Clear like flakes in saltwater pool

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H

hottingeorgia

0
Apr 24, 2016
5
KENNESAW
Have a 16x48 intex saltwater pool. Over the course of the last 3 days of new set up these clear like flakes float on top. They are hard to see in direct sunlight but in the shade they cover the top. I took my water to be tested and was told alkalinity was low and this was the issue.
Someone I dont feel I was being told exactly the answer. Anyhow we below are pics of the test strips and tried to take pics of flakes in pool. Please let me know how to get rid of them.
ba666219-c1c7-492c-8a94-b289b140eab8


- - - Updated - - -

Cant seem to get the pictures to upload on here. ugh
 
That did it! I can see it.........very interesting......have you tried to catch any? You could use a turkey baster to suck it up and then squirt it out onto a white paper towel over a colander.

We do not trust "guess" strips. They tend to do more harm than good. The pool store is just about as bad. We believe in and use one of two test kits-TF-100 (look in my siggy below) or the Taylor 2006 (NOT 2005).

Without good test results there is not much we can do to help you figure this out :(

Kim :cat:
 
Could it be something blowing in? For the last couple of days I have tons of some white flecks of some sort vv lowing in mine. And btw, Kim would NEVER use a sales pitch on this forum. No benefit whatsoever....Having a good test kit is the best way to begin taking care of your pool. The test strips are most like the pool store...notoriously wrong. The thousands on this forum will agree.

Good luck with the gooky stuff!
 
hottingeorgia said:
Yes I can pick them up. The are like dead skin. Pool is brand new. Up only 1 week.

sorry don't need a sales pitch. These strips work fine.
Click to expand...

We are not trying to sell you anything, only informing you that the best way to care for your pool is to get a high quality test kit. Your pictures prove why we don't trust test strips - in one photo, your strips are showing you that your FC is off the charts at > 10ppm. In the second picture, the other test strip is telling you that you have no FC at all...so which is correct?

The reason why we all use either the TF-100 or the Taylor K-2006 is because they are based on the very best chemistry available to pool owners. They are highly accurate and repeatable. With a pool your size, one test kit can easily last several seasons if properly stored and used.

It's up to you but none of us can give you a definitive answer without proper test results. You came to this site seeking our advice and we are simply telling you that we can not give it without proper test results. You are free to continue to use the strips or go to the pool store but the collective experience of the tens of thousands of users on this site has proven time and again that neither of those options will serve you well in the care of your pool.

As for the flakes, they are probably calcium carbonate scale from your SWG. Unfortunately that's the best info I can give you based on the data you have provided.
 
Before I found this site, bought a proper test kit, and learned how to keep the pool properly balanced, I also had flakes in the pool. What I found was that mine were caused by the scale coming off of the cell in the SWG. Once the water was in proper chemical balance (in particular the correct CSI), no more flakes. In fact, I no longer had any scale at all on the salt cell. I didn't even have to clean it for two years. The check cell light would go on (just a periodical reminder built in to the system). I would check the cell. It was perfectly clean and I would just reset the system. Your problem is chemical balance, but without a proper test kit and understanding how it all works, we won't be able to help much.
 
Understand. Just seems sketchy that my first post was redirected to buy something else.
Regardless I had it tested at 3 places and results were all same.
it would be beneficial if this test kit is so much better that there be some trial period or guarantee .
 

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I know it seems sketchy. We, mostly others because I usually don't jump on every new post, always recommend one of the two recommended test kits because they are very high quality titration based test kits that have repeatable, accurate results. If you got the same results from three different places, that has to be a first. What are the results you had from each place? Hopefully that will at least point to a possible cause of the problem, and get you on the right track to figuring it out. No-one on this site makes any money giving advice, or recommending that a person gets a good test kit. We are all just pool fanatics who want to help others succeed. For example, I'm just bored at work, so I'm trying to lend a helping hand while passing the time. Usually the test strips have too wide of a range to truly be beneficial, and pool store testing seems to be like pulling a number out of a hat. Usually when you take a sample to two or three places it points out just how inaccurate their testing can be.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
As an example to the range on the test strips vs the TF-100 or the K-2006. The drop based test for free chlorine will give you results in .5ppm increments, or .2ppm if you use a larger sample va the larger range on the strips. Ph is the same scale as the test strips, so that's the only one that is probably close. The total alkalinity is measured at 10ppm increments vs the 40-60ppm range on the strips. The stabilizer/cyanauric acid (CYA) reading is 10ppm vs a 50-100 range on the strips. Calcium hardness is measured in 25ppm increments vs the 100-150+ range on the strips. With accurate numbers, you can use poolmath to find the calcite saturation index to see if that may be your issue. Is your water very hard in your area?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
We normally like to recommend a good test and help you use it and become familiar with your pool and your test kit. Then we will help you with advanced management of your water. We can skip right to the answer here and you can decide how to proceed. The best part about free advice on the internet is that you are free to use it or not and it doesn't cost you anything.

