Water Balance: Calcium Hardness
As soon as you get your alkalinity, pH, and chlorine levels just right, calcium hardness creeps up on you and causes chaos. Why is there calcium in your pool water? How much should there be? Controlling the calcium level will ensure your pool stays clean and clear all season long.
If you have hard water, such as with a well, it contains a lot of minerals, including calcium. It’s not very good for your pool and related equipment, so it’s important to keep it in check by balancing the levels regularly.
If you have a vinyl or fiberglass liner, you want a calcium hardness level between 175 parts per million (ppm) and 225 ppm. With a concrete or plaster pool, the level should stay between 200 ppm and 275 ppm.
Water That’s Too Hard
Your pool water will be too hard if the calcium hardness level in your pool is high, and you will end up with cloudy water. Usually you can add shock to get rid of the cloudiness, but if that doesn’t work, there may be too much calcium in there.
If you don’t address this, the sediment from the calcium will build up on the surface of the water.
Lowering Calcium Hardness
Here are some tips on reducing the level of calcium:
- Drain and replace a bit of the water. Test it first. If it’s showing high calcium levels, use a hose filter to keep those minerals from getting back in the pool.
- Use a pool flocculant which will help clump together the calcium. Then, vacuum your pool to get rid of the clumps.
- If all else fails, add muriatic acid. It won’t reduce the calcium hardness, but it will increase the saturation level. This will assist in balancing the water.
Water That’s Too Soft
Water that’s too soft will corrode your pool, dissolving concrete and plaster while rusting metal parts. In this case, you’ll have to add a calcium hardness increaser, but first you’ll need to know the pool’s volume.
Tips to Just-Right Balancing
Avoiding calcium hardness problems involves maintaining your pool, keeping the water balanced, and preventing calcium from getting out of whack.
- Clean the pool regularly.
- Balance the water.
- Test the water every week.
- Fix problems early.
For help balancing the calcium hardness in your water, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the technicians at Central Jersey Pools.