My pool builder said that my calcium hardness should be 150 minimum. So he gave me enough calcium chloride to exceed 150, but I think I should still get that number up a little bit. I'm at 210 right now. Any problems buying this stuff online? I know liquid chlorine needs to be fresh to be effective, but I'm not sure about Calcium Chloride. I was going to buy this 25 pound bucket, assuming I'd probably use most of it to get into my ideal range of 350-550. Does this seem ok to get? It says it is "Calcium Chloride Compound".
Purchasing Calcium Chloride Online
- Thread starter kawisser
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,451
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Unless you have grouted waterline tile, there is no need to add calcium to your pool water.
That product is an acceptable calcium increaser for pools.
That product is an acceptable calcium increaser for pools.
I thought fiberglass pools need a certain level of calcium. My pool math app says I am very low. Is that not correct?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,451
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Fiberglass needs about 100 ppm CH to prevent potential staining. If you have a heater, you should have 200 ppm CH as per heater manufacturers.
The app is a tool. It blindly gives you mid 'ideal' range. And that 'ideal' is based on CSI. Which for fiberglass pools, is not really applicable on the low side.
Adjust the 'Target' CH in the app to 200 ppm. All is good.
The app is a tool. It blindly gives you mid 'ideal' range. And that 'ideal' is based on CSI. Which for fiberglass pools, is not really applicable on the low side.
Adjust the 'Target' CH in the app to 200 ppm. All is good.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate all your responses on my many recent posts. I'm learning a lot.
- Nov 30, 2019
- 853
- Pool Size
- 8500
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
That’s the brand that I use. No issues. Although you are told you don’t need calcium in your FG pool, I never quite understood that. You’ll need to maintain the Poolmath recommended levels if you want to maintain Poolmath recommended CSI levels.
When adding calcium chloride watch for FC ‘crash’. Check FC a few hours after adding calcium chloride and use liquid chlorine to bring FC back to target level.
When adding calcium chloride watch for FC ‘crash’. Check FC a few hours after adding calcium chloride and use liquid chlorine to bring FC back to target level.
It gets confusing when advice differs from what is written in Pool School. When someone new shows up, a link is usually posted by a TFP expert to the ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry. If you go to that article, it says "A plaster pool or Fiberglass pool should attempt to keep their Calcium between 250 and 650 parts per million."
Then if you go to the bottom of the page, there is a link to Recommended Levels. If you select fiberglass pool and SWG, the calcium "acceptable minimum" is 250-350ppm.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,451
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
The issue with fiberglass is the highly varying parameters. If one has water line tile with cement based grout, then you need the 250 ppm minimum. So that is what the data is based on.
If you do not have water line tile, then the CH can be less. But if you wish to follow the higher levels, by all means do.
If you do not have water line tile, then the CH can be less. But if you wish to follow the higher levels, by all means do.
I'm not arguing that isn't the case. I'm just suggesting that if the higher levels only apply to fiberglass pools with cement-based grout, that information should be added to the ABCs and Recommended Levels. Under Recommended Levels, there is the perfect place to put that information under Additional Notes.
- Nov 30, 2019
- 853
- Pool Size
- 8500
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Especially confusing is that if one were to maintain a CH level of 100 rather than the ‘recommended’ 250-650, CSI would be way out of the recommended target range.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,451
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
CSI on the low side is of no consequence to a fiberglass pool that does NOT have water line tile with cement based grout.
- Nov 30, 2019
- 853
- Pool Size
- 8500
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
- May 3, 2014
- 58,451
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Heater manufacturers state 200 ppm CH. pH and TA must be kept in acceptable ranges.
So when do you follow a manufacturer's required chemical levels and when do you ignore them?
My fiberglass pool manufacturer requires FC to be between 1-3 ppm, pH 7.2-7.6, TA 80-120ppm, CH 150-200ppm, CYA 30-50ppm, and salt 2700-3400ppm.