BUBBLES! WHY ARE THEY HERE?

[kaseydog]

Hi...

So we had salt introduced yesterday. Started noticing bubbles coming out of both wall returns and one of the floor returns. First thing I thought was the water might be a tad low so I added about an inch. The bubbles then went away. But we noticed them again about 3 hours later. Texted pool guy and said the chlorine tablet feeder drawing in air and said to turn that that dial down to zero. So I did that but it was late and the pump was already off by that point.

This morning the bubbles started appearing again. There's nothing stuck in the skimmers. I cleaned out the pump basket-no air bubbles appearing in there either.

When I turn off the chlorinator the bubbles stop. Then when I turn the chlorinator on again, the bubbles reappear. Clearly that's the issue. But is this a normal occurrence for the first day or so using it? I have a call into our PB for someone to come out and check everything just to be safe. Below are the diagnostics from the Omni Logic app if that is helpful. Any info would be welcomed. New pool owner here and not quite sure of a lot of things just yet! Thanks

 

[Texas Splash]

SWGs work by producing chlorine hydrogen gas (bubbles) into the pool. This happens when the SWG in in a generating cycle. When it rests, the bubbles stop. That's normal.

 

[kaseydog]

SWGs work by producing chlorine gas (bubbles) into the pool. This happens when the SWG in in a generating cycle. When it rests, the bubbles stop. That's normal.

So it's normal to have those bubbles all the time then?

 

[mknauss]

Not to alarm anyone -- the bubbles you see are Hydrogen gas. The Chlorine gas is instantly combined into the water within the SWCG. So no chlorine gas gets to the returns as bubbles, just hydrogen gas.

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[reggiehammond]

So it's normal to have those bubbles all the time then?

Yep - 100% normal. It's when you don't see the bubbles that you need to worry!

 

[kaseydog]

Wow this is crazy. You'd think our pool builder would've given us a heads up to expect them. I have a buddy who also has a salt water pool (but with a liner) and he does not see them very often.

Does the amount and consistency of the bubbles have anything to do with how close the pool equipment is to the pool? Ours is right off to the side so gas does not have very far to travel. Our equipment is also below the pool (they call it a flooded system). Would that have anything to do with it as well?

 

[IceShadow]

I'm no expert on chemistry or SWCG, but it seems to make sense to me that the closer the SWCG is to the return, the less distance the gas has to re-dissolve into the water and so the more likely you are to see bubbles, yes.

 

[mknauss]

Not really. The Chlorine gas instantaneously goes into solution with the water. The hydrogen never goes into solution.
A VS pump at low rpm you will see the bubbles more than a single speed pump at high flow rates.

 

[kaseydog]

Not really. The Chlorine gas instantaneously goes into solution with the water. The hydrogen never goes into solution.
A VS pump at low rpm you will see the bubbles more than a single speed pump at high flow rates.

Gotcha. What would explain my friend not seeing them in his pool though? Can't be that he has a liner and mine is plaster right?

 

[kaseydog]

By the way, what's the difference between instant salt and average salt? And how soon does it level off to about 3400 ppm? Salt was introduced 28 hours ago. Thanks!

 

[PoolStored]

Gotcha. What would explain my friend not seeing them in his pool though? Can't be that he has a liner and mine is plaster right?

Lots of reasons. One could be that he doesn't look at the pool as often as you do. Could be he has a larger cell and has his SWCG at a lower setting, running for less time. Type of pool doesn't matter.

By the way, what's the difference between instant salt and average salt? And how soon does it level off to about 3400 ppm? Salt was introduced 28 hours ago. Thanks!

Instant salt is salt level being measured now. All cells are different, most average the values over a period of time, like 24 hours. It may not level off at 3400. Salt cells can vary in their readings +/-500 from actual.

How are you testing your water chemicals? How are you measuring your Salt content in your pool?

 

[mknauss]

What would explain my friend not seeing them in his pool though? Can't be that he has a liner and mine is plaster right?

They likely have a SS pump with very high flow rates. Pool type does not matter.

By the way, what's the difference between instant salt and average salt?

What brand/model of SWCG do you have? Please fill out your signature. It really helps us help you.

 

[kaseydog]

They likely have a SS pump with very high flow rates. Pool type does not matter.

What brand/model of SWCG do you have? Please fill out your signature. It really helps us help you.

Okay....I just updated the signature. My swcg is Hayward TCELL940. But I didn't see it listed in the drop box so I selected Hayward TCELL5. Is that basically the same one?

 

[kaseydog]

Lots of reasons. One could be that he doesn't look at the pool as often as you do. Could be he has a larger cell and has his SWCG at a lower setting, running for less time. Type of pool doesn't matter.

Instant salt is salt level being measured now. All cells are different, most average the values over a period of time, like 24 hours. It may not level off at 3400. Salt cells can vary in their readings +/-500 from actual.

How are you testing your water chemicals? How are you measuring your Salt content in your pool?

I use the pentair test kit my pb gave me. CH was 1.5, PH 7.2 and Total Alk was 90 ppm this morning.

How should I be measuring the salt? It was just poured into the pool yesterday so I assumed I would just go off by what is showing up on my omni logic app for that .

 

[mknauss]

The TCELL940 is equivalent to a T15. I updated your Profile.

Please fill out your Signature -- Create Your Signature - Further Reading

 

[kaseydog]

The TCELL940 is equivalent to a T15. I updated your Profile.

Please fill out your Signature -- Create Your Signature - Further Reading

Done...I thought the "About You" section under Account Details was the signature part at first. Thanks for your help.

 

[mknauss]

Great.

I would encourage you to get a proper test kit. What you have is not complete and limited in its accuracy.
See Pool Test Kits - Further Reading
I suggest the TF100 with K1766, or the TFPro. Either from TFTestkits.net.

 

[kaseydog]

Great.

I would encourage you to get a proper test kit. What you have is not complete and limited in its accuracy.
See Pool Test Kits - Further Reading
I suggest the TF100 with K1766, or the TFPro. Either from TFTestkits.net.

In theory, shouldn't the chlorinator diagnostics on the app give me the salt level though? Or are they not entirely accurate?

 

[mknauss]

Or are they not entirely accurate?

Correct. None of them measure salinity directly. Some, like yours, infers the level based on the amps and voltage the cell is seeing. Others use conductivity and temperature to infer a salinity. At best, they are +/- 500 ppm within actual salinity.