Thanks Muddy,

You can't see it on the top of the water. The pool looks crystal clear. When it drys it is looks like white salt, however it is not salty to the taste at all- yes I tasted it. It has no taste to it.

When I first got the pool the start up guy said it is just from the SWS when it regenerates about once a week. I had ask what it was since it seemed to only happen the day after the pool was serviced each week. I thought maybe something put into the pool made the salt fall out of solution.

My pool numbers are good and the only additive we put in the pool quarterly is a quart of pink stuff to keep scale away.

If anyone else had it you would notice that about once a week your sediment bag for the pool sweep would fill up completely with this translucent granular substance that when dry looks like white powder. Anyone else get this that has a SWS?

Here is a picture of it. There is a little bit of sediment mixed in from a pebble sheen repair I had done. The Substance in question is not granular at all but mushy and a little slippery if you rub it between your fingers. I have been getting it once a week like clockwork for the last 10 months since the pool was first built. When it drys it is a white powder.

Does anyone else get this? I just hope something is not disolving in my pool like the pipe or the pebble sheen. Could it be the ring material that gets abraded from the viper pool sweep? It seem like too much for this to be the case? Is my pool start up guy right about the salt regeneration? Can I sell the stuff after it drys and turns into a white powder and pay for my pool? Anyone else ever seen this that have SWS?

Sorry if this looks a little gross.

Ewwww, that is kinda gross looking. Don't know what it is. We have a SWG and have never seen anything like that. I'll be following this post to see if anyone knows. Good luck.

What is the pink stuff brand you are adding to your pool?

Yuck....

Never seen anything like it...in the pool anyways.

Ralph

The pink stuff is called Protect All Supreme and I add a quart every three months to protect from scale and metals.

Now I'm concerned that no one else with a SWS has this stuff.

Ralph- Ha Ha Ha

We do have natural rocks- bouquet canyon that do have some mineral deposits on them. Maybe that has somethng to do with it.

I hope you get the mystery solved. We have SWG and never seen anything like this either (fiberglass pool).

I find it amazing that we have had this for almost a year since the pool was built and I thought it was normal. My start up guy said it was just the byproduct of the weekly SWS regeneration and I believed him. He is the pool pro. I never questioned it again until I got curious and ask on this forum. I was under the impression that all salt water systems get this stuff in their pool sweeps.

Fast forward. I think Muddy is right and it is a mold or fungus. The pool looks perfectly clear, however since the stuff is transparent when wet it is probably floating all though my pool. I took a sample to the local pool store and the district manager has seen it once before and says it is a fungus. I have been told to superchlorinate for 24 hours with the SWS and then flush the filter. Then since my phosphate level is 300 I was told to add 16 oz of phosphate remover to make sure it does not come back.

Does this sound like a good plan? I guess if it kills it, I'm fine, if not back to the drawing board.

I am just shocked that we have been swimming in a fungus filled pool for almost a year thinking everything is okay. I really wonder what the start up guy was thinking? He has since moved to a different city. Did he have other pools on his route with the same problem? It seemed like a rational explanation to me since when dry it is a dry powder. Just hope we don't all start growing fungus in our sinus cavitites. My sister has that problem and she has never been able to shake it. Yuk!

Mitch, did you find a solution and what caused it?
I wonder if this can be detected by taking it to a pool supply store and having them also check for mold/fungus. I will definitely be on the look out for this. I'm sure many readers are interested in this.

Thanks

burgos,
I took my water in monthly to be tested. Nothing showed up in the tests- it all came out great. My pool store didn't say there was anyway to test for it when I brought in the sample and the pool water always looked good. I guess I need to always get a second opinion if I notice anything unusual.

Sorry to keep this post alive. I think I have partially solved the problem. I shocked the pool even though I have a SWS by running the super chorinator mode for 24 hours since the pool store said it was a fungus. I then noticed that I was still getting a lot of the white stuff and also noticed the pool sweep was always in the same spot when I got home. I watched it for a couple days to discover it would work for about 10 minutes and get stuck in a corner each day. I think I corrected that problem and hope that helps solve the problem. The water is crystal clear now. I used to see fine particles in the water when the lights were on at night which I thought was normal. Now I see nothing in the water at night.

