Help w/ Numbers

[dustybecca]

Im using well water to fill the pool, the water in Okla is VERY hard. I am seeing scale around the water line. Thought it was do to high ALK and pH. Suggestions on lowering?

[mas985]

It is pretty difficult to lower hardness other than replacing the water with lower hardness water. There are some flocculants that are supposed to lower it but it is a very messy and time consuming process. It may be easier to purchase some replacement water and have it trucked in.

[dustybecca]

Think I may just hook up hose to a tap in the house, we have a water softner. That should help right? Maybe with the ALK too?!

[mas985]

Yes, a water softner will help but you may want to test your tap water first to see what you are dealing with.

[dustybecca]

Is there a formula for how much acid to add and how long to wait before adding more?

[JohnT]

Is there a formula for how much acid to add and how long to wait before adding more?

Bleachcalc will do acid too. I usually wait 4 or 5 hours before retesting. Better to sneak up on the right reading than to blow past it at 70mph. I don't even retest everytime anymore. I know what a quart of acid will do, so I just add it and wait.

[dustybecca]

OK Ive got the pool churning, (aerating w/ fountain, garden hose w/ high pressure nozzle in one return and the other return pointed to the sky) I've added about 4 cups of acid. Now Im waiting. Ill let you know how it turns out. Thank you SO much for all your help!!!!!

[jenmenke]

Think I may just hook up hose to a tap in the house, we have a water softner. That should help right? Maybe with the ALK too?!

I just wanted to say that we had problems with our well water, too. I didn't want to battle those problems every season when I added water back to the pool. We hooked one outdoor spigot to our water softener. It has worked GREAT and I highly recommend it. It doesn't cancel out all our issues (we still deal with high alkalinity) but for the most part it has eliminated our biggest problems.
Jennie

[dustybecca]

I tested my soft water this morning, pH was low but ALK was just the same as whats in the pool now. LOL Guess Ill just have to master the use of adding acid, and aerating!

[jenmenke]

My well water must be like yours. Even the soft water is highly alkaline, so I, too have to add acid. My pool this morning tested at 210, after closing around 100. But then, I just added tons of water back in. The "bigger problems" that I referenced were high iron and other metals and off the chart calcium hardness. The softener does help with that.