Controlling Calcium - Adding NAC Filter

[Rockenator]

Much thanks to Phil and all the folks at Trouble Free Pool for helping me to understand Pool Chemistry and take on the chores of maintaining my own pool.

Question. We live in Tucson, AZ. Very, very hard water. My CYA is at 85 to 90 but I just started using Liquid Chlorine and Muratic Acid to handle the proper CL levels and manage pH. With that being said - - we have a whole house water filter (2 Sediment, 3 Carbon and 1 NAC.) The NAC (Nucleation Assisted Crystallization) filter is a type of water treatment system that prevents scale buildup in pipes and appliances without removing the essential minerals from the water. It works by transforming hard water minerals into microscopic, non-adhesive crystals that pass through the plumbing system without sticking to surfaces. (Sorry - textbook information. It will be on the mid-term.

10,000 gallon pool. I'm thinking of adding a NAC filter inline where the pool water is connected to our main water line. I just went through installing a double vacuum breaker as the builder used 1/2" pipe and opposed to 3/4" for the outside bib connection and direct pool water line. Undersized but back then, if there was just a hose bib on, it wouldn't have been an issue. Right now, there is a sprinkler system in addition to the pool line AND two faucets that are properly separated, all with shut offs.

My question is this - - I want to control the calcium. With softer water, I believe that will lower my pH, which, quite frankly, I view as a good thing. Are there any other problems I could incur by eliminating most of the hard water minerals and calcium out of our pool water? Thx.

 

[PoolStored]

@JoyfulNoise

 

[JoyfulNoise]

First off, I have no idea what a NAC is but it sounds like a bunch of the usual water pseudoscience nonsense. There are a lot of products on the market that make very ridiculous claims about what they can do and 99.9% of it is garbage. Just enough science to sound fancy and just enough wiggle room so that their claims hold no liability to them. So before we talk about NAC, you better post up some REAL peer-reviewed scientific data about them. Otherwise, it’s pure marketing BS.

As for living in Tucson and pools - get a standard whole house water softener based on salt regeneration and ion exchange resins (you know, the technology that’s been around forever and actually works) and run a like out to your pool autofill or just create an outdoor spigot. Then used softened water to do top offs. When you do that, your CH will stop rising. If you need to lower CH, draining the pool and refilling with standard city water (~ 200ppm CH) is fine.