White Scale in Cleaner Bag

[crossnelson]

I am experiencing an abundance of white scale in my Aquabot pool cleaner bag. The pool looks fine and my levels are right where they have been all summer and the previous summers. I had a new SWG installed this spring so maybe that is it. I have cleaned it three times and it does not seem to have any more build up on the blades than my previous models did.

FCL - 6.8
PH - 7.8
ALY - 275
CH - 650
CYA - 96

 

[mknauss]

Your SWCG creates scale on the plates when the CSI is greater than 0. The reverse polarity cycle sheds the majority of that scale.

To reduce this scale creation, keep your CSI (Pool School - Calcium Saturation Index (CSI))) under 0.0.

Using your data above (are those results from your own test kit?) with a salinity of 3000 ppm and water temp of 80F I get a CSI of 0.9.

The best way to manage your CSI with your elevated CH is to lower your TA to below 80 and keep pH in the lower 7's.

- - - Updated - - -

You should not have to clean your SWCG very often. Each time you do you reduce its life. I have not had to clean my SWCG in over 4 years. My CH ranges from 300 ppm at fresh fill to 1000 ppm when I drain.

 

[crossnelson]

Thank you. I will get back to the chemistry of things and dial it in. Have had such an easy time of it in the past that I got lazy. Thanks also for the note on cell cleaning. My previous one lasted for 8 years.

 

[crossnelson]

I retested everything with my ColorQ Pro 7;

FCL - 7.47
PH - 7.7
AKY - "HI"
CVA - 108
CH - 423
Salt - 3600 per Taylor testor - K-1766

Plugged in everything to Pool Math calculator and not really sure what to do? Look a mess to me, any advice would be much appreciated.

My pool has an auto cover as well and we are experiencing heavy rains here in the Chicago area for the past 4 days and looks like 4 more to come. Not sure how much I will be able to do while this weather lasts.

Thanks

 

[mknauss]

The ColorQ test kit does not provide consistent results.

You need a drop test kit.
Order a TF100 test kit
The only other real option for a test kit is a Taylor K-2006-C. Be careful comparing prices because the K-2006 comes in sizes, designated by a letter. The basic K-2006 has .75oz bottles. You need to get the K-2006-C to get the larger bottles that you want.
I also have the SpeedStir. It makes testing much easier.

 

[crossnelson]

I used my HK-2006 up until this year when I was given the ColorQ as a gift. Should I abandon the ColorQ all together?

 

[mknauss]

LaMotte ColorQ Water Tester

- - - Updated - - -

CH, CYA, and TA are suspect most of the time. The FC and pH seems to be OK from most folks.

 

[crossnelson]

Rain stopped - new test with HK-2006

FCL - 8
PH - 7.7 - 8.0
AKY - 475
CVA - 120
CH - 600

Worse than before - ugh!

 

[mknauss]

Can you add your location to your profile? City, state or country.

You should test your fill water. pH, TA, and CH. Do you add quite a bit of water during the summer due to evaporation? Your TA and CH are quite high.

- - - Updated - - -

Also - a CYA of 120. Did you get that using the dilute test method?

 

[crossnelson]

Chicago, Il.

I have not tested my fill water.

I do not need to add allot of water because of the cover. It is covered when we are not using it. It is the original water that was put in the pool 8-9 years ago.

I did the dilute method for CYA. I guessed 120 as it was 1/4" below the 100 mark.

 

[mknauss]

For CYA - follow Step 8 in Pool School - CYA

 

[crossnelson]

I am out of R-0013 so will need to continue tomorrow afternoon after work.

Thank you again

 

[mknauss]

Chicago, Il.

Great --
Please add your location to your profile.

 

[crossnelson]

Back after a week of travel; I did have my wife open the pool everyday and run the fountains.

FCL - 8.5
PH - 7.7
AKY - 425
CYA - 150 - step 8 test
CH - 427

pool temp 80

Thanks

 

[crossnelson]

Still not sure what to do?

I am guessing drain off 5% of the water and refill

The pool gets closed on September 20 so maybe best to wait until next year and deal with it then?

Any suggestions will help.

Thanks

 

[mknauss]

Draining off and refilling 5% of the water will not effect you very high CYA. If that is all you are going to do, don't bother.

You would need a 50% drain make a dent.

It sounds like you are closing your pool very early. It would probably be best to leave it as is and deal with the issues next year.

I would suggest you be prepared for a large water exchange next year to lower your CYA or you could be dealing with ammonia as that crops up with high CYA that is consumed during the winter.

 

[crossnelson]

Thank you. Are there other steps I can take yet this season other than a 50% refill?

I have had no issues like this over the past 8 years and am wondering what occurred to make this happen. As I posted earlier, the water is basically the original fill as I do not add much water due to my auto cover.

 

[mknauss]

If you can keep the FC high enough for the CYA of 150 (that would be a minimum of 10 ppm FC) then you can do nothing. But you will need to address it next year.

The CYA was added to the pool. Either through CYA powder or liquid CYA or trichlor or dichlor. No other sources.

- - - Updated - - -

You also need to reduce the alkalinity. That was raised by something also. If you do not add water then a base was added (baking soda, etc).

 

[crossnelson]

My Alkalinity has always been high and I try to run my fountains as much as possible to aerate. Is there another way to reduce it?

 

[mknauss]

To reduce TA you drop your ph to 7 and aerate back to 7.5 or so and repeat. You have to really stay on it and push the aeration.