So, the answer to your question is that it is calcium scale. The way to solve it is to manage your CSI number between -0.1 to -0.3, this will eliminate scaling in your SWG, and your pool. The way to manage your CSI number is to enter your test results into Poolmath, here is how Pool School - PoolMath. Poolmath will calculate your CSI for you. Then tweak your PH and TA to adjust your CSI score into the right range.

More here,
Pool School - Calcium Scaling

and here,
Langelier and Calcite Saturation Indices (LSI and CSI)

Please enter your state into your location in your profile, climate is an important consideration when we are helping you with your pool. Also, please add your pool info to your signature so that we know what we are helping you with, more here, Pool School - Read This Before You Post
 
hottingeorgia said:
Yes I can pick them up. The are like dead skin. Pool is brand new. Up only 1 week.

sorry don't need a sales pitch. These strips work fine.
Click to expand...

Welcome to TFP :)

This is the first time I have seen a Jedi Mind Trick online :) These are not the droids your looking for, the test strips work fine...

Sorry I could not resist, I would say you have your guard up because you have learned in your life not to trust everything that someone says, we feel the same way here :)

Kim and everyone here are not saying you can not use the test strips, do they work, well kind of, will they help you clear your pool, probably not, you may get lucky and get it clear but you will not be able to tell what it was because the strips will change on you so much...

There is no guarantee in life, wish there was :) I can say you will love the TF100 test kit, it is worth 2 times as much as they are selling it for.. We are here to help people clear their pools, and take their lives back from the pool store, because you have just started out and have not been "pool stored" you do not see we will be saving you thousands of dollars over this year alone just by buying 100 dollars worth of testing equipment.

This is just a recommendation from us, you can do anything you want and we will still try to help, read some of the pool school links in my sig to get a better idea on things we do here. :)
 
hottingeorgia said:
Understand. Just seems sketchy that my first post was redirected to buy something else.
Regardless I had it tested at 3 places and results were all same.
it would be beneficial if this test kit is so much better that there be some trial period or guarantee .
Click to expand...

Please note that I suggested two different kits. Both of which can be bought from other places that just the link in my siggy. The Taylor test kit can even be bought *gasp* in a pool store. I will tell you that most pool stores do not have the 2006 BUT they will tell you the 2005 is the same but it is not. The 2006 had the Free Chlorine (FC) test that can test up to 50ppm for FC where the 2005 can only test up to (I think) 10ppm.

I hope you stick around and do some reading. You will see how much we like to help people have clear, jewel like pools.

I am happy that the stores in your area had all the same test results. That is VERY unusual. I know out of the 4 stores I went to to test my water all of the tests results were widely different with the stuff I was told to buy ranging from $50 to $150! I knew my water was fine from my testing. I just went to see what they would say and how much it would cost.

:hug:

Kim :cat:
 
I, too, was uncertain about buying the test kits recommended on this forum but last year when I had a cloudy pool ( couldn't see past the first step). I had been using test strips up till then. I had my water tested at 2 pool stores. Both stores had completely different results and recommended different routes to correct the problem, neither worked and cost lots of money. I started searching for information on the internet and found TFP. I ordered the TF-100 test kit and using it and the information on this website only then corrected my problem.

Good luck with your pool!
Welcome to TFP!
 
Welcome to TFP. If you can collect some flakes, add a bit of muriatic acid to see if they fizzle. That would be a sign that your problem is scale per chief's post.

Just so you know, those of us who volunteer to help folks at TFP are helpless to help without what we know to be accurate baseline tests that include testing cya as precisely as possible because the foundation of tfp's efficacy is the FC:CYA ratio (see the link in my signature.)

Since the correct sanitation level is directly related to this ratio, it would be almost irresponsible to attempt to assist people without it and could cause unintended consequences, knowing what we know. Drop kits (with reagents) that include a cya test are the only real way to empower a homeowner to take control of their water quality, because you also need to measure changes and fresh samples onsite are really the only way to do so effectively and practically.
 
I have something kind of similar floating on the surface of my pool. I can't pick anything up in my hands tho. In my case, as it's been windy here in Central Florida, I think it's pollen or something. I've also seen similar threads on this forum with others who had the same looking stuff if you want to do a search.

BTW, you can also get the Taylor 2006 test kit on Amazon. If you want to use the TFP method you do need a good test kit (and I don't work for Amazon).
 
Flbeachluvr said:
I have something kind of similar floating on the surface of my pool. I can't pick anything up in my hands tho. In my case, as it's been windy here in Central Florida, I think it's pollen or something. I've also seen similar threads on this forum with others who had the same looking stuff if you want to do a search.

BTW, you can also get the Taylor 2006 test kit on Amazon. If you want to use the TFP method you do need a good test kit (and I don't work for Amazon).
Click to expand...

It's not not the same thing if it's floating on top. Scale shows up as flakes usually in the bottom or sharp rough deposits on surfaces. Something that's floating on top has to be pollen or something else. For that problem try using hair nets as skimmer socks.


Disposable Hair Net, Spun-Bonded Polypropylene, White, 100 per Bag: Science Lab Hairnets: Amazon.com: Industrial Scientific
 

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