Bubbles: Seeing Bubbles the water exhaust ports

Bcorig · Jul 3, 2023

Inground plaster 15500 gallon pool built built 1993.
Intelliflo VF-3050 3HP, Pentair 420 Cartridge Filter installed 2007.
For the past month or so I see air bubbles emanating from the water inputs.
No leaks from the pump or filter dome, Air is not accumulating in the filter.
Is this a significant symptom? If so what are the potential implications?
My pool technician has a 2-3 week backlog.
Thanks

mknauss · Jul 3, 2023

Intellichlor IC40
Your SWCG creates chlorine and hydrogen gas. The chlorine goes into the water instantly. The hydrogen gas comes out of the returns as bubbles.

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Bcorig · Jul 3, 2023

mknauss said:
Intellichlor IC40
Your SWCG creates chlorine and hydrogen gas. The chlorine goes into the water instantly. The hydrogen gas comes out of the returns as bubbles.

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Obviously I didn’t know that. But I should have.
After I had that Free Cl = 13 I dropped the IC40 to 10%.
After extensI’ve use it dropped to 2 so I‘ve been hammering it at 100%. It’s generating more NaOCl and more H2
Also checked CYA = 50 so I’m slowly increasing that
Thank you again.

Dirk · Jul 3, 2023

Perhaps another tidbit for you...

When you dialed your IC from 10% to 100%, it didn't start producing "stronger" chlorine, or more bubbles. Just more often. An SWG produces the same chlorine at 100% as it does on any other setting, only the duration changes. Your IC cycles every five minutes. At 100% setting, it's making chlorine full time. At 50%, it makes chlorine for 2-1/2 minutes, then turns itself off for 2-1/2 minutes, then repeats. At 10%, it's on for 30 seconds and off for 4-1/2 minutes, etc.

The bubbles were always there, you just didn't notice them, because they were only coming out of the returns for about 30 seconds every five minutes.

Bcorig · Jul 3, 2023

Dirk said:
Perhaps another tidbit for you...

When you dialed your IC from 10% to 100%, it didn't start producing "stronger" chlorine, or more bubbles. Just more often. An SWG produces the same chlorine at 100% as it does on any other setting, only the duration changes. Your IC cycles every five minutes. At 100% setting, it's making chlorine full time. At 50%, it makes chlorine for 2-1/2 minutes, then turns itself off for 2-1/2 minutes, then repeats. At 10%, it's on for 30 seconds and off for 4-1/2 minutes, etc.

The bubbles were always there, you just didn't notice them, because they were only coming out of the returns for about 30 seconds every five minutes.

Both posts are extremely useful. I’m printing them out.
Thank you both.