Newbie, Dumbie, My pool Fizzes when you jump in

[tasso]

Hi, I am new to pools and everything about them. We had a beautiful fiberglass 40x 16 diving pool put in this summer with a SWG Intellichlor.

Overall the pool company disappeared literally after the job was done 8 weeks to complete, they were in no rush. I digress.

Anyway, I have been trying to manage it myself for the last 6 weeks.

Lately, the last 5 weeks the water bubbles when you jump into it and the fizzes last longer and longer. There is no bubbles in the pool when you roll back the autocover.

The fizzes fade in about 30-60 seconds, but it really happens quit a bit. I have checked the pump for leaks etc. No air visibly being in the returns. It is like jumping into club soda, it actually fizzes and you can see it.

I tried clarifier, proper amount for pool size and volume

I have had high TA initally, the pool company never balanced it or anything, they actually kind of dissappeared

I have added dry acid to try and lower the TA on and off all summer.

Todays readings

PH 7.0
TA 120
Cy 0
CL 3

Help. I do have never put algaecide in it.

Thank you. Does it have to do with the carbonates and the TA etc?

[Poconos]

Welcome to the forum. I have a feeling you may have difficulty getting an answer. Never heard of a Club Soda Fizz before. This isn't really my area of the forum but I'll ask some questions and someone else will come along.

-- How sure are you about the pH being 7? Some kits don;t read below 7 so you could be very acidic.

-- Where did you get the fill water?

-- How did you get the readings? Test kit, strips, pool store?

-- Specifics on exactly what, how much, and when you added stuff to the pool.

With a pH that low if you aerate the TA will come down and pH will rise.

Al

[CarlD]

It does seem like there may be a lot of carbon dioxide dissolved in the water...but how did it get there? Aeration MAY help clear it.

[chem geek]

Your TA isn't that high to cause fizzing. Have you used any enzyme products? these can have surfactants and those can cause tiny bubbles when one splashes in the water and these can take some time to settle down. Same thing with any soap that may have gotten into the water though usually those bubbles are larger.

[tasso]

I am using test strips and they appear to be able to read down to around 6.6 ph The color is kind of between 6.8 and 7.2, if I had to favor one or the other via color I would favor 7.2.

After it all started I tried a defoamer for a couple weeks, and that will for a day or so stop it.

I tried clarifier once a week, for about 2 weeks. Did not seem to help.

All products were from pool stores.

I have been aerating via pointing the jets upward for the last 24 hours, after reading the interesting post on carbonates and it seemed to be helping a little bit as of tonight.

The swim suits have not been washed in soap now for 2-3 weeks and no sun screen either for at least that long.

I should mention we live near Minneapolis, MN so it is cool now, average daily temp around 60 to 65 degrees, and I kept the pool around 75 degrees.

Thank you all for your help.

[CarlD]

Defoamer and clarifier? Stay away from them!

You'll need a proper test kit, such as the Taylor K-2006 or K-2006C, but until then seek out the Walmart 5-way (or 6-way) drop test kit for about $15. It will give you a FAR better pH reading.

If you can't find than, then buy a simple OTO drop test kit--the pH test should be better than strips. If you can find one that uses Taylor chems, that's better (I think that's what the Leslie's chain stocks).

[tasso]

Thanks for everything.

I have been aerating via upward pointed returns and it is better 50% better after about 48 plus hours. I am aerating mostly with the autocover on, it is in the 60s up here and I live in a forest.

On the strips still reads 7.2, I suspect the pH was actually lower than I thought or strips read.

I will check for the drop tests but next year will be buying the kits you all recommend for next year

Thanx so much

tasso

[CarlD]

At least get the OTO drop test kit now. It's about $7 usually and only has two tests: Chlorine (OTO test) and pH. You cannot trust the strips.

I would only use either Hache or LaMotte brand strips and even they aren't very good. It's very hard to match the colors to the keys and even then, when compared to a drop test they are AT BEST, so-so.

I know most men have a poorer color sense than most women and it's genetic. Color-blindness is common among men but a medical oddity among women, but I generally have a very acute color sense--even my wife admits I can detect variants in shades and tints better than she can (not by much, though--and only when I actually CARE ;) ) but I have a devil of a time seeing subtle differences in the test strips.

I mainly use them for a quck check of FC. If it's white I have none. If it's a watery purple I have some but probably not enough. If it's deep purple I have at least an FC of 10.

This is why we do NOT recommend using them, preferring for new-comers to the B-B-B method of pool maintenance to use drop testing instead. Pool store clerks LOVE to argue with us, but they're the ones that push all kinds of useless and even damaging chemicals on you.

[tasso]

I did the liquid drops and it was about the same 1 on the Chlorine and 7.2 on the PH. Overall is is better than before and not a big issue anymore. THANX for all the help.

Now the Newbie Dumbie is going to close his own pool, look for my questions in that section, once I find that section/thread "closed it today" overall really was pretty easy