Air bubbles at return jets ( and a cloudiness issue )

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J

justawildchild

0
Jun 8, 2008
38
Southern Ontario, Canada
20X40 inground kidney concrete pool
SWG
Hayward pump and filter
Solar panel system (independent pump from pool filter)


My pool water chemistry is fine according to the pool store test. But my pool is still cloudy. I had a calcium harness issue as well as a high PH issue. That has been resolved, but still have the cloudiness.

I read in another area that my SWG can cause hydrogen bubbles to enter my pool.

My question is.........could my SWG be my issue, or is it possible I have an air leak somewhere in my lines? I have not performed a test to figure out if I am losing water, but it does seem like the water loss is more than evaporation.


I also have noticed that I lose my water level in my pump skimmer when I shut my pump off. It doesn't appear to be a gasket problem, but is it?
Any thoughts?


Justawildchild
 
Welcome to TFP!

You should post a full set of water test results. That will help us figure out what is going on.

A SWG does produce hydrogen bubbles, but that wouldn't have anything to do with your issue.
 
SWG's do produce hydrogen gas (H2) as a byproduct of HOCl production. However, this would not cause your whole pool to be cloudy. Gas quickly rises to the surface and won't cause global cloudiness. I would look elsewhere for the culprit, and as Jason says, post some test results.

It could be chemical, or it could also be mechanical. If there is a problem with the filter or pump, then that could be preventing particulate matter from being filtered out. There are a million possibilities, but more info is needed on your specific test results. Sometimes pools are clearer at lower pH, so that could possibly be an issue, but more likely than not, the issue is something, organic or inorganic, that is suspended in your pool water. How it got there, or why it isn't being removed, I couldn't begin to guess yet.
 
justawildchild,

You probably have an air leak somewhere between the inlet on your filter pump and the skimmer/main drain. The lid on the basket of the filter pump can also leak air into the system. Valves can also leak air.

Piping leaks on the suction side of your filter pump cause air leaks, whereas piping leaks on the pressure side of your filter pump cause water leaks.

Do the bubbles at the return happen all of the time or only at specific times or conditions? Sometimes you can troubleshoot and isolate where the pipe leak is by turning valves and seeing if there is any effect on the amount of bubbles.

Titanium
 
If it's a gas that's the problem, you'll usually see more cloudiness near the return jets, and less further away. If it's a very even cloudiness, it's less likely to be caused by a gas.
 
I think I may be dealing with 2 different problems.

1. The air leak.....it must be on the suction side because of the bubbles
in the clear top of my pump

2. The cloudiness must be a chemical issue. The pool store near me has said
the levels are all acceptable except for the ph was high. I added some PH down
but have not re-tested yet.

I also have not had the whole pool completely vacuumed since I opened it, but I always
vacuum to waste with the bigs cleanings.

I will be glad to get this solved to get my wife off my back for not having a clear pool.
 
Is the drain plug on the bottom of the pump, below the basket/clear lid section, is that all the way tight? If your pump is like mine....anyway, one year that wasn't all the way tight and air was being sucked in thru that plug. It's about 1/2 inch plug?
 

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If you bring your PH down just a little, say to 7.4, you can rule out calcium clouding. Your calcium saturation is quite reasonable, just above zero. If you bring it down just a little, so it is below zero, any possible calcium clouding will clear up.
 
Hey jawc,

justawildchild said:
My pool water chemistry is fine according to the pool store test.
Click to expand...

Some of your test results are 'not fine' for a SWG. Looks like your CYA and TA are outside acceptable limits.

Here is a sticky that will help:“Water Balance Tips for a SWG” by Waterbear: category/pool-school/water_balance_saltwater_generator

Welcome to the forum :lol:
 
I am at a loss. My pool is still cloudy. I recently replaced the stand pipe in my filter and put all new sand in. (the center pipe was broken) My pool is not changing. It actually gets worse as I filter. Could it be my SWG which is only 1yr old? I have run the filter without the SWG on, but still noticing the cloudiness. Maybe there isn't just one thing wrong. I am going to go and get my water tested again. Any thoughts in the mean time?
 
Hey everyone

I still have the air bubble at my returns.......that is still on the table, but the most important thing was that my water is clear now.

I had to replace the stand pipe in my filter and I changed the sand during the process. After I changed my sand, I did a water test and my chlorine levels were way low. I brought that back up and it cleared up the pool. So now I have a clear pool.

Now back to the air bubbles. They do not seem to be causing any ill effects to the pool other than I know there is still something not right with the pool lines. But at least I can enjoy a clear pool that sparkles.
 
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