CH borderline

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B

bzeller

0
May 9, 2013
135
Round Rock, TX
Just took my readings and everything seems to be in line with recommended levels other than CH...

FC - 3.0
CYA - 30
PH - 7.4 ish
TA - 90
CH - 390 - 400

So how concerned should I be with CH at 390 - 400? To get to 300, I'd have to replace 25% of my water. Would prefer not to go through that hassle or expense if its not a huge deal. :?
 
I just tested it. I'm only 3-4 weeks into this pool ownership thing so still trying to get a feel for the test kit. It's much easier to tell when the pool water sample turns from red to blue as its a more defined change. My outside tap water looked to have a CH of around 150 - 180.
 
I asked what the CH of the fill water was because if you're thinking about draining and replacing water and your fill water CH was high you wouldn't be helping yourself any. Since it's that low you can drain and refill and the CH in the pool will go down some. But, like I said, at 400 ppm it isnt' high enough to be a real problem. Just keep the pH toward the lower end of the range and you'll be fine.
 
CH should probably come down over time given I live in TX and I'll see a decent amount of evaporation during the hot months.
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Unfortunately, that won't be the case. CH is not affected by evaporation and it, under most all circumstances, will slowly continue to increase.

Very similar to CYA, the only way to reduce CH is to drain off some of the pool water and replace it with your lower CH fill water.
 
Yes, but the existing CH in your pool doesn't evaporate....it concentrates. Therefore, any fill water you add that contains ANY CH, only adds to the existing total.

Many newbies don't get that at first because it's somewhat counter-intuitive but, believe me, that's what happens.
 
They speak the truth. Like most people in Houston my fill water is high in CH (mine is CH 150) and I'm currently at CH 575. To balance the numbers I keep my TA down to 70 or below and I keep my pH in check. Draining and replacing water quickly got old. But with high CH fill water and drought conditions its either drain and fill or keep the TA and pH in check.

Edit: I also added borates and I believe it helps with the CSI.
 

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Duh! I should have known that CH (as well as CYA, correct?) doesn't "evaporate" with the water! Hmmm, maybe some heavy rain might dilute it some? Either way, I'll have to monitor it and a dump/refill may be in my future if it goes any higher.
 
To make an course example of it. Say your CH in the pool is 400 and the CH of the fill water is 200. Now say that 10% of your water evaporates. Now your CH in the pool is 440. You add the 10% back in fill water to the pool and your CH now goes back to 400 PLUS 20 ppm that the fill water adds. Now you have a CH of 420 ppm instead of 400 ppm.

Take the same scenario except you drain off the water instead of letting it evaporate. You drain 10% of the water. Now your CH is still 400 in the pool. You refill the pool with the fill water so the pool is now at 360, BUT, you have to add the CH that the fill water adds, so you're actually at 380. In that case you've actually lowered your CH a bit.
 
I'm not sure if you have a substantial rainy period where you live (like I do), but when my pool gets flooded to the point that the skimmer no longer functions, I drain a few inches off (actually use the pumps to discharge water through a hose bibb that is connected to the filter output plumbing).

Now that will remove some of the CH (and dilute it slightly too). It takes out a little of just about everything else too.
 
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