Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I used to be in the pool business for a couple of decades, so I have more than just a passing understanding of pool water chemistry and various pool products. I've used this product on a number of occasions and I've also used several other products including the one made by Robarb, HTH, and Kem tech, as well as others. This product by Clorox is at least as good as any of them and significantly cheaper at this point. Clarifier does one thing and does it well. It takes extremely small particles that flow right through a filter (especially sand filters) and clumps them together to make them big enough to be caught. So if you've had an algae bloom but killed it and now have a white or cloudy pool, chances are that it won't clear up on its own unless you have a diatomaceous earth or cartridge filter. The other effect that pulling these particles together has is that it makes them heavier so they sink down to the bottom and will either pass through the drain on their way to the filter or just lay on the bottom of the pool. None of these products give great practical directions though. I think they are all trying to sound like they are so concentrated that you don't have to use much. By and large, the directions are merely meant to take a less than sparkling pool and turn it into a sparkling pool. Beyond that, you have to use much more. If you just want a little more sparkle, follow the directions as they are. If you however have a hazy pool, put 3-4 ounces through the skimmer, keep the pump running, and you'll see a change in 24 hours. If you've had a moderate algae bloom, you must first kill off the algae before you can do anything much with this product. The algae will continue to grow at a rate faster than this product can help you. Shock the pool with granular chlorine and use your pool brush to loosen up algae from the sides and bottom. It won't die nearly as well if it's stuck on the floors and walls. When the pool becomes white, this is the time to use clarifier to remove the dead algae. Raise the water level to the top of the pool skimmer, as you will be losing water at the end of this process. First, adjust the pH again and make sure you have all your balances correct. Use one quart of this clarifier per 20,000 gallons, poured directly into the clean skimmer basket. Let it run for about 2 hours to circulate the material throughout the pool, and then turn the pump off to quiet the water. Don't touch the water, brush the pool , or try to vacuum. It will only stir things up if you do. Let it set for 24 hours, no less. Nobody should swim or otherwise disturb the water. After 24 hours, the water itself should be pretty clear, but you will have a fine layer of sediment on the bottom of the pool. Carefully set up your vacuum so as to not scrub the bottom. Turn the pump on, but change the multi-port valve to the "waste" setting. This will take water up through the vac and out the backwash hose. This is why you added more water to begin with. Vac the pool as quickly as you can without disturbing the debris on the bottom. Once done, return the valve to the normal "filter" setting and resume normal operation. Add 3-5 ounces more clarifier to the skimmer and let run overnight to help remove any final traces of the dead algae. Make sure your chlorine level is properly adjusted and again, recheck all chemical balances.