Caltreat for lowering calcium hardness in pools

[PoolDoc]

We will add the bleach now and get back to you after we recheck the numbers.
We have figured out how to vacuum to waste. Do you still need the pictures of the pump/filter/piping?

Don't need them; would be glad to have them for the photo library (something I'd like to have here, eventually)

the pool stores told us to add the baking soda and a second store told us to drain the water

Why am I not surprised?

We are currently using an Aquacheck meter in addition to strips to check the pool chemistries. Is this good enough or do we need to get the K2006 test kit (AquaChek® TruTest® Digital Test Strip Reader)- it gives actual numbers.

Yeah, it does. Unfortunately, they are partly RANDOM numbers! In most cases, if you collect ONE sample of water, and then test it 3 times, with 15 minutes or so in between, you'll get 3 different results! Actually, if you do this, I'd love to have the results! If you want to play completely fair, collect a sample in a water bottle or container you can close; refrigerate it, then test it every 2 hours.

But . . . yes, you need the K-2006.

We are currently using Sustain and know that it produces calcium as a byproduct. The pool stores are telling us to add scale inhibitor to control the calcium levels. This does nothing for the hardness. When the last heater died- the heat exchanger was caked with calcium (this was both of our heaters). No water could get through. This is why we are looking to move away from Sustain once we get the calcium under control. We believe all of our lines are probably coated with calcium.

How were you adding the Sustain? If you added it via the skimmer, AND had a sand filter, AND didn't lower you pH, your pH, TA and CH would have all reached a maximum level, and stayed there. I ran a commercial pool for 3 years with cal hypo . . . and had ZERO scale build up. I also used virtually NO other chemicals. I think I may have added a gallon of muriatic acid once, but that was the ONLY other chemical used for the entire period.

What chemical should we use for chlorination, once we fix the current problem that will not produce calcium so that we do not destroy yet another heater?

Bleach is easiest, at least conceptually. But the cal hypo is very easy, too . . . but you have to stay the heck away from the pool store, and you can't listen to their ideas about how it should be run (or the ideas on the Sustain label, for that matter.) That's hard for most people to do, so bleach is easier.

[Linda needs help]

Thanks so much for the help so far! The pool is finally clear- it has not been this clear in years! Couldn't believe how much precipitate came out of the water.
Just got the test kit in and tested the pool.
Did the test:

pH 8; Calcium 340ppm; alkalinity 130 ppm; Chlorine, free 1.0 Chlorine 2.0ppm; CYA 25 ppm?

Will stick with bleach for now.

Do we need to add a stabilizer for the chlorine? If so,what type?
1. How often, and how much bleach should be added?
2. How often should we test the water?
3. What do you recommend for raising/lowering pH and alkalinity?
4. How do i attach pictures for you- I have the pictures downloaded, but do not see how to attach.

Edited by Watermom to number your questions to make it easier to answer them.

[Watermom]

Answers to your questions.

1. I would raise the CYA up to 40-50. You may find it at Walmart or may have to get it from a pool store. It may be labeled as conditioner or stabilizer. Check the ingredients. You want to see cyanuric or isocyanuric acid and not a bunch of other ingredients. You'll want to add about 3.5 lbs. Put it in an old sock and hang it in front of a return jet. Give the sock a squeeze every now and then to help it dissolve faster. Don't retest the CYA for a week after you add it so you won't waste your reagents.

2. Test your water every evening --- chlorine and pH. (Other tests don't need to be done daily.) Each time you test, add enough bleach to take your chlorine level back up to about 6ppm. If you find that by the next evening when you test again, that you have dropped below 3ppm, take it up to 7 instead of 6. You don't want the chlorine level to ever go below 3ppm. In your pool, each 3 quart jug of bleach will add 2ppm of chlorine. use that as a reference to help you figure out doses of bleach to add each evening.

3. You don't need to raise your pH or alk. Your alk is ok where it is. Your pH is too high. You want pH to be 7.4-7.6 although anywhere 7.2-7.8 is ok. You use muriatic acid to lower it. Please read the link in Ben's signature above about how to use muriatic acid safely.

4. You can either use Picasa, Flicker, Photobucket or the like to add a picture or email them to poolforum@gmail.com and reference the URL of this thread.

Hope this helps. Glad your pool looks better!

[kmo98]

Hello;

I have actually just used CALTREAT.

My results were no change.
I have a plaster salt pool.
My data:
FC=3.5
CC=.5
TC=5
Ph=8.2
Alk=60
Cal=700
Cya=80

Initially my Cal was 980 but I did a 25% (approx) drain which dropped it to 700.

I was hoping the caltreat would further reduce it but no luck.
To supplement the generator I use ChlorBrite.

Other than draining some more is there anything else I can do?

Thanks

[PoolDoc]

Draining and refilling may -- or may not -- help. You need to test your FILL water, to find out. Some water systems supply water that is quite high in calcium.

I'm not sure what's in Caltreat and I've never trusted United Chemical's products enough to test them on my customer's pools. The reports I've seen on results have been very spotty, ranging from "made things worse" to "worked, but took much more product than the literature suggested".

Lime softening -- explained here [ http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?16992 ] -- does work, but requires careful attention to detail. If you are willing to follow the process, it's fully explained in that thread. Just be aware it will take awhile to clean all the particles out of the pool and water.

If your filter is in poor condition, I would repairing it, first.