Calcium flakes

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C

cmiller73

Well-known member
May 1, 2012
275
Houma, LA
Pool Size
12500
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
ajw22 said:
The Borate Pool Opening in Aqua Magazine discusses how borates can limit pH rise while a pool is closed for the winter. High pH while a pool is closed can cause scaling. Those that find their pools with very high pH at Spring opening may benefit from borates, with the pool open or closed

Borates in pool - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
I just recently been getting white flat flakes out of jets. Researching what they are, calcium build up from SWG and possibly heater interior. I also noticed after this winter I have calcium crystal mainly around the returns and a few other places. I did test for CH and was low. Finally got it up to 300ppm.
My test just on 5/27 is as follows. We have been getting a good bit of rain so some levels are going down as the pool runs over and water gets diluted.
I do have a big issue getting pH under control. I'll get it down for about 1 week then it shoots right back up. Also. My pool is still fairly new as it was installed in Oct 2023.
Build Type: Plaster
Volume: 12500 gallons
Chemistry: SWG
------------------------------------------
Latest Test Result Summary:
FC: 3.0
CC: 0.0
pH: 8.2
TA: 110
CH: 300
CYA: 40
SALT: 3000)
TEMPERATURE: 90°
CSI: 0.65
 
Lower your TA and pH.
www.troublefreepool.com

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

I would also recommend you follow this for FC. I would not run at minimum. Link-->FC/CYA Levels
 
This a good read on Calcium Saturation Index. Yours is currently a 0.65. Lowering TA and pH as suggested will reduce CSI along with scaling tendencies. Keep CSI in the negative territory, somewhere between -0.30 and 0.0.

www.troublefreepool.com

Calcium Saturation Index (CSI)

How is CSI calculated? Very simple – use our PoolMath tool. To ensure long plaster life and save money, click here to learn more.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
PoolStored said:
Lower your TA and pH.
www.troublefreepool.com

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

I would also recommend you follow this for FC. I would not run at minimum. Link-->FC/CYA Levels
Click to expand...

Working on that now. Added 2 gal of 14.5% MA late Wed. Then rain came and dropped about 1.5". Now pool is just about overflowing again.
OAN, yesterday I realized that all the MA I have been adding was based on 31.45% MA which is 1/2 of what pool math was telling me. I overlooked changing MA % to reflect the actual MA I was using. Stupid me.
 
Rancho Cost-a-Lotta said:
This a good read on Calcium Saturation Index. Yours is currently a 0.65. Lowering TA and pH as suggested will reduce CSI along with scaling tendencies. Keep CSI in the negative territory, somewhere between -0.30 and 0.0.

www.troublefreepool.com

Calcium Saturation Index (CSI)

How is CSI calculated? Very simple – use our PoolMath tool. To ensure long plaster life and save money, click here to learn more.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...

I read through that a while back and have pool Math setup to tell me CSI. Been working on getting that within the numbers. This rain is killing me though. I get it close, then I get 2in of rain that overflows the pool. Water level is above skimmer opening, so I do a quick BW or just pump to waste.

To be clear, I was noticing flakes last summer, but thought it was something else related to plastic toys the kids had. Really didn't put 2 & 2 together. Then after the winter, I started noticing calcium on the walls. Most of which likely attributed to the low CH and the loss of balance over the winter. I do not cover my pool over the winter because it is out in the middle of the yard and doesn't get anything in it. But we did have that sneaux week when thigs went wonky. So I likely lost it then.
 
OAN. I took my SWG off to check and sure enough, calcium build up on the ends and I could see color changes between the plates. I'm guessing this is a layer of calcium between the plates also. I did my best to just spray it and try to scrape the ends with a popsicle stick. Still some on it that I could not reach. Other than MA, that will mess up the cell, would the specific "salt cell cleaner" be better or just go the vinegar route? This was/is the 1st time I clean the cell. Guess I just overlooked that since there was no issues until now.
 
Not many places here to get the cheaper alternative for raising calcium, ie. deicer. So my options are HD or Leslie's. Because I need good bit, 17 or 23 pounds according to Pool Math, I'd rather buy a 25 bucket at Leslie's. It is $60. HD's calcium hardness increaser is $20 for 4 lbs. 6 bags would cost me $120.
Are both the same?
Looking at Pool math, the options are calcium chloride and calcium hardness increaser/calcium chloride dihydrate. Reading SDS on both products, it lists calcium chloride as active ingredient. So in pool math do I choose calcium chloride or calcium hardness increaser? I ask because when calculating how much I need the results are 17lbs & 23lbs respectively.

Can someone explain this?
 

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PM says, based on my target, which is in the middle of the "ideal range of 350-550" , I need to add. I see safe range is 250-650. I split both in half and came up with 450 as being my target.
 
Just ran tests and tried to get more accurate results of each test. Here is what I got. Still need some cya but everything looks better after the 2 bottles of MA.
 

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Where would the flakes come from? I'm asking because I have a dolphin that runs 3 times a day and picks up the flakes. The next day or so more more is blown in the pool. Does the cell continue to create those flakes? Like today. I swept the tanning deck yesterday but more was settled back on it again right around the jet. Can the flakes be build up from a heater? Which I do have also but haven't been running it.
 
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