Regional Hard Water

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RickyD

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Sep 6, 2017
17
San Antonio, Texas
Since I started using the Taylor K-2006 myself (about 2 weeks), I have been identifying significantly high CH results with last three being 775, 750 and today (after a hard rain) 725.

Background to my location; I live in Northern San Antonio, TX. Where the Balcones Escarpment meets and drops down to the Edwards Plateau.

Our Water source is the Edwards Aquifer, the city pumps unfiltered crystal clear spring water to residents. They do add a hint of chlorine and fluoride but nothing else.

Which brings me to my dilemma, I know typically we should drain a percentage and refill with fresh water. My issue is that my fresh water I will be bringing back in will bring with it High amounts of calcium.

I don't prefer to add more chem than needed but what say you? Is there a product I can add monthly to dilute it and break it down significantly to mitigate slight cloudiness and scaling on waterline tile?
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Welcome to the forum!

Could you put all your pool details, etc in a Signature. See Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post

Does your fill water test to that high of CH using your K2006? You must have a water softener for your household use?

It will be difficult to manage a pool if your fill water is that high unless you use a water softener to strip the calcium out.

Take care.
 
Is there a product I can add monthly to dilute it and break it down significantly to mitigate slight cloudiness and scaling on waterline tile?
Click to expand...

Rain water! If you know you'll be getting a drenching rain, drop you water level an inch and let the rain fill it again. Over time this can do wonders to help lower high CH levels or CYA.

Maddie :flower:
 
In our general area, just like those in AZ, it's critical to keep the pool's CSI level (see PoolMath) at the slightly negative to help compensate. But when it gets to the point that the calcium has already generated, either on the surface as carbonate or become more ingrained as a silicate, then it becomes tougher. Carbonate might be broken down over time by maintaining a lower CSI and lots of consistent brushing. Some folks might even do a no-drain acid (Zero Alkalinity) treatment. But if the calcium is too far along, or has become silicate, it may require manual treatment. The over the counter things like ScaleTec might have a slight effect with carbonate, but then so should muriatic acid when used to make the water more acidic over time.

If you haven't done so already, you might consider testing your fill water just to see what you have to work with. Even if you magically did a 95% water exchange from the same source and your new water CH was let's say 500 as an example, you can still prevent new scale build-up, but you'd first have to address what's on there now. and if/how you might chose to remove it. Ask me how I know? :grrrr:
Pool School - Calcium Scaling

I've fabricated a separate water spigot from my garage where the water softener is so that if/when I need to top off the pool in the summer, I have a choice to slow down the CH rise and use softened water. It helps.
 
Texas Splash said:
In our general area, just like those in AZ, it's critical to keep the pool's CSI level (see PoolMath) at the slightly negative to help compensate. But when it gets to the point that the calcium has already generated, either on the surface as carbonate or become more ingrained as a silicate, then it becomes tougher. Carbonate might be broken down over time by maintaining a lower CSI and lots of consistent brushing. Some folks might even do a no-drain acid (Zero Alkalinity) treatment. But if the calcium is too far along, or has become silicate, it may require manual treatment. The over the counter things like ScaleTec might have a slight effect with carbonate, but then so should muriatic acid when used to make the water more acidic over time.

If you haven't done so already, you might consider testing your fill water just to see what you have to work with. Even if you magically did a 95% water exchange from the same source and your new water CH was let's say 500 as an example, you can still prevent new scale build-up, but you'd first have to address what's on there now. and if/how you might chose to remove it. Ask me how I know? :grrrr:
Pool School - Calcium Scaling

I've fabricated a separate water spigot from my garage where the water softener is so that if/when I need to top off the pool in the summer, I have a choice to slow down the CH rise and use softened water. It helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the CSI advice, I've been working it but guess what is keeping it high...? That's right my CH☹️ I know I brought this pain on myself as I wasn't diligent from last fall through winter with backwashes and overall maintenance. This forum was a wake up call! That Zero Alkalinity treatment sounds scary? I think I'll keep this in my kit bag for a last resort.

Im going to test my fill water tomorrow and post the numbers just to see where we're as you suggested and thanks for the 2nd to last resort reminder to get the CH down...hopefully can get some more rain and just keep an eye on my PH and TA.

Ive seen some other threads about water softener fabrications from softener to pools. Is the softener working? What is your current CH reading? I'll get with my plumber to see if our softener is big enough to take a hit without compromising the rest of the indoor use.
 
mknauss said:
Welcome to the forum!

Could you put all your pool details, etc in a Signature. See Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post

Does your fill water test to that high of CH using your K2006? You must have a water softener for your household use?

It will be difficult to manage a pool if your fill water is that high unless you use a water softener to strip the calcium out.

Take care.
Click to expand...

