My pool located in Henderson, NV is one year old and started producing large visible white flakes over the last several months that float to the bottom of the pool. The 5000 gal pool is crystal clear with all water chemistries in spec. I believe the SWC is the culprit for the white flakes, since I observe the flakes enter from the water outlets in the pool. So, I clean the cell every month (4:1 water-MA) and have conducted my quarterly pool filter (cartridge) cleaning. Daily, I manually skim the pool bottom with a fine mesh screen and have collected about 2 oz of flakes over the past couple of months. I have noticed the main drain filter has about 10 grams of flakes, but the cartridge filters did not show any white flakes. The flakes breakdown easily when wet and tend to solidify when dry. I noticed the dried flakes will bubble with MA, so I think it has to be related to calcium. So, does anyone know how to fix this problem. Cant replace water, since the incoming local city water is the calcium level. Is there a way to reduce the soluble calcium level in a pool? Or is there something else I should investigate???
New Salt Water Pool - SWC generates white flakes
- Thread starter Gsilvers
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,620
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum!
Can you post a full set of test results from your own test kit?
The CH of your pool water is no doubt a bit higher than your fill water. Also a higher pH and TA are possible and that will put your Calcium Saturation Index (CSI) - Trouble Free Pool above 0 and exacerbates the scale creation in your SWCG.
By properly following the Recommended Levels you should never have to clean your SWCG of scale.
The only way to reduce CH in your pool is to drain and refill with lower CH water.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
Can you post a full set of test results from your own test kit?
The CH of your pool water is no doubt a bit higher than your fill water. Also a higher pH and TA are possible and that will put your Calcium Saturation Index (CSI) - Trouble Free Pool above 0 and exacerbates the scale creation in your SWCG.
By properly following the Recommended Levels you should never have to clean your SWCG of scale.
The only way to reduce CH in your pool is to drain and refill with lower CH water.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
Marty, how about a lower pH to help counteract the CH so that the CSI is more negative?
I would also advise against cleaning the SWG cell too often as that shortens the life of the cell greatly. Each time its cleaned you lose a bit of the precious metal that makes the "magic" happen. Only clean when necessary, and try plain water from a hose first to see if that is enough.
Maddie
I would also advise against cleaning the SWG cell too often as that shortens the life of the cell greatly. Each time its cleaned you lose a bit of the precious metal that makes the "magic" happen. Only clean when necessary, and try plain water from a hose first to see if that is enough.
Maddie
- May 3, 2014
- 58,620
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
That is why you use CSI - it is a combination of CH, pH, TA, and to a lesser extent salt, CYA, and borates. Temperature has its effects also.
Here are my numbers:
TH = 250
TC = 3
FC = 2
TA = 80
pH = 7.6
Water is crystal clear (when no flakes are floating around)
The pool equipment is Jandy VS, Jandy Trueclear SWC, Jandy Heater JXI - all about 1 year old.
The white particles are flakes that settles to bottom. I noticed the longer the flakes stay at the pool bottom, the larger they become ~1/2" in size, usually rectangle and flat. They dissolve easily upon gentle rubbing. It was suggested the SWC voltage might be too high causing this reaction. Generally, the SWC is fairly clean and now I will clean when necessary or 2x or 3x per year. If I leave the pool alone for a couple of days (no skimming to remove flakes), there are enough flakes to appear like you are swimming in a snow globe.
Thanks for your help and let me know what you think..... This has everyone perplexed.
~Gary
TH = 250
TC = 3
FC = 2
TA = 80
pH = 7.6
Water is crystal clear (when no flakes are floating around)
The pool equipment is Jandy VS, Jandy Trueclear SWC, Jandy Heater JXI - all about 1 year old.
The white particles are flakes that settles to bottom. I noticed the longer the flakes stay at the pool bottom, the larger they become ~1/2" in size, usually rectangle and flat. They dissolve easily upon gentle rubbing. It was suggested the SWC voltage might be too high causing this reaction. Generally, the SWC is fairly clean and now I will clean when necessary or 2x or 3x per year. If I leave the pool alone for a couple of days (no skimming to remove flakes), there are enough flakes to appear like you are swimming in a snow globe.
Thanks for your help and let me know what you think..... This has everyone perplexed.
~Gary
- May 3, 2014
- 58,620
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum!
Is this a fresh fill? Your CH (you show as TH) is quite low for LVVWD water. Do you have your own test kit that you are testing your water chemistry with?
The flakes are coming from the SWCG. That occurs when the pH drops in the cell as chlorine is generated and the overall Calcium Saturation Index (CSI) - Trouble Free Pool rises. To combat this, you must keep your TA lower as your CH will rise, unless you have a softened water as your make up water.
The reason why I question the data is that currently my CH is right at 800 ppm, TA is 80 ppm, and pH is around 7.5 and I do not get calcium flakes. We use the same fill water.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
Is this a fresh fill? Your CH (you show as TH) is quite low for LVVWD water. Do you have your own test kit that you are testing your water chemistry with?
The flakes are coming from the SWCG. That occurs when the pH drops in the cell as chlorine is generated and the overall Calcium Saturation Index (CSI) - Trouble Free Pool rises. To combat this, you must keep your TA lower as your CH will rise, unless you have a softened water as your make up water.
The reason why I question the data is that currently my CH is right at 800 ppm, TA is 80 ppm, and pH is around 7.5 and I do not get calcium flakes. We use the same fill water.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
This is a new installed plaster pool filled with fresh Henderson water added about a year ago. I have only used MA to reduce pH and shocked pool once with a salt safe shock. My CYA was 0 until last month. Now its 50, but made no difference of the flakes being generated???
Using another test method, I got a reading around Total Hardness = 250 using strips. In Henderson, would the city water TH = TC? Are there other minerals/metals that could cause contribute to this issue?
Using another test method, I got a reading around Total Hardness = 250 using strips. In Henderson, would the city water TH = TC? Are there other minerals/metals that could cause contribute to this issue?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,620
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I suspect our CH is well above 500 ppm. You need a proper test kit.
I suggest the TF-100 A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.
I suggest the TF-100 A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.
Hi, Marty -
Good suggestion - I purchased the Taylor Service Complete Pool Water Test Kit K-2006C, along with a phosphate test strip.
I will report back on my water chemistry once I get this kit.
Good suggestion - I purchased the Taylor Service Complete Pool Water Test Kit K-2006C, along with a phosphate test strip.
I will report back on my water chemistry once I get this kit.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,620
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Great. Not sure I would bother with the phosphate thing. Has no effect on pool water chemistry.
When you get the kit, run a full suite of tests and input them into your Poolmath. Let us know as we can see your Poolmath Logs.
When you get the kit, run a full suite of tests and input them into your Poolmath. Let us know as we can see your Poolmath Logs.