CH - stock up on Calcium Chloride now?

[sande005]

Or do I care?

Per my signature, a vinyl pool., with a SWCG added last year. Back in the pre-TFP decades, I chased the CSI index every spring. My city does a great job of softening our water, so between large amounts of rain/snow over the winter, and the soft water, my CH is always very low in the spring. 50 or even less. Some years I had to add up to 40 lbs of CA. Per references here, the last couple of years, I stopped adding Calcium, and just ignored the CSI. (Don't believe my pool logs - I just entered a guess number rather than testing, most of the time). I get that I'm only really managing the Calcium, and without plaster to etch, it doesn't enter into the picture. But there is that note in the Wiki about some protection to the heater.....
My heater is very old (20+ yrs), and will fail much sooner than later. We'll see how it does again this spring.
So - in anticipation, bump up the CA for the potentially new heater? But where is the line for not building up on the SWCG, much if at all?

As to the question being asked now - here in Minn., "ice melt" is everywhere, and cheap. Yes, even the pure Dowflake I only buy. But come spring, it is really hard to find, since it is only a winter thing. So stock up now - or continue not paying attention to it?

 

[Bperry]

Or do I care?

Per my signature, a vinyl pool., with a SWCG added last year. Back in the pre-TFP decades, I chased the CSI index every spring. My city does a great job of softening our water, so between large amounts of rain/snow over the winter, and the soft water, my CH is always very low in the spring. 50 or even less. Some years I had to add up to 40 lbs of CA. Per references here, the last couple of years, I stopped adding Calcium, and just ignored the CSI. (Don't believe my pool logs - I just entered a guess number rather than testing, most of the time). I get that I'm only really managing the Calcium, and without plaster to etch, it doesn't enter into the picture. But there is that note in the Wiki about some protection to the heater.....
My heater is very old (20+ yrs), and will fail much sooner than later. We'll see how it does again this spring.
So - in anticipation, bump up the CA for the potentially new heater? But where is the line for not building up on the SWCG, much if at all?

As to the question being asked now - here in Minn., "ice melt" is everywhere, and cheap. Yes, even the pure Dowflake I only buy. But come spring, it is really hard to find, since it is only a winter thing. So stock up now - or continue not paying attention to it?

Pool stores have calcium that I assume would be available all year without having to stock up?

 

[ajw22]

So - in anticipation, bump up the CA for the potentially new heater?

Why in anticipation?

Bump up the CA around 200 when you install the new heater.

But where is the line for not building up on the SWCG, much if at all?

Scaling on the SWG is a high CSI issue inside of the cell.

Keep your water chemistry within TFP ranges and CSI negative and you should not get SWG scaling.

 

[sande005]

Why in anticipation?

Bump up the CA around 200 when you install the new heater.



Scaling on the SWG is a high CSI issue inside of the cell.

Keep your water chemistry within TFP ranges and CSI negative and you should not get SWG scaling.

Umm, but don't I want a bit of scaling on the heater??? There's the rub.
Assuming pH, FC, CC, CYA, Salt, etc. are in range, not to worry of CH is 50 and CS:I is -1.17?

 

[Newdude]

Assuming pH, FC, CC, CYA, Salt, etc. are in range, not to worry of CH is 50 and CS:I is -1.17?

Not with a vinyl pool, no. I just plugged my #s in for funsies and my CSI was -1.46.

but don't I want a bit of scaling on the heater???

You need to have 200 CH to satisfy your warranty because the manufacturer says so. It supposedly served a purpose 100 years ago in steam boilers and no longer applies. But it's an easy out for the manufacturer if you need warranty support, so we recommend running their 200. Anyone with plaster is already well past that.

 

[Newdude]

Also, I don't like ice melt. It's a spin of the wheel every year to see which ones added what to this years batch, if their MSDS even lists the actual amounts of chemicals besides 'proprietary between X and Y'.

Among the impurities may be harmful levels of iron which you never want to add. Or, it's 2/3 salt and by the time you buy 3x as much, you didn't save anything.

Many succeed each year but it's just too risky IMO. I like puritech brand from Amazon. It's a happy medium between the cheap ice melt and the spendy pool store stuff. It's not to say that the manufacturer gives a hoot about my pool, but at least pools is a thought in their mind, unlike the ice melt manufacturers.

 

[ajw22]

Umm, but don't I want a bit of scaling on the heater??? There's the rub.
Assuming pH, FC, CC, CYA, Salt, etc. are in range, not to worry of CH is 50 and CS:I is -1.17?

The environment in a heater or a SWG is different then in the pool.

CSI is made of up many factors that contribute to scaling.

A heater has much higher temperature.

A SWG has very different pH in the cell.

The CSI in the same water is different in each area.

Follow the recommended levels and it will work out fine.

 

[sande005]

OK, While I can get it, I guess 'tis time to lug home a 50# bag of Dowflake. (very pure CaCl).....
Nope, I would never use general hardware store ice melt. And as we all know, the Pool Store stuff is SO heavily marked up....