White flakes

[williestyle25]

Hey all, I'm sure this has been posted before (did a little search but couldn't really find an answer). So I've noticed these white flakes in my spa only (didn't notice them in the pool, doesn't mean they aren't there). I have a saltwater/pebbletec pool that I clean daily. It's a new build that was finished in August of 2022. About 5 months ago I started noticing these flakes that I can describe as looking like fish food flakes, but white and almost clear. Initially I thought one of my kids brought in a toy with paper that was left in the water and the paper dissolved into said flakes. They seem to sink to the bottom and seats/steps. The only way I notice that they are there is when I go in to clean out leaves and start moving water around, which causes them to start floating around. I have not noticed them in the pool but the robot vacuum cleans in everyday from 8am to 12pm (sometimes longer). I rarely go in to scrub/vacuum the spa (stays relatively clean). I've tried to grab said flakes with my hand. They seem to slip out or they dissipate. I managed to grab one, put some vinegar on it which didn't cause it to fizzle. Last check on my pool came back with the following results:

Ph: 8.0 (usually keep it around 7.5 but have been having been working a lot and haven't been on it these last couple weeks)
TA: 80
CH: 450
FC: 5.5
CYA: 90
Salt: 3200
Temp: 55 Fahrenheit

I've been pretty good about keeping these values in this range except for these last couple weeks where the ph went up a bit. m
My only thought is that this is from the saltwater cell and ends up accumulating in the spa since it's smaller and more obvious. Any thoughts?

 

[mknauss]

My only thought is that this is from the saltwater cell

Correct. You can lower the TA to about 60 ppm and/or manage your pH in the 7's. If you wish, you can use Poolmath to track CSI. If you keep CSI between -0.3 and 0, the flakes will be minimal.

 

[rhawke]

yes I have this all the time as well. My dolphin robot actually does a good job vaccuming it up and i guess i extract a little calcium out of the water that way. Mine started happening when Calcium went above 400ppm. Trying to keep PH under 7.8 in my pool is almost impossible, it just bounces up so fast, so my only solution is to drain and refill ...

 

[williestyle25]

Awesome, appreciate the quick response. I was hoping it wasn't anything serious.

 

[generessler]

A side topic: At CYA=90, FC of 5.5 is okay but marginal because the absolute min is 4. Not far to drop. Recommended target range is 6-12.