Determining water hardness is very important, especially for drinking water, and it is no different when it comes to your private home pool, either. If you own a home with a swimming pool, you must know of all the possible issues in the water — algae, stains, disrupted pH levels, etc.
Unfortunately, the calcium hardness of your pool is of paramount importance too. Keep reading to find out how to increase or lower your pool’s calcium hardness and where to look for high-quality Las Vegas pool repair services if you need to!
What is Calcium Hardness?
Calcium or water hardness refers to the amount of calcium and magnesium present in a given body of water. Similar to how alkalinity and pH levels can influence the quality and consistency of the water, calcium hardness can also create issues if it’s off-balance. Soft water equals corrosion, while hard water equals murkiness. Ideally, your pool should always have balanced calcium levels.
The optimal calcium hardness should be between 150 and 440ppm, even though things can vary depending on various factors, such as the materials the pool is made of.
Low Calcium Hardness: Soft Water
So why are disrupted hardness levels so bad? Low calcium hardness, or, in other words, low levels of calcium and magnesium in your pool water, can cause corrosion. Due to the water lacking these essential minerals, it will try to get them from whatever surrounding surface it can. Thus, the entire pool lining or any submerged objects will start to erode.
How to Increase Calcium Hardness?
The easiest way to deal with soft water is to buy some calcium chloride and pour it inside. By adding the necessary compounds, the water will balance its calcium levels without you having to do anything else in particular.
High Calcium Hardness: Hard Water
Calcium hardness can also be high, making the minerals visible inside the water. Cloudy or murky water is a clear indicator of hardness. If it doesn’t clear up when you try to clean the pool and you notice rough patches of sand-like surfaces plastering on the bottom and sides of the pool, it means you need to promptly do something to lower the hardness.
How to Lower Calcium Hardness?
There are three ways to reduce calcium hardness:
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- Recycle your pool water with RO filtration
- Alternatively, use some flocculant that’ll create calcium clumps inside the water. Once they’ve formed, simply vacuum them out of it. Filter the pool with a sand filter and scrub stubborn patches.
- Finally, if none of these work, add muriatic acid, which will balance your water by increasing saturation.
Get Las Vegas Pool Repair for Calcium Hardness Concerns
If these solutions don’t help, perhaps you have a more serious issue, in which case you should get professional Las Vegas pool repair from City Wide Pool Service. Our team will be at your door in no time!
We’ll immediately diagnose your issue and get your pool up and running as soon as possible. With years of experience treating commercial and residential pools in the Las Vegas area, we’ve created a 7-step process that guarantees a clean and well-maintained pool.
Calcium hardness is hardly an issue when we join the picture. Get in touch, and you’ll see for yourself!