Next culprit however might be the waterfalls. They were built so the water does not drain out of the bowls when they turn off. One bowl is exposed and had some green build up of algae, the otherone is recessed and capped and so I can not see if anything is growing in that one or not.

Question: Should I get the rock guy to drill holes or something so the water will drain back into the pool when the waterfalls are not on? This will cause some leakage while they are running however? Should I run them for 5 minutes a day to change the water in them so they get chlorine? If so I have an aqualogic PS8. Can I program that to run automatically? What is the best solution? I really have no idea? I haven't talked to the rock guy yet.

We have been struggling with this problem for over a year (the picture above is exactly what we have had). We even upgraded our pool cleaner to a robotic model that filtered the water down to 2 microns which removed all the debris and filtered the water - thinking that it was residue from the chlorine generator. Alas, after a couple of weeks the problem as described would come back. At times the residue was even shaped like the inside of the supply pipes indicating that it was forming throughout the filtration system.

It also appeared that we were starting to get significant calcium build-up in our water fall - which is odd since it does not run that often.

With the help of the posts above and a little more research I believe that our problem is called water mold (it is also sometime referred to as pink algae). This is not toxic to humans but can grow quickly without control. This mold/fungus is often caused by contamination from surrounding soil  one post confirmed that this was their problem through soil testing.

I talked to our local pool store and they indicated that the only thing they had to treat this was a copper based algaecide (these algaecides should not cause staining that normal metallic copper would).

I turned off the salt chlorinator, put in the recommended amount, and within 24 hours the entire residue was gone and the "calcium" build-up on the waterfall was significantly reduced. I did notice that this wiped out the chorine level in the pool  our pool person indicated that we needed to shock the pool 3 times normal after the algaecide had run its course.

The change in our pool has been dramatic.

We have a lot of soil around our pool and I will probably also spray the surrounding are with a general fungicide  it might not help, but it shouldnÂt hurt.

Here is a link that might be useful: Product we used

Thanks sashawolf for the info. We will try your suggestion since nothing else has worked. BTW, another neighbor who said he had the same problem said he was told by Leslie's to adjust the total alkalinity and drain the water down about 1/3 the way and refill due to the hard water. Claimed that the SWS was reacting with the high alkalinity and it was from the SWS regenerating itself. Said it cured his problem.(Our TA is 90 and the ph and chlorine are right on. Plus, many others with SWS have not had this problem).

When we went to Leslie's a month ago was told to shock the pool and that it was a fungus. I did, three times and I still have the problem.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one and that you found a solution. I'll go to Leslie's tomorrow. Just so I get the proportions right since you solved the problem. How many ounces per 10K did you add? Did you just turn the SWS to 0% while you did this? Did you run the filter for 24 hours as part of the treatment?

We too are getting calcium stains in some crevices on the waterfall which we have programed to run for 15 minutes a day thinking since our waterfalls retain water when shut off, maybe they were not getting a dose of chlorine daily to make sure algae didn't grow.

Any idea how many gallons of pool grade bleach I'd need to shock a 20K gallon pool 3X normal? Or should I just run the SWS again for 24 hours in super chlorination mode. I was told by Leslies that this was best since it would take 20 gallons of chlorine to shock a 20K gallon pool. I was thinking it would take 2 gallons max and thought that would be cheaper than running my 1 1/2 gallon pump for 24 hours. Did you buy the general fungicide for around the pool? We too have a lot of planter area around the pool. Your suggestions make a lot of sense.

Anyone else that has thoughts on these questions please chime in.

I'm glad to hear it is not a toxic fungus.

I also found this link and am now positive it is water mold. One lady spent over 3K last year ridding her pool of the stuff and still has it. Her case is much worse than mine however. If we don't get rid of it though it can get much worse. Could even be a result of the bark I put down around the pool according to some of the articles.

http://www.curran.com/

Sounds like calcium carbonate. If the PH rises, a flake like substance will be noticeable and can plug up the cleaner and filter. Lowering the Ph to 7.4 and maintaining that level will elliminate the problem. This is one downside to salt gen systems. Chemical balance is very IMPORTANT, especially with some of the newer convenience products such as SGS and color plasters.

