How important is calcium on a pool?

[ssgonzalez]

Hi everyone,

I tested for salt and calcium recently for the first time. I added salt but hesitated about calcium, still haven’t done it. I am just not sure how one should add calcium to a vinyl pool.

Is there a way I need to premix it or something? My levels are 175 ppm of calcium. Internet says it needs to be minimum 200, but my manual says to keep it at 125 ppm minimum. What should I trust? And if I am too low now, how do I add calcium? Premixed?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Bperry]

Hi everyone,

I tested for salt and calcium recently for the first time. I added salt but hesitated about calcium, still haven’t done it. I am just not sure how one should add calcium to a vinyl pool.

Is there a way I need to premix it or something? My levels are 175 ppm of calcium. Interest says it needs to be minimum 200, but my manual says to keep it at 125 ppm minimum. What should I trust? And if I am too low now, how do I add calcium? Premixed?

Thanks for your help!

If you dont have a heater then it doesnt matter. You just add it to the pool directly and sweep it to makenaure it doesnt sit on the floor.

 

[ssgonzalez]

If you dont have a heater then it doesnt matter. You just add it to the pool directly and sweep it to makenaure it doesnt sit on the floor.

Thanks! My situation is weird though. I do have a heater but it doesn’t work. The water still passes through it though. I suspect the old owners didn’t take care of it much and it broke down. Our plan is to disconnect it next season, but for now, it is connected and the water passes through it, it just doesn’t heat the water at all.

Would that be a problem ?

 

[Bperry]

Thanks! My situation is weird though. I do have a heater but it doesn’t work. The water still passes through it though. I suspect the old owners didn’t take care of it much and it broke down. Our plan is to disconnect it next season, but for now, it is connected and the water passes through it, it just doesn’t heat the water at all.

Would that be a problem ?

No, the calcium requirement is to protect the heat exchanger, but if you dont care about that then not a big deal.