Foam

[dalehileman]

Forgive if I'm in the wrong forum, while it's likely that Pool School covers this, but I'm getting a deposit of thick white foam whenever my Polaris fires up or when its pullaway is going at the surface. I suspect some sort of interaction amongst my treatments and while the stuff is probably perfectly harmless, dissipating after a short time, I'm afraid of its effect on the casual visitor

Only after 12 years has this symptom presented. Weekly I add a few Cl tabs and about 48 oz Kem-Tek Algicide and Clarifier. But it is only lately I add also 1 lb Shock Quick so I suspect this new substance

Thanks for your attention to my query and apologize for my vast ignorance in this area

 

[257WbyMag]

I imagine that you are seeing foam because of the algaecides and clarifiers, two substances that often include long chain polymers. These polymers will do what polymers do and one of those is making bubbles. That's why we don't recommend them here for the most part.

We can begin by looking at your test numbers. Please post a full set including FC, TC, CH, pH, TA, and CYA.

 

[waste]

Have you changed the water in those 12 years? If not, the salt level in the pool may be over ~ 1000ppm. I noticed a few years ago that SWCG pools would foam like mad after we added a linear quat algaecide (amonium something or another), but only after we added a couple bags of salt. My solution was to switch to polyquat 60 for the salt pools - so far, no foaming

Any chance of giving the chem gurus here a full set of chemistry #s? (they may see something that you or I would miss )

 

[dalehileman]

"I imagine that you are seeing foam because of the algaecides and clarifiers.........we don't recommend them here for the most part."

Thank you Mod for that input. As I mentioned I had been using the Kem-Tek algi-clari for some 12 years with no foam problems but if you think it a probable cause I will quit using it for a while

"Please post a full set including FC, TC, CH, pH, TA, and CYA."

Ok, using my aquaCheck:

FC to me appears between 0.5 (grey) and 1.0 (light purple). Using a couple of different kits I also get 0.4 or maybe a little lower. My spouse however says zero (light yellow) while a sample taken to Bill's Pool & Spa also gets a reading of zero. For the past 5 or 6 years I've been unable to increase it, finally decided to quit trying

TC, CH, no means for measuring, Bill evidently doesn't think they're very important

pH I estimate between 6.2 (orange) and 7.8 (light red) depending on one's color acuity; spouse says definitely 7.2 and using a different kit based on tint I guess also around 7.2 though I don't get a color match (supposed to be purple where I get orange)


"Have you changed the water in those 12 years?"

No as I'm not quite sure what to do with the 35,000 gallons though I'm advised by various sources including Pool School that my problem with Cl may due to excessively high CYA, cured only by changing. Bill maintains however, that this apparent relationship is very, very controversial though they suggest I revamp my irrigation systems to accept pool water

Nonetheless I'm considering as a last resort pumping it all into my compost pit but reluctant to do so for fear of undermining my house

TA seems to be 120 (dark green)-180 (slightly darker green), really hard to tell; spouse says 240 (darker even). Bill's evidently doesn't measure it

CYA appears to be in the range 100-150 (purplish) though spouse says 30-50 (brown). Don't recall Bill's reading though they report it "normal"

 

[Guest]

My two suggestions would be to get a good test kit and quit going to Bill's! You are missing a huge amount of information with the little knowledge you are getting from the strips and Bill.

The test kit will be paid for quickly once you stop buying all that stuff that Bill is selling you also. Have you read Pool School yet? It will explain this for you and you'll be much happier (and richer!).

 

[dalehileman]

"Have you read Pool School yet?"

simi thank you for those suggestions, life is beginning to look expensive. Under which heading in Pool School is foaming discussed

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure foaming is in Pool School, but the rest of what it takes to take control of your pool (and get away from Bill!) is!

No offense to Bill (although he is not doing you any favors!), but if you spend a few bucks on a good test kit (TF100 or Taylor K-2006) it will save you more than you can imagine, as well as allowing you to really take control of your pool (do you have any idea how good that is going to feel?!). You won't have foam again, since Bill won't be selling you foam!

Follow what the page says and your life will become less expensive (at least on the pool end)! But, you have to get some real water information, and that starts with a good test kit.

 

[dalehileman]

simi thank you once more

Incidentally if it's of any probative value, next day after the foaming the water was in full haze. Yet I had recently added nothing likely to have precipitated either condition. However we did meantime have visitors who used sunscreens and I am wondering if that's what might have precipitated it all. Perhaps this eventuality too is covered in Pool School and if so under which heading

Thanks all again