I had tried just shocking last year and the problem was reduced, but it did not go away. I too thought that the issue could have been a calcium compound  however the calcium level in the pool does not bounce around (it should go down dramatically if the entire residue is removed several times). Our pool is 4 years old and we have had pretty consistent chemistry Âkeeping the PH down is almost out only maintenance.

We are using an auquarite chorine system (Hayward/ Goldline). This system does not regenerate itself and this condition does not seem to increase the frequency of when I need to clean the cell.

Apparently the water mold is very difficult to kill  thus both the copper algaecide is needed plus shock. But of course you already knew it was not easy to get rid of.

I just followed the instructions on the bottle which suggested 4 oz per 10k  well I might have stubbed my toe a little and used 5 per. The bottle indicates that there is a maintenance cycle (2oz per 10k monthly) that I might also follow. Our cell allows us to turn it off  setting it to 0 should be the same. I am not even sure that you need to do this. Given that the cell uses electrical current conducted through water to create chlorine, I believe that the unit would have shut itself down if the current flow was too great. I let the pool run normally for a day (6 hours) - Then started the shock cycle. I also purchased a bottle of metal eliminator just in case (looks like I will not need to use it).

Since the water mold appears to be chlorine resistant, I am not sure that the 15 minutes on the waterfall is doing you any good. Our build up is not gone, but is significantly reduced  and I have run it a total of 15 minutes.

I believe 2 gallons of bleach would be just fine. I have a 20k pool and 1 gallon takes me from 0 to 4. I would then run the unit at 100% for a normal filtration cycle (that is what I am dong).

I did get the general fungicide but have not applied it.

Thanks all for the comments. If it is calcium carbonate I think I should be able to spray it with acid when it is dry(drys to a white powder) and it will fizz. I'll try this. Otherwise I will try the copper or a chemical I found that is for water mold.

Interestingly, my start up guy had said a lot of his pools have this and it is from the goldline SWS. It started right after the "free" month service. I wonder if his service guy could have spread it accidentally from pool to pool. Probably not, but I wonder.

Thanks for all of the help golf and sasha. Before too long I'll have this problem under control. At least I'm not alone in this predicament.

Hey Mitch,

I also have the residue in my cleaner bag and yes, I have the Goldline product. Are we sure it's water mold? I'm very interested to know what you find out.

Like you, my water is crystal clear.

Did you really taste it?!? Good gawd, man!!!! LOL!!!

Yes, I really did taste it. That was before the mold post however. I haven't tasted any since. For a while, until I was told it was not toxic, I didn't even go in over my head.
I did pour acid on the dried out powder and no bubbling. This leads me to believe it is not calcium carbonate. I will call Goldline Monday and check with them.

I've also kept a really close eye on the ph and am keeping it at 7.4 to see if that helps. Don't know why it would though.

I think the only people that are would have this problem are those with a pressure side sweep or a robot and a SWS. Anyone else out there experience this stuff in their mesh bag? I can fill the small sediment bag once a week with the stuff. It doesn't collect on my filter grid at all.

Hmm, I don't get that much in my bag. I get about half of a handfull. My pool guy told me it was just residue from the salt generator. That's why I am curious to know if it is mold for sure. It's also not in my filter. Weird. How is your salt reading? Mine has been a little high, so the salt residue made sense to me. keep us posted on what you find out, Mitch.

I get about a half of a handful about every three days. Is this about what you get? It was funny that I've heard it was from the SWS from my pool guy too. Has your pool guy seen this a lot? I never thought about it too much until I heard on this site it might be a mold. We'll see.

The residue in my bag hasn't been cosistent. Sometimes, I can go weeks without any residue. The most I've ever seen has been about half a handful. My pool guy will be here on Wed, so I'll ask him more about it.

Found out more about the residue. Goldline says they get this all the time and knew exactly what I was talking about when I described it. I told them what I had heard as far as it being part of the regeneration process or a water mold. They said that when the unit regenerates it produces no residue, just produces chlorine gas and that it is due to unbalanced water. Told me to check on the second page of the SWS manual that deals with Saturation Index. Sure enough I was a little high on the scale which includes adding the ph, calcium level, water temperature and and total alk using their formula.

