I have a salt water system that I mange myself. I take a sample to a pool supply store for testing every 2 weeks to make sure th water chemistry is in balance. usually all I have to do is put in some acid. when I sweep the bottom of the pool things start to float. I installed a new filter cartridge about 2 months ago and did an acid clean on the pentair salt generator. I have no idea where it is coming from. it is not coming out of the returns. it is very flaky. you can see it around 13 seconds
Reply from Inyo Jesse D :
Hello,
What you are describing floating up when you brush is calcium carbonate buildup (calcium flakes). Inside your Pentair salt generator, the electrolysis process creates intense localized heat and very high pH right on the cell plates. This causes calcium in the water to solidify into thin scale plates inside the cell and in turn show up in your pool.
How to Confirm It’s Calcium
- Scoop a few flakes out of the water using a fine mesh net or a small cup.
- Drizzle a few drops of muriatic acid directly onto the flakes.
- if it fizzes, it is 100% calcium scale.
How to stop it from continuing:
Lower your alakinityk**:** Saltwater pools perform much better with lower Total Alkalinity (typically 60–80 ppm instead of the standard 100–120 ppm). Higher TA drives the pH up rapidly and speeds up calcium scaling inside the cell.
Additionally, I would vacuum these manually so your filter doesnt catch them and get caught in the system so it’s not a persistent issue.
Hope this was helpful, feel free to reach out if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Jesse D
Inyo Pools Customer Care