Thanks for advise on the signature Marty, had to move to my iPad to get it corrected.

I'm going to test my fill water tomorrow and post the numbers, I'm curious to see what my start point is. And yes we most definitely have a water softener.

Going to talk to my plumber to see if my current softener can hold the load to add an extension to the pool pump.
 
Is the softener working? What is your current CH reading?
Click to expand...
The softener did help, although I need to be careful and not work it too hard since it's designed for the home and only #-amount of workload. So when we have those long dry spells, I try to use it a little each day just to stay on top of the water level. That way when I do use the regular hose, I'm not cringing at what's going in. When it finally dawned on me what was happening to my CH level, which when I first got my pool got somewhere around 400-500, I did as much exchanges with the rain as I could. As noted above, if the heavy rains came, I lowered and let nature fill it for me. That on top of the softener got me last fall to under 200. I've actually had it close to 150 which is fine for my FB pool. Right now I'm at about 225 and I like it there. Unfortunately from my pre-TFP knowledge days, I got myself some calcium silicate on my shell and it's a real bear to get off. Lessoned learned, not just about CSI but also about reading the CH test itself. Like the pH at times, it was messing with my eyes and I wasn't letting it get blue enough during the test.

You'll find that your pH is the most influential factor in your CSI. Most of us from CA to TX have very hard water. Our CH can easily creep over 500, and some here have it close to 1,200 at times. So how do they keep from getting scale? .... compensating with a lower pH. So in the PoolMath, play around with your numbers and watch the CSI change. Keep it in the slightly negative and you'll do well. It may not remove any existing scale, that depends on how much it is and what type, but you'll see the pH drives CSI the most - even with an elevated CH. Hope that helps.
 
This makes me feel better about my 450 reading in NW Houston. Our pool has a lot of historic scale and calcium buildup from previous owner neglect. My husband wants to try some Piranha gel, but we’ve decided to hold off because it would be difficult/impossible not to rinse it into the water.

We have a lot of degrading Stone that’s causing sand in the bottom of the pool. Polaris gets some of it but not all. Would that have an impact on CH readings?
(I’ve ordered a hand vac for spot cleaning and hard to reach areas)
 

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We have a lot of degrading Stone that’s causing sand in the bottom of the pool. Polaris gets some of it but not all. Would that have an impact on CH readings?
Click to expand...
For the most part, our CH tests focus on soluble readings of CH, not products that may have inadvertently spilled into the pool. But as an example, if a pool's CH level was allowed to get too low for a long time, it could then erode plaster from walls and make that soluble to compensate for the low CH in the water itself. In your case however (450), that's not a problem. We just have hard water. :) Remember CH doesn't leave a pool unless you change the water (just like CYA). So even if your local tap water has a low CH, it's still adding more to what's already in the pool. Even a nice rain shower won't necessarily remove CH because it's just topping-off what's in there. We need some big Texas rain drop days where we have time to lower the pool's water level first, get that old CH water out, then let Mother Nature fill us back up.
 
I will be very interested in seeing your water testing results. I'm also in Northern San Antonio (half way to Boerne) and have the same / similar water source.
RickyD said:
Thanks for advise on the signature Marty, had to move to my iPad to get it corrected.

I'm going to test my fill water tomorrow and post the numbers, I'm curious to see what my start point is. And yes we most definitely have a water softener.

Going to talk to my plumber to see if my current softener can hold the load to add an extension to the pool pump.
Click to expand...
 
Okay results are in for my fill water CH, its at CH 375 straight from the spigot. Not as high as I thought, my current high CH must be residual from last year and not properly caring for my pool pre TPF guidance/knowledge.

My current numbers are:

FC 7ppm
PH 7.6
TA 100
CH 725
CYA 40ppm
CSI .53

As you advised Texas Splash, I'll drop my water level down before these significant rain events we get and I might help it out with a couple of extra backwashes this this month as well.

I'll also drop my PH to the lower side of 7.2 and drop my TA down to 80ppm as well. All the above should lower my CYA down to about 30ppm as well so I'll frop my FC to 6ppm.

What do y'all think? Slow and steady rather than an extreme drain?

Oop's @ Maddie give the initial advice to predrain before a rain event...
 
You've got a good plan. As for the rain and predicting when to lower the water level, I would say it's anybody's guess. You know how local weather can be. :brickwall: But yes, stay on that pH. Lowering the TA a little will be good as well to help the pH remain more stable. Our weather is about to crank-up a notch I think, so don't let the CYA get too low. Mine is at 50 right now with full sun all day on my pool. Sometimes I go as high as 60-70 to give the FC some relief from the summer sun. If you come out one day and find your FC dropped way low, it may be the low CYA. Overall very good numbers and good plan. :goodjob:
 
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