Ask 'Dr. Spa' Q & A Message Board

Low pH and alk usually create corrosion, not scale. What are your actual readings for pH/TA/Hardness? Your calcium hardness levels would have to be very high before it would start precipitating out of low pH/TA water. Most Bromine formulations are low pH, so your constant need to increase TA is not unusual, but given your "flake problem", perhaps you should check your test results with another method to be sure your pH/TA are actually low. To limit the need for constant bicarbonate applications try to build your TA level up to the middle or upper end of the range. That will provide more buffering of the Bromine.

Are the flakes hard or soft? Other sources of the flakes could include inadequate sanitation (organic growth), filter or other component deterioration, the low pH loosening previous scale deposits, or perhaps some filler/binder in your chems precipitating out. You could try treating samples of the flakes with vingegar and bleach to see if either affects them more. Knowing what the flakes are made of will help direct you to a solution.