OP is one of [these.](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4634029) [/QUOTE] Oh. I was thinking “kiddie”. > [@](#): > > When 80% full, it holds 1,779 gallons Lotsa water. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/9 "2007-07-10T16:26:17Z")
It’s close to what **Leaffan** linked to. Holds about 1,000 gallons I think. I’ll take a picture of it, to give you an idea. And to give you an idea of what a shit brown pool looks like. ---
**Author:** ![t-mobileguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@t-mobileguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-mobileguy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/10 "2007-07-10T16:27:08Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] Ahhh. It’s not iron; it’s algae. You need to vacuum that stuff off the bottom every few days. Did you get a Bernoulli-hose-attachment-with-a-bag-thingy with the pool? [/QUOTE] I have a similar pool. And I also think it’s agley. Go to a pool store and try picking up a bottle of algaecide (ok sorry I’m on my Blackberry and have NO idea how to spell that!) add it to your pool after everyone gets done swimming for the day. The next morning there should be this grey white color “stuff” on the floor. Suck it up with the hose sweeper thing, repeat every couple few days until your pool is nice and pretty. It worked great for me. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/11 "2007-07-10T17:10:35Z")
[![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/8190/8114564500_d51192c5c8.jpg "dahfisheroo") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/41983136@N00/?saved=1) ---
**Author:** ![t-mobileguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@t-mobileguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-mobileguy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/12 "2007-07-10T17:27:13Z")
OK now that I’ve seen pix… Remember my last post? Never mind. I have no idea whats up with that! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/13 "2007-07-10T17:35:31Z")
Holy shit! I mean HOLY SHIT! Nasty? That’s an understatement. I would dump that immediately, and refill with clean water and talk to a pool shop about WTF is going on. We had one of these types of pools and it never, ever, ever, after an entire summer and then weeks of neglect in the fall came close to that quagmire. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/14 "2007-07-10T17:42:55Z")
Also, is that sitting on a deck: a normal deck? 'Cause that must weigh like 8,000 pounds. If your deck isn’t supported appropriately underneath I would remove that from the deck pronto. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/15 "2007-07-10T18:07:42Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] Also, is that sitting on a deck: a normal deck? 'Cause that must weigh like 8,000 pounds. If your deck isn’t supported appropriately underneath I would remove that from the deck pronto. [/QUOTE] It’s a deck, and it’s supported. The water is clean and potable, it’s just discolored, with sediment on the bottom. It happened the first time, I thought my husband had just filled it up and never added anything. I emptied it out, cleaned all the semi slimy sediment off the bottom, and started over. The pool filled with pretty clear water, and I added iron remover, just to get rid of the tinge. The next day, it looked like this. I added shock treatment, to no avail. We do have seriously hard water. And there is no way I can fill up the pool with house water that has been softened. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/16 "2007-07-10T18:13:26Z")
Chlorine (shocks, powders, liquids,etc) will not work unless the pool is stabilized (proper leve of cyuranic acid) and pH balanced. Bacteria will survive and/or thrive. When you chlorinate a pool that is not stabilized, the chlorine pretty much goes straight into the atmosphere. It pretty much goes ‘poof’ as soon as it hits the water. Algaecide can help knock out the brown/green murk, but this just kills the algae and does not sanitize the pool for safe/clean swimming. You need chlorine present with balanced and pH-managed water to kill bacteria that can make your kids sick. Without chlorine working, everyone is just swimming in everyone else’s live bacteria (and imagine what parts of the body the water swirls around). ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/17 "2007-07-10T18:18:14Z")
[QUOTE=Philster] Chlorine (shocks, powders, liquids,etc) will not work unless the pool is stabilized (proper leve of cyuranic acid) and pH balanced. Bacteria will survive and/or thrive. When you chlorinate a pool that is not stabilized, the chlorine pretty much goes straight into the atmosphere. It pretty much goes ‘poof’ as soon as it hits the water. Algaecide can help knock out the brown/green murk, but this just kills the algae and does not sanitize the pool for safe/clean swimming. You need chlorine present with balanced and pH-managed water to kill bacteria that can make your kids sick. Without chlorine working, everyone is just swimming in everyone else’s live bacteria (and imagine what parts of the body the water swirls around). [/QUOTE] How do I balance and ph manage my water? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/18 "2007-07-10T18:58:14Z")
Mine came with a basic kit-o-chemicals and a bunch of Ph test strips. If you don’t have this kit and the test strips you can buy one either together or individually at Wal-Mart. Do you have Wal-Marts in the US? 😉😉😉😉😉 ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/19 "2007-07-10T19:37:26Z")
I would take a water sample (a couple of cups or so from arms length in the pool) to a local pool store and have them analyze the water and tell you what you need to do. You can print the picture or take the camera with you so they can see what you are dealing with. After you get it under control, Wal-Mart or whatever is fine for chemicals and test strips. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206/20 "2007-07-10T20:03:11Z")
[QUOTE=fisha] They can swim in it, I don’t mind, it just looks nasty. We have a filter running non stop that was provided with the pool. Doesn’t seem to help much, if at all. There is iron colored sediment on the bottom of the pool. When I first fill it up, it is clearer, and tolerable, but the next day it turns brown. Is that from oxidation? We have a water softener in the house lines, but not for outside hoses. [/QUOTE] What’s your chlorine concentration? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kiddie-pool-clarity/411206.md?page=2)