Hi everyone, a simple question about Calcium Hardness (CH). The new plaster on my pool is now a few days under 2 months old. I had the impression from reading other topics in this forum that new plaster tends to leak calcium into the pool. I measured CH:
on 4/27: 160
5/11: 130
I thought maybe my chemicals were old and that could affect it, so I took a sample to a pool store, and they read 110.
Chlorine 3.0 (SWG)
pH 7.8
TA 60
CYA 40-50
Salt: 2900
I added 15 oz. MA (target 7.5), 61 oz. bicarb (target 80), and 1 bag of salt.
I just bought CYA, which my SWG recommends to be 50-75, and 75-85 for temperatures above 30°C (86°F). Given that here in South Florida the pool can reach around 85+°F, I figured I should target 75-80, especially once I add a solar heater. I'll add 67 oz volume CYA per Pool Calculator.
(I am soon going to add Borax, in case that matters.)
In my previous pool (10-year plaster) in this same area, I never had any CH issues, in fact (don't shoot!) I started checking it very infrequently because it never needed adjustment, so I delayed in testing in my new pool, especially since I figured the new plaster would be releasing plaster.
I bought Tetra Express anhydrous calcium chloride 93-97% at the pool store. The pool calculator says to add 325 oz. by volume calcium chloride for a target CH of 300. Before doing so, I just wanted to run by you guys, just in case I'm missing something.
An aside: I asked the pool service guy that handles the new plaster for the first month for my pool contractor if he'd ever heard of Borax in a pool, and he hadn't. I once asked another pool service guy the same thing, and hadn't either. Is that the norm, given that most pool guys use the old techniques they're familiar with, and many/most don't have an interest in looking at a forum like this or getting new ideas (no offense to any pool servicemen reading this - obviously you wouldn't be one of those!)? Or does that mean that these particular guys should definitely not be who I call e.g. if I get tired of taking care of the pool myself and want someone to take care of it?
on 4/27: 160
5/11: 130
I thought maybe my chemicals were old and that could affect it, so I took a sample to a pool store, and they read 110.
Chlorine 3.0 (SWG)
pH 7.8
TA 60
CYA 40-50
Salt: 2900
I added 15 oz. MA (target 7.5), 61 oz. bicarb (target 80), and 1 bag of salt.
I just bought CYA, which my SWG recommends to be 50-75, and 75-85 for temperatures above 30°C (86°F). Given that here in South Florida the pool can reach around 85+°F, I figured I should target 75-80, especially once I add a solar heater. I'll add 67 oz volume CYA per Pool Calculator.
(I am soon going to add Borax, in case that matters.)
In my previous pool (10-year plaster) in this same area, I never had any CH issues, in fact (don't shoot!) I started checking it very infrequently because it never needed adjustment, so I delayed in testing in my new pool, especially since I figured the new plaster would be releasing plaster.
I bought Tetra Express anhydrous calcium chloride 93-97% at the pool store. The pool calculator says to add 325 oz. by volume calcium chloride for a target CH of 300. Before doing so, I just wanted to run by you guys, just in case I'm missing something.
An aside: I asked the pool service guy that handles the new plaster for the first month for my pool contractor if he'd ever heard of Borax in a pool, and he hadn't. I once asked another pool service guy the same thing, and hadn't either. Is that the norm, given that most pool guys use the old techniques they're familiar with, and many/most don't have an interest in looking at a forum like this or getting new ideas (no offense to any pool servicemen reading this - obviously you wouldn't be one of those!)? Or does that mean that these particular guys should definitely not be who I call e.g. if I get tired of taking care of the pool myself and want someone to take care of it?