If you read the posts above I was "positive" it was water mold. Now I am "pretty sure" that golfgeek and my neighbor who had the problem are right. I am still perplexed that the stuff doesn't fizz? However looking at the saturation scale and knowing that I was keeping the pool at 7.6 and it would jump to 7.8 or even higher by the end of the week when I tested it again, I can see that most of the week the water was probably out of balance. With this in mind, keeping the water at 7.4 like golfgeek suggests should solve the problem. My neighbor said to drain the pool a little. That makes sense now too since in Elk Grove we have hard water and the calcium has increased from 200 to 350 in one year. Replacing the water would also bring down the calcuim level and lower the Index reading.

Also, when I was keeping the water in the 90's this summer I had more residue which again is part of the index.

This also explains your situation aquaman

So golfgeek thanks for the advice. I think you have probably solved the mystery. We should rename you Sherlock, the golfgeek. I'm testing it out this week and think it will solve the problem. Are you a pool pro or a pool owner?

Thanks for the update, Mitch. However, if you partially drain the pool aren't you just going to fill the pool back up with hard water?

Isn't living in Elk Grove great :-P

Aqua, I think the tap water around here is about 200 based on my fill when first opened pool. Since then with the water evaporating and the new water being hard, the water hardness has slowly crept up. I bet after a couple years I will have to drain it down about 1/2 way. Anyone in Elk Grove care to comment on their water hardness or what they use to combat it?

I've kept the water balanced and kept the ph to around 7.2, however I am still getting the crude in my pool sweep. I shocked the pool for 24 hours again with the SWS and the next day the pool sweep (viper) sediment bag was completely full of the crude.

Now I'm at a loss and am going back to the conclusion that it might be a water mold. I've shock the pool 4 times in the last month so all that is left is an algecide. I really hate to use a copper product though since I would be introducting metal into the pool. I already probably have a lot of metal due to all the natural rocks around the pool and waterfalls. Does anyone know of something else I could use? Should I be concerned about using a copper algecide? Any opinions on what this stuff is based on the amount of crude I picked up after shocking the pool. Is there a test for water mold, if that is what it is?

Hey Mitch,

I talked with my pool guy again and he doesn't think it's water mold. He turned my chlorination down last week to 10% (I think) and when he checked my bag this week there wasn't any crud (he calls it salt brine).

What is your chlorination % set at?

Aqua man,

I'll try setting mine at 10% too and see if it reduces the "mold". If it does, that will convince me it is the SWS since reducing the % would increase growth if it were a mold. I have mine set at 50% still thinking it would kill the "mold"

If that does solve the problem, I have a bone to pick with Goldline telling me my water is out of balance. I have kept it in perfect balance the last two weeks, even keeping the ph at 7.2 to have sure it stayed in the balanced range. I shocked again for 24 hours and got a boatload of the "mold" the next day. Your answer seems to make a lot of sense. Will kept you posted.

Thanks Aqua man! BTW, what is your pool hardness level? Is your pool company Tahoe Blue by chance?

Hey Mitch,

Did lowering your chlorinator % work?

My hardness level is over 400. I'm thinking of getting a water softener for our home (including the pool).

I use Integrity Pools for our weekly pool maintenance.

Yea,

Lowering the % to 10 stopped the stuff immediately. I talked to a head tech guy at Goldline and he assured me that there is no byproducts from the chlorine generation. His best guess is high TDS or high ph or high calcium levels. My calcium is at 350 and the ph is right at 100. Don't know the TDS, however with a pool only 1 year old I wouldn't think it would be too high.

Looks like we have hit on something no one can explain. I will try taking it to different pool stores when I get some more. Seems like a chemist could run tests on it to see what it is. Maybe I'll ask at the pool store if they know of any pool chemists or someone who tests for weird stuff.

It's a mystery. At least we know how to get rid of it now, however I know this next summer I will need to turn up the % again. Maybe by then we will have solved the mystery.

Hey Mitch:

I have a new tile pool with a SWS (clearwater) and a Polaris pool vaccuum. I too, have been constantly battling these "salt crystals" that build up in my finger screen and vaccuum bag, which completely stops the unit.

Please confirm my understanding of what is causing this and by just lowering the salt generator this will fix the problem - however, wouldn't this create a shortage of chlorine in the pool? Please e-mail me anyone out there with any understandings at klumkee@yahoo.com. Thank you.

