Bubbles!

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Veggiepatch70

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Jun 12, 2018
31
Glens Falls NY
I have a 15x48 intex metal frame, running a 1000gph cartridge filter.
This is my first year doing BBB method and it's been a breeze so far. Everything has been balanced perfectly for weeks, even through the recent 95+ heat wave in the northeast.

Got home from being away for a few days and discovered chlorine was pretty low and the return was producing a great deal of bubbles! I shocked it the night we got home (friday) and vacuumed it each day. Tests this morning are all perfectly fine, but I still have bubbles!

The only time this has ever happened was the year my husband didn't listen to me and dumped algaecide in the pool. I interrogated him at length and he promises he did NOT so much as touch pool chemicals when i wasn't looking. Should I just keep it at shock level for a bit longer???
 
Hello and welcome to the forum! :wave: This has got to be my favorite read of the day ...
I interrogated him at length
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Love it! :poke: :whip:

The bubbles shouldn't really have anything to do with your chemistry. Usually air bubbles are an indication that air is getting sucked-in on the suction side (from pool skimmer to pump). Try checking these easy things first:
- Water level high enough to not such air in the skimmer (if y have one)
- Weir door/flap operating properly (if you have one)
- Pump (clear lid) basket O-ring lubed and in good shape
- No obviously leaks or odd sounds
- Pump basket full of water (fully primed)
- If your pool is a salt pool (with SWG) those can product bubbles as well

Now I will mention that we can sometimes experience some air bubbles when the filter if clogged. It happens to me every time. Water gets pulled-in so fast and can't pass through efficiently and there's sort of a traffic jam of water internally that creates a type of outgassing effect. So if you exhaust the things I mentioned above, you might also check the cartridge to make sure it's clean.

Good work. Watch that husband like a hawk and make sure nothing goes in that water other than regular bleach, acid, or the occasional things from the TFP Recommended Chemicals page. :)
 
Oh trust me... I watch him every second! After the algaecide turned the pool into a foam bath (didn't help that he added like 3x the recommended amount to be "certain" it would work) the pool water is my domain alone!

I changed the filter cartridge this morning to be sure I wasn't breeding algae on it. Also we replaced the pump this year and the new one comes with a stupid air jet thingy that is supposed to bubble, BUT said bubbles dissipated after only getting a foot or so across. These bubbles are pretty hardy and make their way all the way across and part way around
 
I changed the filter cartridge this morning to be sure I wasn't breeding algae on it. Also we replaced the pump this year and the new one comes with a stupid air jet thingy that is supposed to bubble, BUT said bubbles dissipated after only getting a foot or so across. These bubbles are pretty hardy and make their way all the way across and part way around
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That sounds like the new aerator product Intex came out with this year. It's designed to aerate, however can increase pH at some point. But if you are sure the bubbles are not related to that product, I'd continue to look at those other items above. The big thing.... making sure the pump basket water level doesn't drop and the pump runs dry. That's never good.
 
Appears to be nothing blocking up the lines or pump, but I'm still bubbly this morning.

Incidentally... noticed yesterday evening that when my son and hubby (sweaty... wearing sunblock... general teenager yuck) were in the pool for about an hour, the bubbles disappeared and didn't reappear until this morning! Not sure if there's any significance to that???
 
I would just recheck everything listed above in post #2 just to make sure. Unless a pool has a salt water generator, often times small bubbles are attributable to a suction side air leak, low water level, or in my case dirty filter. If you rule out that Intex aerator, and the pump doesn't lose prime, just keep an eye on it for a while to see if there are any changes or if you see any other patterns that could explain their appearance.
 
Can we assume that only plain bleach/liquid chlorine is being used? No scented, splashless, Chloromax, etc products?
 
mknauss said:
Can we assume that only plain bleach/liquid chlorine is being used? No scented, splashless, Chloromax, etc products?
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Yes. Only plain walmart bleach.

I'm going to try taking the new return that came with the new pump off (AKA has the aerator) and switching it out with the old one that doesn't have the aerator to see if that solves the problem. Not sure what genius engineered that thing, but it has a tendency to pop off when the teenagers get rambunctious.
 
Be aware that it is getting very difficult to find plain household bleach. If it says 'fabric protection' on the label, that has polymer additives that could foam up in your pool.

About the only Walmart bleach left that is plain is 'Cleaning Bleach' that some members have found.
 

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mknauss said:
Be aware that it is getting very difficult to find plain household bleach. If it says 'fabric protection' on the label, that has polymer additives that could foam up in your pool.

About the only Walmart bleach left that is plain is 'Cleaning Bleach' that some members have found.
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I don't *think* the cheap stuff I buy has any additives as I don't see any fancy "features" listed on the label. It's the same stuff I've been using for weeks without issues.

I guess at this point I'll just keep an eye on all my levels, double check all the connections, and continue to threaten the other half with bodily harm if he even thinks about becoming a pool chemist, in hopes they just go away (the bubbles... not the hubby and teenagers ��)

Thanks again!
 
It is Cal Hypo with a hint of copper -- no big deal ------ hah!

Honestly, that should not have made any foam.

Us men have to stick together around here ------------
 
Texas Splash said:
Time for some more interrogations. :poke: :whip:
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Omg I'm about going to pee my pants. Caught red handed and he finally admits that he picked up "some of the good stuff" to make sure the pool didn't turn green while we were out of town during the heat wave! He stopped home (After i had already left with kids etc) before heading north last week and added it lol.

Oh... he is SOOOO going to regret that. I'm thinking dishes for a month... taking kids to another county for a weekend... possibilities are endless (insert wicked witch of the East laugh here)...

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mknauss said:
It is Cal Hypo with a hint of copper -- no big deal ------ hah!

Honestly, that should not have made any foam.

Us men have to stick together around here ------------
Click to expand...

Lol maybe it's not the culprit, but I'm not going to tell HIM that just yet. Let him think about it a few days *wink*

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kimkats said:
OH NO HE DID NOT! Oh he is in SO much Trouble! "But is has crystals!!!" The only crystals allowed in that house is on her fingers Buddy!!! Have you shown it to him yet??? Man he is SO busted!! MEN!!!
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Full confession lol
 
Moderators: I know you have "Stickys" at the beginning of the subcategories where necessary, but could you please put a sticky on the main category named something like "Classic Stories" and include this and the deer carcass in the pool as well any others you know of. Some stories are just too good to have go to archives. :D
 
Gadragonfly said:
Moderators: I know you have "Stickys" at the beginning of the subcategories where necessary, but could you please put a sticky on the main category named something like "Classic Stories" and include this and the deer carcass in the pool as well any others you know of. Some stories are just too good to have go to archives. :D
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Deer carcass???? Now THAT I've gotta read :lol::lol:
 
Moderators: I know you have "Stickys" at the beginning of the subcategories where necessary, but could you please put a sticky on the main category named something like "Classic Stories" and include this and the deer carcass in the pool as well any others you know of. Some stories are just too good to have go to archives.
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Some of the staff have some good green to clear threads out there. But yeah, the one who wisely decided to drain their swamp because of the unknown history only to find the deer in there, that was a good one.
 

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