White Flakes

[nittany168]

I've noticed that I have the white flakes in the pool I have a 10800 gal pool. Here are the test results I had from yesterday
FC 4.5
CC 0
TC 4.5
PH 7.8
CH 390
CYA 90

I'm going to acid wash my SWG this morning, to see if that helps some. I've started running my aerator for 3hrs at night, and I'm going to add a pint of acid to bring the ph down just a smidge. Is there anything else I can do?? Other than that the water is crystal clear. Thanks for the help

 

[JasonLion]

White flakes are calcium scale from the SWG. The SWG has an auto clean cycle that causes any calcium that accumulates on the cell plates to flake off, and they make their way from there into the pool.

Calcium scaling in the SWG results from a combination of high PH, TA, and CH numbers. You didn't post a TA number, but I expect that it is probably over 100. Assuming I'm guessing right, your best bet is to lower TA.

 

[nittany168]

What a goof, the TA is 80. It was actually down from last week of 90.

 

[JasonLion]

Well, so much for that theory The flakes might still be calcium from the cell, but it is way less likely if TA is 80.

Are these white flakes rigid (often very easily cracked into small bits) or slimy?

 

[nittany168]

Not slimy, and they crumble when I touch them.

 

[JasonLion]

Then I was probably right in the first place. It is unusual to see calcium flakes from the SWG with your levels, but not impossible.

 

[Poolsean]

Nittany, how often are you adjusting your pH? Is it possible that your pH is normally running on the high side? If so, Jason was probably spot on, in that your water chemistry is causing the white flakes to appear. However, if it's flaking off and blowing back to your pool/spa, your chems are not too far out of balance. The salt system is doing it's self cleaning, but your water chemistry is just over the hump to allow the scale, and rather than dissolving it back to a solution (self cleaning), it's dissolving it enough to flake off and blow back. A little worse on the chems, and you will have visible scaling that may bridge across the cell blades.
Keep your pH down, and you should be ok.

 

[nittany168]

I'm only adjusting it every 2/3 days, then do a full test once a week. It's almost always a little high and needs a pint+of acid. I'll start checking it every day and see if this helps. Thanks everyone for all the help!! I love my new test kit, even though my hubby calls me a mad scientist every time I start testing.