Pool Calcium levels

[waterbear]

ust got the Taylor kit, and tested all: CYA = 62

How did you get this reading with the Taylor kit? It is only able to give a CYA reading to 10 ppm and since the measurement scale is not linear, interpolation between the markings is not goin to be any more precison than 5 ppm (and even that is a guess.)

[beachfrontpool]

Yes, the kit is a bit complicated, and I am certainly no chemist. However, the reading levels they advise you to refer to at the back of the comparator tube for the CYA readings range from 30 to 100, where cloudiness obscures the black dot, and 60 was about where it disappeared.

[PoolDoc]

There are two ways you can remove calcium from your pool:

1. Drain 2/3 of the pool, and refill. With pool water CH=800 and fill water CH=110, you should end up with new pool water CH=340, which is acceptable. BUT, be careful to make sure your pool won't float! Dig a 3' deep hole next to the pool, and make SURE it does not fill with water. If it does, don't drain! Empty concrete pool WILL float on a lake OR in ground water!

2. Do lime softening, which involves raising the pH above 10.5 with soda ash, and precipitating the calcium as calcium carbonate, and then vacuuming it out. You'll need to be comfortable using the K2006, and be able to vacuum to waste, before you're ready to tackle this. This will remove more of your calcium, but will be more work. There's a bucket test you MUST do first, to make sure it will work, and that you have the right doses.

Meanwhile, keep your pH between 7.0 and 7.4.