The jury is still out on what it is. It does stop when you turn down the % on the chlorine generator. However 1/2 the pool people that have seen it believe it is water mold and suggest super chlorination as a remedy. Yes, if you cut down the chlorine you get less in the water which is bad. I know we like the water warm in the summer. Could be a combo of too high salt generator and high temps. It will go away on it's own in the winter when you turn down the generator and the water gets colder. I will keep experimenting and asking. Doesn't seem like a health issue however and the water is crystal clear.

In my previous pool I had a SWG that didn't auto-clean. Once every week or two I had to pull it and manually clean it by dunking in an acid bath. It would be totally covered in white scale, presumably calcium. This stuff looked like your photos, except clean white since it stayed stuck to the SWG element. Dunking in acid would cause a nice fizzy reaction.

I'm more willing to believe this is what you're getting rather than water mold. I think you just proved it yourself by turning down the chlorine generation. Here's another thing you can do - just pull the cell every couple days and take a look. If it has scale, clean it per Goldline's instructions (i.e. mild acid bath). Try it for a couple weeks and see if that solves the problem. The amount of calcium buildup is a function of water hardness and the amount of chlorine generation, so you'll have a lot more in the summer than winter.

Another test would be to simply turn off the SWG for a week and add chlorine manually. That should be pretty definitive as well. But not as satisfying as seeing the actual white buildup on the SWG cell and sending a photo to Goldline :-)

We are in Elk Grove too. The pool company the pool builder advised I didn't get great vibes during our first couple of services and have since switched to someone else. We loved the pool builder BTW. We have Pebbletec, and were told by the sub who installed it that we were NOT to use soft water (which we use in the house). Regular water line was installed for the autofill so that we could use the normal "hard" water in the pool.

Have you been adding Muratic Acid each week to balance the Ph? Our pool uses just over a cup each week. The first thing I would have guessed was build up on the SWG element. We were told to clean the elements every 3-6 months.

It's a mystery. We have dried it and poured acid on it- no fizz. We never seem to get a build up on our SW generator- Goldline. It increases with the % we turn up the SWS. Right now I turned the SWS down to 30% from 50 % and I am getting less of the white stuff. I like the idea of just turning off the SWS completely for a week and using liquid- that should rule out water mold completely.

Thanks!

Mitch

Thanks everyone!

I get the "stuff" year round; winter -> summer, you name it. It doesn't appear to slow down during any specific season, and my pool is shaded for most of the year.

I did try to turn my SWS down, which actually did noticibly stall the build up in the finger screen. My guess is that it isn't a mold; I called clearwater and they told me it was a calcium build up and to ensure that my readings were good. Water is crystal clear and fits the build as to what others who have this problem say. PH was high so am having the pool guy add acid today. Thanks again!!

Just thought I would update the white stuff mystery for anyone else who has this "problem". The local pool shop swore it was calcium I was picking up from the water. I tested it again with acid and it did fizz some. Therefore I am inclined to believe he is right. However it does diminish with lower SWS settings so the SWS is a contributor.

The biggest news though is that my viper hadn't worked right for a couple months and so for $100 Hayward will let you trade it in on a phantom. With the phantom I don't get very much of the white stuff in my bag since the bag don't have the sediment pocket and is not as fine of a mesh. Therefore a lot of the reason I was even picking it up at all was due to the bag on the viper. This could explain why a lot of you don't really see it. One interesting observation for the future will be to see how much build up I get on my SWS cell now. In the past I've had no build up of calcium at all on the cell in 2 1/2 years. Now that my pool sweep bag is not catch all the extra calcium will it end up in my cell? On my walls? In my filter? Only time will tell.

I will update the continuing saga of "The mystery of the white stuff" in another month.

As far as the phantom goes, I do like it for $100 upcharge. However if I could have gotten the Polaris for the same price of the Legend I would have gone that route instead. Pools are a $$$ pit, but you can't take it with you.

Are you still using the pink stuff? Is it by chance a calcium hardness sequestrant? Sequestrants tend to bind to things like calcium and keep them from depositing on things like your plaster. I have had a SWG (Jandy Aqua Pure) pool for 2 years and have not seen that floating film. My pool water is hard (around 400). I keep my ph between 7.4 and 7.6. I have to add about 1 quart of acid per day during the summer to keep the hardness from scaling.

