When maintained at proper levels pool water resists a change in ph.
Is water hardness important in a vinyl pool.
Test the water frequently.
That is to say in calcium deficient water a plaster surface gives up necessary surface calcium to attain equilibrium with the water causing premature surface failure.
This is especially important if your water source is hard.
I explain calcium hardness in more detail in our swimming pool glossary.
In general the whole saturation index thing the pool industry has wasted so much paper on doesn t apply to most pools.
Hardness at any level is only an issue in a plastic pool pvc pipes vinyl liner polymer pump if it s high.
To keep pool water balanced calcium hardness is one of the most important levels to maintain.
Calcium hardness is the measure of how hard or soft your pool water is and measures how much calcium is dissolved in your pool water.
With sufficient levels of calcium dissolved the aggressive nature of water is tamed and will help prevent the leaching out of certain substances in pool equipment.
Testing every week every two weeks at most will help you stay on top of things.
A hardness of 10 is fine in a plastic pool.
If calcium hardness goes above 400 ppm you will likely see a white flaky crust on the liner and pool equipment.
Calcium for a liner pool can be a bit lower than a plaster pool in the range of 150 250 ppm.
Free chlorine should be in the 1 0 2 0 range.
Keeping a close eye on your pool chemistry will help you prevent problems related to calcium hardness and a lot of other things as well.
If a vinyl liner s calcium level is too low this soft water situation could lead to foaming and other water problems and can harm the vinyl.
It also produces itchy skin.
Calcium hardness is also very important to the chemical balancing of your vinyl liner swimming pool.
Although soft water is desirable in everyday home use calcium hardness is necessary in pool water.
Hardness on the other hand is a measure of the calcium and magnesium in the water.
When water is too hard white scale forms.
Neither vinyl nor fiberglass has available calcium to donate to the water like a plaster pool.