SWG causing foam on pool.

[Newdude]

only put in Calcium, acid and salt

What about last year ? Was bleach used instead of chlorinating liquid or liquid shock ?

 

[Bleek131]

Ok. I will do that

It’s been 2 days so far

 

[Bleek131]

What about last year ? Was bleach used instead of chlorinating liquid or liquid shock ?

Not that I am aware of . But could be possible. If so what would I do

 

[Bleek131]

Bleek,

Very odd indeed!!!

With a Salt level of only 1100, your cell should not even be working at all...

Your bubbles look a lot like soap bubbles.. They do not look like SWCG bubbles.

So tell me what you do to turn off the SWCG? Are you just shutting off the pump or what?

Thanks,

Jim R.

I just turn the Swg off

 

[Bleek131]

Did you add any pool store chemicals in the time since you opened your pool?

It looks very cloudy. You need to add 5 ppm liquid chlorine then let it mix and using one of the recommended test kits, either the TF-100 from tftestkits.net or the Taylor K-2006C test the water to see if the FC is holding.

Your SWG can not raise your chlorine level fast enough, it is used to maintain the FC level. Add liquid chlorine and see if It holds. If it hold then you need to raise CYA level.

Ok thanks

 

[Bleek131]

Ok thanks

I added calcium acid and salt

 

[Newdude]

Not that I am aware of . But could be possible. If so what would I do

The polymers would need chlorine to break down. So basically it will work itself out as the SWG produces chlorine, if that's the cause.

SWG bubbles look like champagne.
SLAM foam looks like dirty pond scum
Household bleach foam looks like soap.

 

[Bleek131]

I have gotten my chemicals balance. My pool is still cloudy. If I turn on the SWG massive bubbles come out and then it covers my pool in foam. I turn off the SWG and the foam eventually disappears. Ran it 2 days without SWG to try to get the cloudiness gone. Have shocked it twice. I took out the new cell (in case it shipped with something on it) and put the old one (that is actually in fine shape) back in.,

Does anyone have any ideas on :
1. why the SWG is causing this issue. I have never had this before and everything is fine with out the SWG on
2. How to get rid of this cloudiness.

 

[PoolStored]

There have been cases reported that in pools that are opened in the cold area of the country can see lots of fine hydrogen bubbles from the SWCG when it is first started. It will subside.

Or, you added something like an algaecide. Again, it will subside.

SWG causing foam on pool.

I installed a new salt water generator this year. Now if it’s running my pool fills with foam. If I turn it off, foam disappears. I am still working on balancing the pool. Any thought?

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Jimrahbe]

131,

Do you still get the foam when you use the old cell? I assume the answer is yes..

This is not at all normal for this to happen. It is not the SWCG itself, it has to be reacting with something that you put in the water.

It looks like some kind of soap...

Let's see what our chemical guys have to say..

Calling @JoyfulNoise

Calling @mgtfp


Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Did you say this is the first year you’ve started taking care of the pool?

 

[MITBeta]

I'd be willing to bet that more chlorine will fix this problem. I would get yourself a good test kit (Test Kits Compared)
and then run the SLAM Process.

If you get enough chlorine in the pool it will oxidize whatever it is that's causing the foam. So far from what you have told us, the FC level has been essentially zero except for the two times you "shocked" it.

But don't do this blindly. Get the test kit and follow the process.

 

[Bleek131]

Did you say this is the first year you’ve started taking care of the pool?

Yes. First time I have to do it myself.

 

[Bleek131]

There have been cases reported that in pools that are opened in the cold area of the country can see lots of fine hydrogen bubbles from the SWCG when it is first started. It will subside.

Or, you added something like an algaecide. Again, it will subside.

SWG causing foam on pool.

I installed a new salt water generator this year. Now if it’s running my pool fills with foam. If I turn it off, foam disappears. I am still working on balancing the pool. Any thought?

www.troublefreepool.com

Do I need to keep running the SWG while I wait for it to subside? I hate the foam. I am trying to get my house on the market to sell. Can I just run the pump and keep the chlorine level up?

 

[PoolStored]

Do I need to keep running the SWG while I wait for it to subside? I hate the foam. I am trying to get my house on the market to sell. Can I just run the pump and keep the chlorine level up?

I would use liquid chlorine and maintain SLAM level FC to clear the foam.

 

[Jimrahbe]

131,

I have no idea if additional chlorine will remove the foam, but if this were my pool, I would sure give it a shot. It can't hurt anything and it just might work.

I'd follow the above advice and run a SLAM for a couple of days and see what happens.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Yeah. That foam looks like the breakdown of algaecide or other “magic potions” from the pool store. Since this is the first time you’re actually doing the work on the pool, you have no idea what previous pool techs added to your pool. They may have added concentrated algaecides all along and, because of their use of stabilized chlorine and/or liquid chlorine, you just never saw the foaming. SWGs create a small amount of aeration when they are generating chlorine and if you have a chemical in the water that is capable of creating foam, then this is what you will see.

You can either SLAM the pool, which is a good idea, or drain and refill the pool if you can drain safely without floating the pool or messing up the liner.

 

[Bleek131]

Just an update. Keeping Swg off so I don’t have to deal with foam. Chemically cleaned sand filter. Shocked and then clarifier. It seems to be starting to clear up