Question and Answers

Why do the mineral levels in my pool continue to rise?
The day our pools were first filled with our local tap water, hard water
mineral levels were already above the ideal range. When our pool water evaporates, it leaves the minerals behind. As we add new water, which contains even more of these minerals, the concentration levels continue to rise to increase the risk of damaging our pumps, filtration equipment, and the pool itself.

I clean my pool and check the ph balance often, but my water looks cloudy and there is white scaling just above the water line. What am I doing wrong?
Nothing! Unfortunately, high levels of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, can not be cured through normal pool maintenance. The minerals need to be removed to clear the water and reduce scaling.

Should I use a chelating or binding chemical to remove the minerals?
One of the traditional means of dealing with hard water is to add a chemical that chelates or binds to the minerals. While this may help make your pool water seem clearer in the short term, the minerals are not actually being removed from your water. As time goes on, the levels of minerals and chemicals in your pool will increase.

Should I drain my pool?
This is the traditional “last resort” for dealing with high mineral concentrations. Unfortunately, this process is time consuming, costly, bad for the environment and can only be done in certain outdoor temperature conditions. While the process does help to remove extremely high levels of hard water minerals, the water that you use to refill your pool already contains hard water levels that are 5x the recommended concentration.

Current Problems with Calcium in Swimming Pools

Why is hard water a problem for swimming pool water and what are the proper concentrations?
Hard water is the most predominant problem with swimming pools in Arizona, and many other regions of the country.  This is due to the presence of Calcium, Magnesium and other minerals present in the potable water used to fill and maintain appropriate water levels in pools and spas. Hardness is measured in parts-per-million (ppm.) or in milligrams per liter, both representing the same number.  A typical hardness in Phoenix tap water has been seen as high as 1000ppm. The ideal concentration for a swimming pool is approximately 150-250ppm.  Concentrations above 300ppm are much more problematical for the pool owner, making the pool water hard to control with respect to clarity and chemical stability. Although low concentrations of hardness are virtually impossible to achieve here in the southwest, high concentrations are almost commonplace. What are some of the warning signs of high calcium levels? Some of the more severe problems with high levels of hardness are:

• cloudy water
• scaling on decorative tile lining the top of the pool
• staining pool decks and decorative landscape
• decreasing the life of the pool pump
• scaling in the plumbing lines to and from the pool
• scaling in the filter
• calcium deposits in the filter sand and media making its life much shorter
• depositing minerals on salt-water pool chlorinating systems rendering them inoperative
• increasing disinfectant chemical consumption and ultimately decreasing the life span of the pool itself due to the corrosive attributes of the extra-added chemicals

What are some of the ways that I can correct the calcium level in my pool?

1.  One way is to drain your pool.  Pool companies presently have only two solutions to this disastrous problem.  The first would be to drain the pool and start over.  Draining the pool is time consuming and needlessly wastes water.  There are many problems that face the consumer with draining and refilling the pool. The following list notes some of the primary concerns:

• Draining and refilling the pool is a time consuming (3-4 days) event.  
• Refilling the pool with local tap water already puts the pool water over the acceptable limit of hardness for ideal operating concentrations A typical hardness in Phoenix tap water has been seen as high as 1000ppm whereas ideal concentrations of hardness are between 150-250ppm.)
• Swimming pools in desert climates cannot be drained when the outside temperature exceeds 85 degrees.  The pool surface will crack in the blistering heat and will require that the pool be resurfaced at a significant cost.
• In many communities, draining a pool requires the owner to obtain a permit. While waiting for the permit, the consumer will need to use excessive chemicals to keep the pool water acceptable for swimming.

2.  The second way is to add more chemicals that would chelate (bind up) the minerals, but does not remove them from the pool water. Despite the use of chelating chemicals, the minerals remain in the water and require the repeated use of the chemicals at higher concentrations to be effective. Eventually, this method will fail and draining the pool will be inevitable.

Here are some important steps to take after our service is complete