What is Calcium Hardness?
Balancing the water chemistry and the chemicals in your swimming pool can be a little overwhelming. However, doing so is necessary to keep your pool running safely and smoothly. Today we’re discussing calcium hardness in your swimming pool. Let’s dive in.
What is calcium hardness?
Calcium hardness refers to a chemical imbalance in the level of calcium in your pool water. Calcium hardness is a measure of the calcium (Ca+2) ion concentration in water expressed as calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
Why is calcium hardness important for swimming pools?
Pool water requires a certain amount of calcium. If the level of calcium is too low (soft water), the water will be corrosive and dissolve calcium and other minerals from plaster pool surfaces and metal equipment components. If the calcium level is too high (hard water, supersaturated), it can cause turbid water and deposit calcium carbonate scale on the pool’s surface and equipment, particularly heat exchanging surfaces.
What is the proper calcium hardness for a swimming pool?
The calcium hardness should be maintained between 150 and 1000 ppm as CaCO3 in swimming pools. Ideally, calcium hardness should be between 200 and 400 ppm.
How to fix issues with calcium hardness in the water
Since calcium ions cannot be effortlessly removed from pool water, it is important to know the calcium substance of the source water. If the source water is low in calcium, it will be necessary to raise the hardness by adding calcium, from calcium chloride, to prevent corrosive water conditions. If the source water is already high in calcium, it will be necessary to “balance” the water accordingly by adjusting total alkalinity and pH to prevent a condition of supersaturation.
Plainly stated, it’s crucial that you maintain the proper chemical levels in your swimming pool. Without carefully monitoring the calcium hardness level of your water, you may be putting your swimming pool at risk. The process of ensuring that your pool water has an adequate balance of calcium may sound complex, but it’s really a simple process and an important one too.
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