Adding Calcium Chloride

[sfbayjay]

About to add some calcium chloride to my plaster pool to bring CH up a bit after a recent drain and refill.

Presently, CH is at 220, and I'm adding just enough to bring CH up to around 260 ppm. Our fill water (tap) has CH around 210, and I know we'll get a good amount of rain (no CH) this summer, so I assume I'll need to be managing CH from time to time. I'm keeping an eye on CSI in pool math and it looks like increasing CH a bit will help me out some, keeping CSI closer to 0.

Package directions say to scatter over the surface of the pool, but I'm wondering if it would be better to mix the stuff up in a 5-gal bucket of pool water then pour in front of a return. I don't want the solids settling to the bottom and just sitting there, do I?

Advice welcome on how best to add it.

 

[sfbayjay]

Never mind - rookie error and rookie question. Did some more reading here and in Pool School. Sounds like for a small quantity I should be fine to broadcast in the deep end, just keeping a brush handy to agitate anything that makes it to the bottom. Didn't realize that it could get really hot if you mix it in a bucket. Yikes! Glad to have this site - keeping urgent care visits to a minimum!

 

[JVTrain]

You can spread it across the surface of the deep end of the pool. Calcium chloride is fairly inert and will not damage your pool surface even if it sits on the bottom. Be sure to brush the pool afterward to help it dissolve.