Hello, all.
I removed my pool cover this afternoon to discover decently clear water in my pool, but a fuzzy coating of crystaline calcium scale along the walls and floor. What I could reach comes off pretty easily with my hand, so it isn't "baked on". What should I do to the water to get the calcium to redissolve? Can I add acid and lower the pH sufficiently enough to get the calcium scale to redissove? Or is there another way to remove it?
Following is a bit of background information.
21000 gallon pool built in 2007 in central NJ with Hydrazzo finish, DE filter, chlorinated with the Liquidator. I switched to the BBB method of pool maintenance at the start of the 2008 season, so I'm still fairly new to the process.
Current test results:
FC/CC/TC: 0/0/0
ph: > 8.0 (off scale, very bright red)
TA: 50
CYA: 0
CH: 120
Also, when the pool was closed at the end of last September, these were the test results:
FC/CC/TC: 0.4/0/0.4
pH: 7.6
TA: 120
CYA: 35
CH: 260
From what I've seen here and elsewhere, the scaling is likely a result of the pH creeping up over 8.0. How can I prevent that from happening over the winter months? Should I close the pool with a lower pH? I use a mesh safety cover, so rain and snow melt does get into the pool when it is closed. Does rain water cause the pH to creep up or is something else driving it? Is it typical to have to monitor the pool over the winter months and amend the water for a completely closed pool? I don't know anybody around my parts doing that.
Thanks for any insight,
Bob M.
I removed my pool cover this afternoon to discover decently clear water in my pool, but a fuzzy coating of crystaline calcium scale along the walls and floor. What I could reach comes off pretty easily with my hand, so it isn't "baked on". What should I do to the water to get the calcium to redissolve? Can I add acid and lower the pH sufficiently enough to get the calcium scale to redissove? Or is there another way to remove it?
Following is a bit of background information.
21000 gallon pool built in 2007 in central NJ with Hydrazzo finish, DE filter, chlorinated with the Liquidator. I switched to the BBB method of pool maintenance at the start of the 2008 season, so I'm still fairly new to the process.
Current test results:
FC/CC/TC: 0/0/0
ph: > 8.0 (off scale, very bright red)
TA: 50
CYA: 0
CH: 120
Also, when the pool was closed at the end of last September, these were the test results:
FC/CC/TC: 0.4/0/0.4
pH: 7.6
TA: 120
CYA: 35
CH: 260
From what I've seen here and elsewhere, the scaling is likely a result of the pH creeping up over 8.0. How can I prevent that from happening over the winter months? Should I close the pool with a lower pH? I use a mesh safety cover, so rain and snow melt does get into the pool when it is closed. Does rain water cause the pH to creep up or is something else driving it? Is it typical to have to monitor the pool over the winter months and amend the water for a completely closed pool? I don't know anybody around my parts doing that.
Thanks for any insight,
Bob M.