I would advise you to go over to troublefreepool website
http://troublefreepool.com/index.php
and post your issue. There are some folks over there that have years of experience with pools and will likely be able to get your issue resolved.

I have had this problem for 2 years now. My white stuff is in the pool and the spa floating freely. My spa looks like a huge snow dome, as the "dandruff" floats in our pool. It has become my life's quest to solve this issue.LOL You can't lower the % on the SWG without sacrificing the CL levels. The higher the %, the more the "dandruff". A catch 22. I have done extensive experimentation(controls and all) and have this to say:

yesterdays pool numbers:

FC.63
TC.9
PH 7.5
CAL 378
ALK 90
CYA 83
Copper 0
Iron 0
TDS 2800
Salt 3700
Phosphates 1000

It is definitely coming from the SWG cel(Goldline in our case) the Mfr. Rep came to our home and said it was "pool chemistry issue". I might add, he has the same problem in his own pool. He walked out of my house saying "I can't help you, wish I could offer you more."

I have tasted it also(no taste) and think it is salt(or scale?) that is clinging to the cel and then gets blown off when it reverses polarity(cleans the cell). You can watch it blow out of the returns and it often has straight edges.

things we have tried:

lowering PH to 7.2 over several months
adding Scaletec
Adding Super Stain out
using clarifier
these things have been tried to no success.

Last night, added phosphate remover, filter is running 24/7 now.
Today the filter was cleaned.
Today the cel was cleaned(even though it wasn't bad)
Tonight we added Jacks Magic-Purple Stuff made for SWG pools.(I know, snake oil...but as I said....)
Tonight the FC level is up to 1.5, TC 1.5. Not sure that is because the SWG ran all night or the phosphate remover is helping?

We have had a helluva time maintaining FC levels all summer, the SWG has been on 80% and the FC has been constantly at .5. We added phosphate remover due to concern it effects the CL levels with a SWG. I have also read it was just a snake oil tactic but I am willing to try anything at this point.

I am desperate for a solution, I don't want to switch to traditional CL pool. My only relief is summer is ending and the % will be lower. :/

Anyone having any success getting rid of the dreaded white stuff?

KC

It might be a virus the space shuttle brought in from outer space. Oh wait, that was a movie I just saw.

Seriously, we know it is from the cell since it increases and decreases with the % of the cell setting. As I stated above, I am getting less in my bag since my new bag is not as good at filtering out the fine stuff. Therefore my filter is now getting it I think. Will find out when I open it up again.

I do use BioDex Protect All Supreme- one quart a quarter. Maybe that helps keep it off the sides of my walls. I don't have a big problem with scale on the walls and have no visible calcium in the turbo cell ever.

The bottom line though is that Goldline maintains it is a water balance issue. That seems logical since when the cell % is turned up, the ph goes up and therefore the water can go out of balance. However I've religously added acid to the water as a test almost daily for a couple weeks and I still got the white stuff at the same rate. The only constant is the % of cell determines the amount of white stuff.

I do know it has some calcium in it since it does fizz a little with acid. The pool store said that older calcium will fizz less.

I really wish Goldline would take the initiative and do some testing on the problem since a lot of us have the condition. I wonder if this is just a Goldline problem or if other SWS manufacturers have the same problem? I also wonder if Goldline knows more than they are telling their customers? Just my cynical corporate greed nature coming through.

Wish I could be more help. The next thing I am going to try is to buy the cell cleaner Goldline just came out with. A friend said it really helped his cell and let him reduce the output with the same chlorine levels. I don't hold out too much hope for this fix however since I don't get very much calcium in my cell and he does. http://www.nextag.com/Gold-Line-CLEANING-STAND-511333113/prices-html

At least Goldline will make more $$$ off me which will make them happy.

Seriously though, don't people at Goldline have chemists that could take time out to analyze the stuff and give us a fix?

Mitch, how does that stand help with cleaning? Right now I just stick my cell in a bucket.

Last time I cleaned out the screen on in-floor system manifold I did have what looked like chunks of calcium, presumably from the cell. I used to clean my old cell manually and there was massive buildup every week in summer, so I've seen how much buildup you can get. The stuff has to go somewhere, so I think you're right and for most people it's just ending up in the filter.

