What is this coming out of my pool jets?

[emmiesswimschool]

Okay to start off, we demolished our old fiberglass pool and built a brand new pebbletec pool on the other side of our backyard.

I own a swim school and the first week of firing up the heater (which is only a year old) it started having problems. It would keep turning off and then was a rattling sound.

The heat got fixed but now these “flakes” are coming out of my pool jets when the heater turns on. They are somewhat brittle. If I press on them they will break.

Please someone help me figure it out! I really don’t want this messing up all of my brand new equipment.

Btw we have a pentair sand filter, pentair master temp 400k btu gas heater, and an IntelliFlo pool pump.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! Perhaps those are calcium scale related. Especially if your local water is hard. Try placing some on the ground and carefully pouring some muriatic acid on them. If it fizzles, it's scale that is breaking off in the system. A full set of reliable water test results from either a TF-Series (or Taylor K-2006C) test kit could also provide some answers to confirm.

 

[emmiesswimschool]

Welcome to TFP! Perhaps those are calcium scale related. Especially if your local water is hard. Try placing some on the ground and carefully pouring some muriatic acid on them. If it fizzles, it's scale that is breaking off in the system. A full set of reliable water test results from either a TF-Series (or Taylor K-2006C) test kit could also provide some answers to confirm.

If it does end up being that what do I have to do to fix it?

 

[proavia]

Welcome to TFP!

How are you testing your pool water and how often?
How are you chlorinating?

Since you run a swim school, you probably fall under public pool regulations.
Check with the city or county for their requirements.

Let us know what happens after you put a couple drops of muriatic acid on the flakes.

 

[JamesW]

the first week of firing up the heater (which is only a year old) it started having problems. It would keep turning off and then was a rattling sound.

This was a flow issue, which caused scaling.

You need to descale the heater.

 

[JamesW]

 

[JamesW]

Pentair MasterTemp Heaters - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Exhaust Gas Temperature.

While running, press and hold the On button to display the exhaust temperature (Older Models).

The new models use the Menu to get the SFS.

Here is what the normal exhaust temperature should be:

Below 250 degrees...very low
250 to 290 ..................low
290 to 350.................acceptable
350 to 480 ..................high
Above 480...................error/shutdown.

Note: HD models can be up to 75 degrees higher. HD models use a cupro nickel exchanger and the efficiency is slightly lower resulting in less heat transfer and more waste heat.

If the exhaust gas temperature is higher then normal then water may be bypassing the heat exchanger through a broken bypass valve.

If you hold down the "pool on" button, it stays on 80, then flashes to 40, then back to 80, then the 80/40 reading and E05 indicate that the board is not getting a reading from the sensor. It's usually a bad sensor or damaged wires.

 

[emmiesswimschool]

This was a flow issue, which caused scaling.

You need to descale the heater.

I believe that was the issue with the exhaust. Would it make my water pressure lower? I’m pretty sure they changed it so that’s why the heater is working now. If I descale the heater do you think this will solve the problem?

 

[emmiesswimschool]

Pentair MasterTemp Heaters - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Exhaust Gas Temperature.

While running, press and hold the On button to display the exhaust temperature (Older Models).

The new models use the Menu to get the SFS.

Here is what the normal exhaust temperature should be:

Below 250 degrees...very low
250 to 290 ..................low
290 to 350.................acceptable
350 to 480 ..................high
Above 480...................error/shutdown.

Note: HD models can be up to 75 degrees higher. HD models use a cupro nickel exchanger and the efficiency is slightly lower resulting in less heat transfer and more waste heat.

If the exhaust gas temperature is higher then normal then water may be bypassing the heat exchanger through a broken bypass valve.

If you hold down the "pool on" button, it stays on 80, then flashes to 40, then back to 80, then the 80/40 reading and E05 indicate that the board is not getting a reading from the sensor. It's usually a bad sensor or damaged wires.

Also, do you think it could be old plumbing?

 

[JamesW]

Also, do you think it could be old plumbing?

No.

What is the stack flue temperature?