White Floating Particles

[marq]

So after I got rid of my H2X (2500 gal) swim spa last fall and picked up a LS900 (500 gal) spa I assumed my water problems would be minimal.

First off I know I need to get a better water tester than the strips, that will be done this week.

Here is what is going on.

Just did a water change yesterday (well water) and along with the green water I start seeing small white flakes in the water. They are about the size of a grain of rice, some larger, but if you get a hold of one it will dissolve.

Water balance is close (per test strips) but as noted will get a better kit to manage closer.

Today I had to bleed two pump, with that done and pumps running it REALLY filled the spa full of floaties.

So what is the best guess of what is creating/causing these?

[chem geek]

Since it's well water, the CH and TA may be high and with the water now exposed to air the outgassing of carbon dioxide from the high TA has the pH rise. That combination causes calcium carbonate scaling and might produce flakes of it. However, usually those flakes will be hard and will not dissolve as easily as you describe. If you collect some and add some acid to them and they fizz, then they are likely calcium carbonate.

[marq]

I've even found that if I scoop them out with the net it will cause some to dissolve, definitely not a hard material, almost a waxy material.

As noted we never saw this with the prior swim spa, everything else is the same water, chemicals, etc.

This has been going on from the first time we added water!

Obviously first task is the tester to fine tune the water.

[seldredg]

I'm experiencing something similar, for the first time with a spa I've had for nearly 20 years. I assume something in our water changed and is causing some sort of reaction. But don't know and can't use the spa until I figure it out. Did yo ufind out?

[Leeboy]

Same as me , I get a dissolvable white powdery stuff build up,on my filter canisters and some comes loose with the jets on I think .

[marq]

So after some discussion with the owner of the local pool supply she convinced me that the water test strips was a fair trade off vs the complexity of a more labor intensive test kit. So for now I'm testing more frequently and making smaller daily adjustments to keep the water clear and balanced.

However, the white floaties continue, completed a water change again this last weekend and once everything was heated up I had to bleed two pumps and after running for 10 seconds the entire spa was full of the white particles. Whatever is causing this is lining the pipes and when run it breaks away.

Eventually it filters out but wish I could figure out what is creating this.

This spring when the local store re-opens I'll take a water sample to them for testing and see if that shows anything.

[chem geek]

The pool store owner is wrong. You can't even test for Calcium Hardness (CH) with your test strips -- only Total Hardness. Also, test strips are not very accurate particularly for TA, CH and CYA (they can be OK for pH and sometimes FC if done carefully in a controlled environment).

This certainly sounds like calcium carbonate scale though you really need to collect some and add acid to it to see if it fizzes (that would confirm calcium carbonate), but you'll never know until you get yourself a proper test kit, either the Taylor K-2006 or the TF-100.