Soapy Backwash

[Squiggles]

Hey All, New to the forum and found it by doing a search.

I am having what looks like soapy water coming out of the backwash. I did read somewhere that the cause could be from scented bleach. Well my wife bought 4 gallons of bleach but I am not sure if it was scented or not.

The pool stays cloudy and will not clear for anything and someone suggested she pour the bleach in. The bleach made the pool blue but it is still cloudy and we cannot get it clear no matter what we try.

Also, another thing it started doing is, when I filter it for like 30 mins and turn it off, it blows water back out the skimmer (so hard it blows the basket out).

Any suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Any suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm baffled but someone may have some ideas. If you get a sec - read this: pool-school/read_before_you_post and update your signature with the pool info requested - that will help others help you.

 

[Richard320]

Fancy bleach can do that. So can some algaecides.

Blowing water means the filter is full of air. First, open the bleed valve and let it out. Then start looking for a suction side air leak. Most common are stuck or missing weir (flapper) in the strainer, low water level, and bad seal on the pump strainer lid. Try the search box for "air leak" and you'll get pages of threads.

I think you need to start in

 

[Squiggles]

After I turned it off, I did hear and see some air coming from the pump strainer lid. So I fixed that. Not to sure where the bleed valve is. I would have to look for it.

But I think it was the bleach, I just checked the bottles and it was the clorox girly stuff...lol.. Shoulda known better than send the wife for cleaning stuff. You know how they like the smelly stuff...

 

[Richard320]

After I turned it off, I did hear and see some air coming from the pump strainer lid. So I fixed that. Not to sure where the bleed valve is. I would have to look for it.

But I think it was the bleach, I just checked the bottles and it was the clorox girly stuff...lol.. Shoulda known better than send the wife for cleaning stuff. You know how they like the smelly stuff...

If there's a bleed valve, it will be on the very top of the filter housing. If you have a sand filter, you won't have one as the air will get pushed out of the pipe on top.

If you'll go up to the upper left user control panel and fill out your signature with pool size, equipment, location, etc, it helps a great deal.

 

[Squiggles]

I edited my sig. I hope thats enough info needed.

 

[Squiggles]

Here are 2 pics I just took this morning. The water is still very cloudy and now has something (looks like soap) floating on the top.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I bet you're right about the bleach. That "girlie" bleach has thickeners and perfumes that will cause foaming.

That filter is a top mount valve (SP714T) and therefore doesn't have a air bleed valve.

When you're running the pump, is there air in the pump strainer basket?
Is any air coming out the return into the pool?

If yes to either of those you have a suction side air leak and that's a separate but connected issue to the foaming.

 

[Taterfink]

Speaking as a "girlie girl" :lol:

Would wrapping your hand held skimmer basket in cheese cloth (it's made of cotton and is absorbent) and scooping gently on the surface of the water remove this foam? Or wrapping the skimmer basket in the on the wall skimmer with cheese cloth. I know you can skim grease off the top of a pot of soup by scraping the surface with cheese cloth.

Just wondered if the same technique would work with bleach scum/foam.

 

[Squiggles]

Well I think the issue with the "foam look" was not enough water and cause the air to create it. I added water to the pool, checked everything for air, pushed the lever on the filter down to let excess air out, turned the filter back on and now the top layer of foamy stuff is gone. Just still real cloudy. I guess only time will tell now if it clears up.

I added 4 gallons of straight bleach yesterday and it is looking like its clearing up a bit.

 

[Richard320]

I added 4 gallons of straight bleach yesterday and it is looking like its clearing up a bit.

4 gallons may be enough. It may be too much and you'll bleavh the liner. Or you have high CYA and it is nowhere near enough. The only way to know for sure is to break out the test kit and check everything.

If you've done much reading here, you'll see that test strips are unreliable. So are pool store tests. If you don't have a test kit, buy one. It will save you a lot of money in the long run - by long I mean a couple months. Or one trip to a pool store with a good salesman.