Hard water

[paganok21]

Greetings fellow pool peeps! I have a question for you about Calcium. I live near the mountains in hot AZ and we have very hard water. Like out of the tap reading 500 CH. So obviously, even with a fresh fill, my CH is already going to be high. I did a partial drain last fall to get it back down.
I’m not having issues with chemistry, etc, but today did a measure and my CH is at 875. It’s way too hot to drain again right now but once it cools down, I’ll likely do it again. Sigh. Seems like an every few month thing. In my attempt to not waste the deserts most valuable resource, I want to ask the pros. At what level of CH is it considered really bad- like harmful to my equipment bad- that I should act and drain?

Thanks!
Kim

 

[mknauss]

If you aggressively manage CSI, you can have a CH of 1200 or more. You will get water line scale. You will struggle a bit with calcium on your SWCG.
Better is to install a water softener. Even if only for the pool fill water.

Have you actually tested your CH level of your fill water?

 

[paganok21]

If you aggressively manage CSI, you can have a CH of 1200 or more. You will get water line scale. You will struggle a bit with calcium on your SWCG.
Better is to install a water softener. Even if only for the pool fill water.

Have you actually tested your CH level of your fill water?

Thanks so much! I would say I do aggressively manage the csi. I have done waterline scale but softly pumice and it’s not too bad of an eye sore. I clean the SWG every other month and it’s definitely taking on some scale but still working great. I got a bit terrified seeing a consistent result in the 800s but it makes me feel better to see your response. I’ll give it a partial drain again when temps cool and may look into a softener for the pool fill. My outdoor spigots are reading 350 CH.

 

[mknauss]

My outdoor spigots are reading 350 CH.

Most of your water supply is from the CAP. Some from the SRP. So that level is on the high side.

Do you have a whole house water softener?

 

[paganok21]

Most of your water supply is from the CAP. Some from the SRP. So that level is on the high side.

Do you have a whole house water softener?

I do have a water softener inside for the whole house but not the outside I was told. I assume the hoses and the auto pool leveler is not softened.

 

[BDY]

It depends - our water softener is after the irrigation but before the main line enters the house and splits off to the hoses and such. It all depends where the softener is located.

A quick test could be to turn on the hose then close the valves on the softener. If the hose is after the softener the water will stop. If the hose is before it should continue. You can turn on a tap in the house as a control to make sure you turn off the water right on the softener valvetop itself

 

[paganok21]

It depends - our water softener is after the irrigation but before the main line enters the house and splits off to the hoses and such. It all depends where the softener is located.

A quick test could be to turn on the hose then close the valves on the softener. If the hose is after the softener the water will stop. If the hose is before it should continue. You can turn on a tap in the house as a control to make sure you turn off the water right on the softener valvetop itself

Thank you! As suspected, the hose stayed on. My outdoor is not softened.

 

[mknauss]

So you either need to see if you can plumb a soft water line to your pool equipment pad, consider adding a portable RV style softener, or plan to drain the pool once a year for CH reduction.

 

[paganok21]

So you either need to see if you can plumb a soft water line to your pool equipment pad, consider adding a portable RV style softener, or plan to drain the pool once a year for CH reduction.

Thanks again