Gatorman Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 Hello. I just got my water tested and it came back saying I need to put 27Lbs of Calcium hardness increaser. They bag they sell is almost $50..... Is there an alternative that is as effective but cheaper outside of the pool store? My PH is 7.8 and I have a salt system....but it does not seem to me that there is nearly enough chlorine in the pool which the test showed. .1ppm..... I recently (4 Months ago) completely cleaned the plate in the saltinator.... All the lights are green.... Help!!! I appreciate any advice someone may have. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polyvue Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 Hello. I just got my water tested and it came back saying I need to put 27Lbs of Calcium hardness increaser. They bag they sell is almost $50..... Is there an alternative that is as effective but cheaper outside of the pool store? My PH is 7.8 and I have a salt system....but it does not seem to me that there is nearly enough chlorine in the pool which the test showed. .1ppm..... I recently (4 Months ago) completely cleaned the plate in the saltinator.... All the lights are green.... Help!!! I appreciate any advice someone may have. Thank you. Hello Gatorman, welcome to the forum. If you have only a tenth of one part per million Total Chlorine in your pool, then effectively you have NO chlorine. Could you post the rest of the test result numbers? pH 7.8 FC CC TC .1 ppm TA CH CYA Salt Hardness increaser is predominantly Calcium Chloride but there are various kinds. Sometimes you can get a better price on-line than in your local pool store. What was the Calcium hardness test result? If you have an above-ground pool or an in-ground pool with vinyl liner, you shouldn't need to add calcium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillinKingstonSprings Posted June 15, 2010 Report Share Posted June 15, 2010 Hardness increaser is predominantly Calcium Chloride but there are various kinds. Sometimes you can get a better price on-line than in your local pool store. What was the Calcium hardness test result? If you have an above-ground pool or an in-ground pool with vinyl liner, you shouldn't need to add calcium. I am sorry for hijacking this thread but I have a vinyl liner pool and my dealer tests my water and recommends that I add Calcium Chloride when they test my water and see that it is low. I have a partial bag in my garage today. The reason I am told is that it increases the life of the liner. I don't know how I can test it myself but have wondered why test kits don't include it. I use a liquid 5 drop PH and Chlorine test kit today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polyvue Posted June 15, 2010 Report Share Posted June 15, 2010 I am sorry for hijacking this thread but I have a vinyl liner pool and my dealer tests my water and recommends that I add Calcium Chloride when they test my water and see that it is low. I have a partial bag in my garage today. The reason I am told is that it increases the life of the liner. I don't know how I can test it myself but have wondered why test kits don't include it. I use a liquid 5 drop PH and Chlorine test kit today. Having sufficient calcium ions in pool water is of utmost importance for marcite (gunite/plaster) pool surfaces as well as pools with tile and grout exposure to prevent leaching of calcium from the substrate. My understanding is that manufacturers of fiberglass pools also recommend a specific calcium hardness level to protect the gel coating. There may be discussions on this forum that address calcium levels in vinyl pools. Here's a thread from 2006 that touches on this topic: Low calcium levels, plasticizers in vinyl liners, leaching cobalt from fiberglass? I've had numerous pool test kits, including 2, 3 and 4-way drop kits but if you perform your own testing I'd recommend the Taylor K-2006 Complete (FAS-DPD Chlorine). Pool stores don't usually stock it but it can be had for less than $60 through a number of on-line purveyors. It measures pH; Free, Combined & Total Chlorine from .2 PPM to 50 PPM; Total Alkalinity; Calcium Hardness; and Cyanuric Acid (CYA). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFiremanFirst Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 Your thread appears to read 0.1ppm Chlorine? I've not seen anyone test to that number, the K-2006 polyvue describes (that I use as a tech) will measure down to 0.2, but I've never needed too! If your chlorine is 1.0 and you have no algae, well then you're okay!! I like 3ppm to 5ppm incase of a storm, unexpected swimmer load, etc. but if you check daily 1.0 is fine. Calcium hardness is also important for protecting your copper plumbing ie copper heat exchanger in the heater. The k-2006 is all that you will need to get the answers you're after! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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