I recently had a Hayward Pool Heater installed. The literature with the heater says the hardiness needs to be at least 250 ppm. I have a vinyl lined in-ground pool. What effects does the hardiness level have on a heater? 
Hardiness and Hayward Pool heater
- Thread starter sunshine63
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
I am assuming that you mean calcium hardness (CH).
Low CH levels don't bother the heater at all. What probably happened is that the heater manufacturer just copied some existing table of what the levels should be that covered all kinds of pools and went with that instead of really thinking about what would damage the heater. A plaster pool should have CH at 250 or higher, so that number would be in a table of levels designed to work acceptably with any pool.
The only reason to keep the CH level up around 250 or higher with a vinyl liner pool is to protect your warranty coverage. Having put that in the warranty, they will sometimes use it to get out of providing warranty coverage (should the situation ever come up).
I am assuming that you mean calcium hardness (CH).
Low CH levels don't bother the heater at all. What probably happened is that the heater manufacturer just copied some existing table of what the levels should be that covered all kinds of pools and went with that instead of really thinking about what would damage the heater. A plaster pool should have CH at 250 or higher, so that number would be in a table of levels designed to work acceptably with any pool.
The only reason to keep the CH level up around 250 or higher with a vinyl liner pool is to protect your warranty coverage. Having put that in the warranty, they will sometimes use it to get out of providing warranty coverage (should the situation ever come up).
Thank you for the information. I have learned so much about water chemistry from trouble free pool. My pool has never looked so great!!