Mushroom growing through return line? Really.

Jump to latest Follow Reply
L

Luckyme

0
Dec 14, 2016
5
Ft. Myers, FL
Tonight, I (actually my dog) noticed something on the side of the pool. It was the most bizarre thing I've seen in 30 years and 4 pools. Kind of freeky. It is a 5" white mushroom like fungus that is growing out of a return line fitting. Litterely cloging that return. 1/2 sticking out, 1/2 of it on the inside. I unscrewed the fitting, and took photos, which I think will upload. I called our pool guy, and he is baffled too. The pool is a common built free form in SW Florida, salt water, infinity edge with spa, solar heat and heat pump. Set at 87 degrees.
Any ideas? Anyone ever seen this?
Pool guy is coming tomorrow to add chemicals to disenfect and kill anything. Pools is sparkling clear, 3000 ppm salt, 1.5 ppm chlorine.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1803.jpg
    IMG_1803.jpg
    101.2 KB · Views: 184
  • IMG_1802.jpg
    IMG_1802.jpg
    101.8 KB · Views: 183
  • IMG_2494.jpg
    IMG_2494.jpg
    43.1 KB · Views: 185
WOW! That is freaky weird! I would ask the local ag extension/county ag office to help out in identifying it. That is certainly not normal.

You are new here so I will say welcome :wave: great first post!!

In a properly sanitized pool, what you are seeing there should never happen. I would suggest you read through our Pool School and the TFPC Method of pool care. If a fungus like that is able to grow out of a fast flowing return then I suspect you have some other stuff growing in your pipes that is not at all healthy.

Any broken pipes or leaks anywhere? I've heard of tree roots breaking through PVC waste pipe to get at water but never a fungus doing so. Something is definitely strange here....
 
It's a bit rubbery, but did not fall apart. It slid right out with the return fitting. Pretty solid. Our pool guy is going to hit the pool hard tomorrow w/ shock, lower PH w/ acid, and sodium bromide. Then check all lines for proper flow, etc.
the pool has been trouble free since we purchased the home in March, and switched over to salt water. There is no other evidence of fungus anywhere. Just a dot of green algae in a few spots of the grout at the water lines. He may turn up Salt System as well to increase chlorine.
 
I would recommend that sodium bromide not be added. That will make the pool a bromine pool.

What is your CYA level?

What filter do you have?

Kind of looks like spray foam.

Is this a new pool to you?
 
Try putting a small piece in acetone or MEK. I think that either will dissolve foam but probably not organics.

Fingernail polish remover is usually acetone. Pvc primer or cleaner is usually acetone or mek.
 
That is weird. What does it smell like?

Cut some of it please and let us see what it looks like inside.

I really don't think it is a mushroom. Your FC is a little low (not sure as we do not know your CYA level) BUT there does seems to be some in the water so........


Kim:kim:
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
JamesW said:
I would recommend that sodium bromide not be added. That will make the pool a bromine pool.

What is your CYA level?

What filter do you have?

Kind of looks like spray foam.

Is this a new pool to you?
Click to expand...

The pool was built 9 years ago with the house. We pay a pool service to take care of the pool, so I don't do much testing, except a dip stick from time to time. We've used him for a few years, and he does a nice job for us, at a reasonable fee. We used to take care of our own pools up north, but down here, almost everyone uses a pool service. Definitely not spray foam, or anything non-organic. If you can imagine, it felt like a dogs rawhide chew that had been soaked in water, but it was able to be pulled apart. The way it was in the fitting, it did not come from the plumbing. It's defiantly a living thing, as it grew there, and quickly.
Filter is Hayward C-1200 cartridge filter.
 
what was the mushroom "rooted to "
It wouldnt just "root" on the smooth inside of a PVC pipe. either the pipe is cracked or has built up so much debris in threads or a notch that the organics started growing

I had mushrooms growing on the inside of a Home Depot Exterior door once but never under the water in the pool ... Im wondering what the real chlorine level is. If you are using dip stcks I bet they are reading wrong and you have zero or near zero chlorine...
 
Definitely odd. I would check the filter cartridge to see if anything is growing in there.

If it is a fungus, your chlorine is not being maintained properly. I'm still not sure that it is organic. Mek or acetate might not dissolve some spray foam.

How fast did it grow?
 
Another possibility is that it somehow came into your pool's circulation system between the filter and the pool and got stuck in the return. Looking at the pictures, this does not seem feasible because the bit that was left in the return does not look strong enough to hold it with the pressure of the return. One thing is for sure, the pressure of your return line is too weak and your sanitizer is not strong enough.
 
Please read a bit in Pool School here before letting your pool guy add anything.

You shouldn't need anything but chlorine to fix most problems. Make sure if he's going to add acid that the pH really needs it and he's not doing it just to try to "disinfect" the pool. I'm not getting a lot of confidence in your pool service from what you've said so far.
 
Guys and gals, thanks for the information. I shared some thoughts with the pool guy. He and his wife are actually friends of ours, and we'll be having dinner at their house tonight. He adjusted the PH to 7.5, shocked it good, checked all flow in returns, filter checked, etc. nothing in particular stood out. Pool is auto leveling, but no leaks detected.
He is a respected pool professional, and has always kept things in line for 2 pools we have had here in SW FL.
I took care of the pools we had in Lexington, KY (3 pools) for the past 20 years. But I'm done with that now. His test showed 1.5-2 ppm on chlorine, so a little on the low side, but acceptable. Upping salt System a bit, and will boost chlorine generation, and watch for anything else. We keep water temp. About 87-88 with solar, and heat pump, so it's happy temp. For any organic issue. This was the first issue we've had since March.
Hoping for good results, and no more fungai, or whatever it was.

- - - Updated - - -

triptyx said:
Please read a bit in Pool School here before letting your pool guy add anything.

You shouldn't need anything but chlorine to fix most problems. Make sure if he's going to add acid that the pH really needs it and he's not doing it just to try to "disinfect" the pool. I'm not getting a lot of confidence in your pool service from what you've said so far.
Click to expand...

The return is the furthest from the pump. There are 4 returns in the pool, plus the spa that has returns, and water flows out to pool. Water flows over an infinity edge into a catch basin with drains as well as pool/spa drains.
 
Luckyme said:
He adjusted the PH to 7.5, shocked it good, checked all flow in returns, filter checked, etc. nothing in particular stood out.
Click to expand...

Except this "thing" that is "growing" out of your return...


Luckyme said:
His test showed 1.5-2 ppm on chlorine, so a little on the low side, but acceptable.
Click to expand...

Is it really acceptable if this "thing" that is "growing" out of your return? what else is growing in there? Without us knowing your CYA, perhaps you haven't tested for it either, there is not way to know for sure if this is an acceptable amount of chlorine.


Luckyme said:
Hoping for good results, and no more fungai, or whatever it was.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't feel comfortable knowing that was growing there and leave it to hoping for good results. Read up in Pool School and about the SLAM process. This SLAM process will ensure that nothing is growing in there. a one time shock just isn't going to kill off everything in there.

One final question. Are you sure someone didn't shove something in there? A kid with playdough or something? The likelihood of something growing only in a fast moving water environment such as a return exit and no where else seems very unlikely. It would almost certainly be on the surface of the filter also.

Good luck...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply