- [Narrator] How much calcium should be in your pool?
And what should you do if there's too much or too little?
Here's everything you need to know about managing
and controlling calcium hardness levels in your pool.
Check it out.
(upbeat music)
First, what is calcium hardness?
And you've probably heard the term hard water before.
It simply means that your water supply has a high level
of minerals, including calcium
that can leave deposits and build up.
So if your calcium hardness levels in
your pool are too high, or even too low,
it can cause damage to your pool.
This includes your pool filter, your pump, your heater,
and even the pool itself.
That's why it's so important to monitor
and balance the calcium hardness levels in your pool.
So, what's the correct calcium hardness level?
Well, if you have a pool with a vinyl liner,
or it's made of fiberglass,
calcium hardness levels should be between 175
and 225 parts per million.
And if you have a concrete or plaster pool,
keep the calcium levels a little higher between 202
and 275 parts per million.
Now what if your calcium hardness levels are too high?
Well, if the calcium hardness levels in
your pool gets too high, the water will be hard
and the first sign is usually a cloudy pool.
Normally, you can clear cloudy pool
with shock or water clarifier.
If the cloudiness doesn't go away,
after shocking your pool even a couple of times,
you could have too much calcium in the water,
and you may also notice a buildup
of calcium on full surface.
So here's how to lower calcium hardness in your pool.
Number one, ask your water source.
If the calcium level is high,
try using a hose filter to keep some of those minerals out.
Then you can drain some of the cool water
and replace it with fresh filtered water.
This is also called dilution.
Number two, use pool flocculent you can try using pool floc
to clump up the excess calcium,
and once the clumps form
and fall to the bottom of your pool.
You need to manually vacuum them out
through your filters waste .
Now be sure that your filter has a way setting
before using poll floc.
Just note, calcium that's already dissolved in the water
will not be affected by flocculant.
It only affects calcium solids
that haven't been dissolved in solution.
Number three, try muriatic acid,
its draining and fluff don't worry,
you can add muriatic acid as a last result.
Now it won't actually reduce
your water's calcium hardness levels,
but it will help bring your full water back into balance.
Real quick before we continue.
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Okay, what if your calcium hardness levels are too low?
Well, low calcium levels means your water is soft
and that can corrode parts of your pool.
Soft water can dissolve concrete and plaster
and corrode any metal parts emerged or touched by the water.
Luckily, bringing the hardness levels up is much easier
than lowering it.
All you need to do is add calcium hardness increaser
to your pool.
Now be sure to carefully follow the instructions
on the package for the best results.
And to add the proper amount of hardness increaser,
you'll need to know your pools of volume,
so be sure to check out our full volume calculator video.
Just know that the calcium
that you add to your pool doesn't dissolve right away.
It may take a while and the chemical can heat up
when it comes in contact with water.
So I recommend as always
to wear protective gear when handling chemicals
and be patient with adding calcium to the wall.
Finally, how do you maintain
the right calcium hardness levels?
One, you wanna balance the water.
keeping a close eye on your full chemistry
will help you prevent problems related to calcium hardness,
and a lot other other things as well.
Number two, test your water frequently.
This is especially important
if you have hard water testing every week or two weeks,
will help you stay on top
of any water chemistry imbalances.
Be sure to use test strips or a liquid test kit
that measures calcium hardness.
And number three address
calcium hardness level problems early.
Don't wait for water hardness
to get out of hand before you try to fix it.
As soon as you see the levels getting close
to the lower or upper limits the right range for your pool.
Take action.
This will save you from dealing
with serious calcium buildup and pool down.
If there's a pool care topic you'd like us
to cover in a future video, please leave a comment,
let us know and hit the like button below
if you found this video helpful.
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That's it.
Thanks again and happy swimming.