Calcium Hardness In Vinyl Pool

If your pool has a vinyl or fiberglass liner the calcium hardness level should be between 175 parts per million ppm and 225 ppm.

Calcium hardness in vinyl pool.

The ideal reading for calcium hardness in pool water is about 200 to 400 parts per million. If calcium hardness goes above 400 ppm you will likely see a white flaky crust on the liner and pool equipment. A hardness of 10 is fine in a plastic pool. Calcium hardness is also very important to the chemical balancing of your vinyl liner swimming pool.

In general the whole saturation index thing the pool industry has wasted so much paper on doesn t apply to most pools. A low level can result in foaming which is unpleasant but shouldn t harm the liner. Low ph will damage copper pool heaters. High calcium is rarely a problem if other lsi factors are adjusted properly 500ppm calcium hardness is easily managed without scale formation.

Calcium for a liner pool can be a bit lower than a plaster pool in the range of 150 250 ppm. These are symptoms of swimming pool water that is unbalanced. Low calcium as is often the case will cause long term serious damage especially to plaster vinyl liners grout in between tiles metal rails and even concrete decking around the. If a vinyl liner s calcium level is too low this soft water situation could lead to foaming and other water problems and can harm the vinyl.

In addition to ph and total alkalinity calcium hardness must be kept in balance so that your pool water does not become too corrosive or end up scaling the surface of your pool. If you have a concrete or plaster pool keep the level between 200 ppm and 275 ppm. Hardness at any level is only an issue in a plastic pool pvc pipes vinyl liner polymer pump if it s high. Calcium on the low and high end of the scales will eventually cause problems and when they do be ready for some serious problems.

Low hardness does not. Fortunately calcium hardness changes rather slowly so a once a month testing and adjustment should be all you need. Keeping your calcium hardness in the midpoint. It also produces itchy skin.

Truth be known vinyl liner and fiberglass pools are likely to decline faster in a low calcium environment.