"Seriously though, don't people at Goldline have chemists that could take time out to analyze the stuff and give us a fix?'

The rep told me no, they don't really care since the product is doing what it claims to do, generate chlorine. Nice, eh?

Hi chiefneil, I am not mitch, but have seen the stand used. It just caps the end of the cel and you fill it up with the acid/water mix. The only purpose it to make cel cleaning easier, but the bucket or stand method is effectively the same result. My white stuff goes in the filter(and floats in the pool) but comes out twice as fast from the cel. A perfect filter would not fix the problem.

I just spoke with the Jacks Magic chemist and he "claims" that the Purple Stuff makes it so the calcium(and that is what he says it is)does not adhere to the cel, in addition to stain treating which I have no problem with. We shall see, he said I should see some change by 48 hours. He also questioned my TDS numbers as to why my TDS would be 2800 when my salt was 3700, and if my TDS was combined of the two, I had serious TDS issues. Oy vey.

KC

Update- It is definitely better after the "purple Stuff" application 48 hours ago, but not gone. It is still coming out of the returns..

In my desperation to make it go away, I gotta wonder if, I can buy this stuff cheap by the truckload, and what is the downside to "overdosing"? LOL

hope this helps someone,
KC

After having the phantom in my pool for almost three weeks I am not getting any of the white stuff to speak of. So the viper bag did do a serious job of filtering with it's sediment bag as compared to the phantom. I don't want to pull apart my filter with is a large 4 cartridge system by Hayward that I have had to clean only 2x's a year yet since I just did it a month ago when I still had my viper. It will be interesting to see how long the filter goes now before the pressure goes 10 over. I had never had any of the white stuff in my filter before, just a lot in the sediment bag.

I bet anyone with a robotic cleaner and a goldline chlorinator gets a lot of this white residue also since they filter very fine particles. Anyone out there with a robot and a aqualogic SWS?

socalkc - thanks for the info. I think I'll get one the next time I need to clean my cell.

socalck,

How is your calcium problem. Mine is out of mind since my new phantom does not pick up the fine debris that the viper used to. Now I do see some flakes coming from the returns at times and even saw some on the bottom. However my pool sweep get those. I will be really curious to see what my filter looks like when I look at it in a few months.

Hi all-I see some old friends on this post. I hope you are all doing well and enjoying your pools! I lost this website, my user name and password last winter when my computer crashed and died, but finally got my act back together and put it all together again.

Our SWS has been one royal pain in the a$$. It has had to be replaced 3 times which the company has done without hassle. When it is working, it is great but it has not worked more than it has worked! If I had to do it over again, I either wouldnt put one in or would have definitely gone with a different brand. Although, we have not yet had that substance problem you have Mitch!

I think we are going to yank it before next summer. We may put a different kind in but are a little gun shy now.

Drex

Drex,

Great to hear from you! We were just in Davis today for a soccer match. I too have had my share of problems with the SWS. However I really love the Phantom I have now in place of the Viper. It is taking care of all of the leaves, unlike last year when I had to net them out over a course of a week.

I still think the SWS is the best way to go. The automation, the soft water, the lack of algae buildup, and the fact that I am a little lazy about always testing my pool. A different system might help if you are having problems. You may also want to get the cleaning stand. http://www.nextag.com/Gold-Line-CLEANING-STAND-511333113/prices-html

I have not gotten one yet, however my friend said it solved his low chlorine problem immediately. He was missing a bunch of spots with cleaning his. One of my other problems with the cell is my set up breaks fins on the SWS. One goldline guy says my set up is bad, the other one says the fins should not break. It is producing chlorine right now so I am not too worried at this point.

Still swimming?

mitchcarnie & other posters:

I know it's been a few years since this post but did you ever figure this out? I am having the EXACT same issue. Actually found this post looking online for a cause/solution. I have a brand new pool - 30 days old. Turned the SWG on for the first time, SuperChlorinated for 24 hrs and ran my Polaris Robot the next day. It picked up the gel-like stuff you described/pictured in your post. Water chemistry perfect. Clear, glassy water. Any advice?

I am also new to this sight. However I do have the same problem. Recently moved into this house with a SWS. My aquabot picks up what I thought was salt residue. It is exactly what you all have been describing. Has anyone come up with a definitive removal process?