Green Gunk on Heater, SWG

[gobble9]

Hello TFP - Continuing my learning process. I realize this is likely to have been asked, but thought I would start a new thread with specific pictures.

Was winterizing and pulling drain plugs, etc. Saw this limey jade green color gunk on heater and in SWG. See photos.

What is it, what causes it, and should I be cleaning this every start of season? How do I clean it?

Thanks!

 

[PoolStored]

What is it,

Corrosion. That is what zinc looks like when it corrodes in a saline rich environment - oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, chlorides of zinc metal. It’s basically a big yucky mess of corrosion (that’s a highly technical term there, careful how you use it!). Basically it’s a chunk of zinc rotting away in water … and that’s about all it’s doing.

what causes it,

Answered.

and should I be cleaning this every start of season? How do I clean it?

Just scrub it off, whatever you can get off, and move on. You can clean it when you want. When it is significantly smaller than original, you can replace. For it to be effective, there should be a bonding wire from the wing nut to the ground of the heater.

For the SWG, just use mechanical means to clean...

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Donldson]

To add to the above, the object you are holding is the sacrificial anode. It's designed to corrode so other metals in the heater do not and can be replaced when it has corroded too far.

Be sure when you reattach it at the beginning of the season you re-attach the wire to the lug on it to allow it to work properly.

 

[gobble9]

Anyone seen this colored scale build up before? Does anyone know what it implies in the context of water chemistry? I am planning on cleaning these items with muriatic acid before opening this coming week.

 

[mknauss]

Copper.
How do you chlorinate? Do you use copper based algaecides?

 

[gobble9]

Copper.
How do you chlorinate? Do you use copper based algaecide

If and when I am adding chlorine, I use Mega Super Shock 12.5% Sodium Hypochlorite.

I have not used algaecide at all since opening last Spring.

 

[JamesW]

That is a zinc anode.

Do not use acid on an anode.

Metals like aluminum, zinc and magnesium have a strong reaction with hydrochloric acid and you should never put acid on those types of metals.

You can pull the anode and clean it with a brush.

The green is copper.

Green Gunk on Heater, SWG

Hello TFP - Continuing my learning process. I realize this is likely to have been asked, but thought I would start a new thread with specific pictures. Was winterizing and pulling drain plugs, etc. Saw this limey jade green color gunk on heater and in SWG. See photos. What is it, what...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[JamesW]

 

[gobble9]

Thanks! Could I treat this the same way I would cleaning scale off SWG? Soak it in a bath of diluted muriatic acid?

 

[PoolStored]

Thanks! Could I treat this the same way I would cleaning scale off SWG? Soak it in a bath of diluted muriatic acid?

See my link in post #2 of the thread on the SWG cleaning. Don't use acid, it will damage the ruthenium in the cell.
Do not soak the anode in acid either. See post #2...a simple mechanical cleaning is fine.

 

[ajw22]

Thanks! Could I treat this the same way I would cleaning scale off SWG? Soak it in a bath of diluted muriatic acid?

No, don't put acid on a zinc anode.

Scrape the stuff off with a stiff brush.

The scale does not effect the function of the anode.