VERY high Calcium level in new StoneScapes finish

[dolllyxxx]

I had a my pool remodeled (StoneScapes Tahoe Blue) and filled on 3/21/14. I took a water sample in to the pool store for them to check what I couldn't, and found a very high calcium level. My chemicals in an 11,000 gal inground pool are balanced as: Free Chlorine 5.0, PH 7.4, TA 80 however my calcium hardness is off the charts at approximately 1200 (chart only goes to 999)
They told me that there was no way to reduce this calcium unless I drained 1/2 my pool and refilled with soft water; they sold me a product called "Scale Free" and said to add 1/2 the 67 oz bottle today and then 2 caps full each month to prevent scale. Is this correct?

 

[JasonLion]

If the test result is correct, which I doubt, their advice is fairly good. I strongly recommend verifying that result before doing anything else. Even with high calcium fill water I can't imagine any way for CH to get that high so soon after new plaster was applied.

 

[dolllyxxx]

I think I just figured it out via the web. I have been adding baking soda for the past couple of weeks because the PB left the TA at around 20. Just today I tested at 80 (the pool store tested at 90).

"The reason you balance alkalinity, pH, then calcium hardness is that adjusting alkalinity often affects pH. Adjusting both alkalinity and pH often affects your calcium hardness, as adding sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and sodium carbonate (soda ash) can increase the hardness of your swimming pool water". Per this website http://www.poolforthought.com/maintaining-pool-calcium-hardness/

Any thoughts? Might it come down over time and simply be high due to adding a lot of baking soda?

 

[JasonLion]

No, that's not right. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and Sodium carbonate (soda ash) both affect both the PH and TA, but neither has any effect on the calcium levels (CH). The paragraph you quoted is just wrong. Adjusting PH and/or TA has no effect on calcium hardness (though both affect the calcium saturation index).

 

[dolllyxxx]

I have spoken with the PB and he does not think I have scale because he added sequesterant to the pool. Is this correct? Pool was plastered and filled on 3/22/14. I have been told that the plaster applier most likely added too much calcium chloride to the plaster mix (StoneScapes Tahoe Blue) for calcium hardness to be >999 Below is what it looks like; he has not been over to see it.

 

[RobbieH]

Did they plaster the pool when temps were cold? That's typically the only time you add calcium.