Will calcium hardness affect a pool heat pump ?

[fatcat07]

Hello all,

Just need to verify if the pool store is trying to sell me a load of cr@p again, I have a vinyl liner pool and at 1st I was taken by the pool store into buying chemicals to keeping up ch levels because it would harm my pool. Since than I have learned, thanks to this forum that the ch level isn't really important in a vinyl liner pool.

Now they are telling me that the ch will affect my heat pump, is this true ?

Thanks for all the help .....:fish:

 

[Bama Rambler]

They are correct, but ONLY if your CH is very HIGH! Low CH won't affect your HP or anything else in your vinyl pool. It will however, affect their pocketbook because you're not buying calcium to enrich their bottom line. That's what they're really worried about.

 

[Tie Twist]

I follow this advise, despite the fact that the manual for my heater suggests 200 ppm min. Why do you think they suggest that?

 

[bdavis466]

There is a theory that calcium can form a protective barrier on the inside surface of copper (or any metal) piping...this theory is questionable at best.

A lot of the misinformation comes from the negative side of the CSI/LSI scale being classified as corrosive. Most associate corrosive being in relation to metals but in reality a more accurate term for very negative CSI is etching. A low CSI (typically from low calcium levels) will pull the calcium out of the plaster which will damage the pools surface. Prolonged low pH is far more detrimental to your heater (which significantly contributes to the CSI/LSI scale).

You do not have this issue in a vinyl pool and your calcium hardness level can pretty much be ignored.