Low Calcium Hardness, Cal Hypo >LC

[howaldryan]

I love this site and forum. First post!

I am officially converted to LC and testing my own water (instead of Leslies). My CH is currently a bit low. Would it make sense to use Cal Hypo for a bit instead of LC to raise those levels? It seems it would kill two birds temporarily until my CH levels are back in check but wanted to see if I was missing something.

I already have several lbs of Cal Hypo so if cost is a factor, I already have the shock.

 

[Newdude]

Hey HR and Welcome !!!

Post up the test results and also that of your fill water. The fill water may make up the difference quickly by you and you want to put off the eventual draining for high CH as long as possible.

 

[howaldryan]

Hey HR and Welcome !!!

Post up the test results and also that of your fill water. The fill water may make up the difference quickly by you and you want to put off the eventual draining for high CH as long as possible.

Good idea. Let me check that and get back to you.

 

[proavia]

Welcome to TFP!

If you are on city water in Chandler, your starting CH is 200-250 ppm.
That is a perfectly fine starting point. The CH will rise due to evaportation/refill.

Do you have a functioning water softener plumbed to your autofill?

Post up those test results and we can go from there.

 

[howaldryan]

Welcome to TFP!

If you are on city water in Chandler, your starting CH is 200-250 ppm.
That is a perfectly fine starting point. The CH will rise due to evaportation/refill.

Do you have a functioning water softener plumbed to your autofill?

Post up those test results and we can go from there.

Pool:
FC: 14
PH: 7.2
Alkalinity: 90 (working on this which is why PH is low)
CYA: 160 (I’ll deal with this when temps drop)
CH: 400

Fill water:
CH: 30

I realized after testing my fill water for CH, I realized that I wasn’t getting to a true blue so I retested my pool and I’m within range.

I wasn’t sure if fill water was running through my water softener but based on it being 30, I am assuming it is?

 

[Newdude]

I wasn’t sure if fill water was running through my water softener but based on it being 30, I am assuming it is?

It appears so.

CH: 400

400 is plenty. Leave it be.

CYA: 160 (I’ll deal with this when temps drop)

Consider a no drain exchange:

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Keep the FC at or near a teen until you lower the CYA.

 

[proavia]

Are you on city water? If so, grab a water sample at the house hose bib by the water shutoff in your front yard.

A CH of 30 for fill water would indicate you tested from a soft water source (after the water softener).
Is this location the outside rear hose bib (maybe near where the autofill taps into the line)?

To save reagents, use the 10 ml sample size for FC/CC and CH tests.
Did you do the diluted CYA test to arrive at CYA 160?

 

[howaldryan]

Are you on city water? If so, grab a water sample at the house hose bib by the water shutoff in your front yard.

A CH of 30 for fill water would indicate you tested from a soft water source (after the water softener).
Is this location the outside rear hose bib (maybe near where the autofill taps into the line)?

To save reagents, use the 10 ml sample size for FC/CC and CH tests.
Did you do the diluted CYA test to arrive at CYA 160?

Yes, outside bib that’s connected to my autofill.

I have been doing the 10 mil tests since my FC is higher. Same with CH.

Yes, diluted CYA.

 

[proavia]

I have been doing the 10 mil tests since my FC is higher. Same with CH.

For CH with a 10ml sample, each drop counts as 25 ppm.
In post #5 you reported a fill water CH of 30.
Did you mean 300? Please clarify.

Yes, diluted CYA.

Perfect!
Consider a full drain/refill in mid to late October.
Your other option is a no drain water exchange now.
Until you do one of the other, keep your FC above 12 (7.5% of CYA result). 14-15 should be good. Monitor daily.
Your pH test is invalid with FC above 10 - the pH result will read falsely high.
No need to lower TA until after the water is replaced. Let the pH rise.

 

[howaldryan]

For CH with a 10ml sample, each drop counts as 25 ppm.
In post #5 you reported a fill water CH of 30.
Did you mean 300? Please clarify.

Perfect!
Consider a full drain/refill in mid to late October.
Your other option is a no drain water exchange now.
Until you do one of the other, keep your FC above 12 (7.5% of CYA result). 14-15 should be good. Monitor daily.
Your pH test is invalid with FC above 10 - the pH result will read falsely high.
No need to lower TA until after the water is replaced. Let the pH rise.

I ran the 25ml test for my fill water since I didn’t expect CH to be high so 10x.

Sounds good on TA, PH and CYA. Thanks for your help.