I need help with water balance and extreamly high CH!

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187penguin

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Jul 3, 2012
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Hi everyone! I just set up an Intex 20x48 ultra frame that holds 8000 gallons. I added a through the wall wide mouth skimmer, and a bigger pump and filter that flow tested just over 3000 gpm after it was plumbed in. It also has an Intex swg. I just tested my fill water from my well and got these numbers:
Ph- 7.8
Alk- 250
Ch- 1180

I'm kinda clueless and don't know what I should do. I'm worried about the ch.
Im out in the boonies and can't get loads of softer water delivered. I remember reading somewhere I could raise the ph to over 10 to precipitate the calcium then vacuum it out.

Could anyone give me an idea of where to start, desired levels, what chemicals to use, how many bags of salt, ect?
Thanks
 
1. read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School.....that's a good start and will tell you the suggested levels for your pool.

2. Lower your pH down to 7.2 and then keep it there all Summer.

3. Get 50ppm CYA and 4ppm liquid chlorine in your pool ASAP

4. Add salt per SWG's suggested levels and fire up SWG.

5. After a few days and the pool seems stable, lower your TA by following the directions in the article in Pool School. (you'll have to let your pH back up to do this)

Running your pH up high will precipitate out the CH sooner or later but you can't predict how it will precipitate. In a vinyl pool, that might be worth a shot but I have no idea what the results will be.
 
I would first find out what the CH level is of your home water. If it is reasonably low your best bet might be to do a drain and refill. We started to have major issues when our CH hit 600. I was getting calcium build up in the pool and it was forming on the grids of my swg every couple of days. Since replacing the water I haven't any any issues and my CH is around 240. I also hooked up a system that catches the rain, filters it a bit and directs it to the pool. The main reason I did this is because the rainwater should have no CH in it. Keeping your PH low will defintely help in the short term though.
 
Welcome to TFP!

If that CH level is correct, you definitely need to lower CH on way or another. The two main approaches are to replace water and to get a reverse osmosis treatment. RO treatments are not available in all areas.
 
I would question that reading.

Did you get it it by swirling, or using a speedstir? My CH dropped dramatically when I switched to the speedstir; it takes a lot of mixing.

Next time you test it, use 10ml water, 10 drops of R-0010, 3 drops of R-0011L, and count each drop of R-0012 as 25 ppm. It doesn't really matter if you get 1175 or 1200 instead of 1180, the difference is minimal at that concentration! And it saves time and R-0012.
 
Thanks for all the responses! I double checked the ch and that is correct. I probably have the hardest water on earth out here. I'm kinda out in the m iddle of nowhere and ro isnt available. The problem is the universal solution is to drain and replace water, but my well is sunk in 300 feet of limestone and my aquafer travels through miles and miles of limestone. The fill water is what I tested as I began filling the pool yesterday. And I am swirling the vial myself
 
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