Why does pool school recommend higher CH for Salt water pools?

[ComputerGuyInNOLA]

I have been keeping my CH around 250. I just looked through pool school again as it has been a while and saw that for salt water pools the recommended range is 350 - 450? What is the reasoning behind the higher CH level for SWG pools vs non salt water pools?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Because for many SWG owners, you want to keep your TA and pH lower to avoid scaling. In a plaster pool, managing CSI (calcite saturation index) is very important. A higher CH allows a plaster pool owner to keep the TA lower which slows the rise of pH over time. That helps to reduce the amount of acid needed over a season to keep pH in check.

 

[ComputerGuyInNOLA]

Thanks JoyfulNoise! I need to get mine up.

 

[homegameroom]

Thank you for posting that question (and the answer too!). I was wondering the same thing, as my CH is the same as yours and I had the same reaction when I reviewed the numbers in Pool School.