Calcium buildup isn’t anything new if you have a swimming pool at home. It’s the thin layer of gray or white grime that you see around the waterline of your pool tiles. And every pool has been a victim of it at some point. But where does it come from? How do you get rid of it? And what can you do to avoid it?
As a trusted pool maintenance expert in Las Vegas, City Wide Pool Service helps you understand the cause of calcium buildup in your pool tiles and how you can effectively get rid of it.
Identifying the Two Types of Calcium Buildup
There are two types of calcium compounds that can form in pool water and cause buildup on the tiles.
Calcium carbonate typically appears as white scales that you can easily chip off. Calcium silicate, which looks like grayish grime, takes a long time to form and could also possibly affect the pool filtration system. Either might occur if your swimming pool’s pH level goes below 7.4 or above 7.6.
You can prevent calcium buildup by maintaining a calcium level of 200 to 400 ppm. Your pool’s chlorine level could also trigger calcium buildup, so you might want to keep it between 2 to 3 ppm.
Addressing Calcium Buildup on your Own
Before trying to remove calcium buildup, you first have to make sure that your pool water has balanced pH levels. If the pH levels are higher than 7.6, you’ll need to add pool acid to balance it out. You can gradually adjust it by adding a gallon of pool acid for every 10,000 gallons of pool water.
When the pH levels have stabilized, you can work on getting rid of the calcium buildup.
For calcium carbonate, you can simply use a commercial stain eraser or a pumice stone to lightly scrub the tiles. If the pool surface is made of fiberglass, use a scaling treatment that gently removes the buildup.
Calcium silicate is much more stubborn than calcium carbonate so you’ll really need to scrub the grime with a pumice stone. But while this works on pool tiles and concrete, it isn’t advisable for fiberglass surfaces. Either way, you’ll likely need to use a heavy-duty, acid-free calcium cleaner.
Additionally, keep in mind that professional pool cleaning isn’t just for dealing with clogged drains and preventing algae growth. If you don’t have time to address the calcium buildup on your pool tiles, your next best choice is to let your local pool cleaners take care of it.
Preventing Calcium Buildup in the Future
You can protect the pool tiles by applying calcium blockers. You can install a pool cover to minimize water evaporation and prevent higher calcium concentration levels. Professional pool cleaners would also advise you to monitor your pool’s pH balance and make sure the pH level remains between 7.4 and 7.6.
But if you want to maintain a clean swimming pool with minimal risks of calcium buildup, your best course of action is to schedule professional cleaning and maintenance services.
If you live in the Las Vegas area, you can simply call City Wide Pool Service to take care of the calcium buildup in your residential swimming pool. You can also schedule regular maintenance so you never have to worry about gray or white grime settling on your pool tiles. Contact us today.
