Foamy Water

[copperlode]

Hi,
I have a large in ground pool.

At opening last year I noticed that any time the water was agitated it tended to foam and bubble. My pool guy thought that it was likely due to the algicide I used at opening and that it would slowly dissipate over the course of the spring. Unfortunately, it persisted throughout the year, though otherwise the water was perfect all year. This year at opening the water was so clear that I did not use an algicide. Once again the water foams and bubbles with any agitation. Otherwise the water has been perfectly clear, and pH, alkalinity, and free and total chlorine have been perfectly maintained. This year the pool guy thought it might be that the water was too soft, and indeed my calcium harness readings were below 100 ppm. I have added Ca gradually over the past few days and my readings are now around 300 ppm and I still have foamy water.

Any ideas?

[PoolDoc]

. . . membership upgraded.

The two causes of foamy water that I can think of are (a) foamy algaecide or (b) unoxidized organic goo.

What chemicals have you added this year?

[copperlode]

The water was very clean when I opened the pool this spring, so I only used chlorine at opening plus some alkalinity up. There does not appear to any organic matter in the pool and the water is now crystal clear but still foams win agitated.

[PoolDoc]

What -- precisely -- chlorine and alkalinity up did you use? (More and more companies are blending stuff in, with basic chemicals.)

I should explain: there's a bit of a puzzle here, based on the info you've given us, namely that you closed a non-foaming pool, and have since added ONLY chlorine and Alk-up. This is conceptually a problem, since
1. Non-foaming water doesn't start foaming on its own, and
2. No chlorine compound used in the pool trade produces foaminess, and
3. Sodium bicarbonate (alkalinity increaser) does not make water foam -- feel slippery, maybe, but not foam.

So, I'm in a bit of an awkward situation, and take your information at face value, I have to assume basic chemical laws have suddenly been re-written, though only at YOUR pool.

The only alternative I can think of, is that something is being overlooked here, and your situation is more complex than the one you've described.

Sorry if I've offended you.

[copperlode]

Chlorine and alk-up are ProTeam, carried by my local pool and spa store. Perhaps I was not entirely clear in my original post, but I did mention that the water foamed all last year, and that it continues to foam this year. No chemical laws being rewritten here...

[PoolDoc]

OK, let's go back then.

1. Please list all chemicals used with exact maker and product name, since 1 month BEFORE foaming began.

2. Please list any chemicals that may have been accidentally introduced into the pool. (All of the pool chemicals that I know of that can cause foaming will break down in a month or less.)