How do I decrease water hardness levels in my pool

[Pool User]

I cant find a thing about this subject anywhere,... can you help?

[Cyber36]

Hi! Most Pool stores (can be a little hard to find)carry a liquid product called Metal-Out. I think it also has something relating to stain removal in sub-title under product name. Comes in a quart bottle. Follow manufactures instructions & you should be in business.......

[Pool Hardness]

There are commercial pool products to "remove" hardness or calcium levels. They can be used once off if the hardness is an accumulation, or can be added weekly if the fill water is very hard.

Keeping the pH a little low (pH 7.0) can prevent scale problems associated with hard water.

[mrmike]

I used a regular water softener and a submersible pump - took 2 weeks to go from almost 700 to 200 ppm

[wotcha]

You could try zeolite in your sand filter. It will suck up the hardness.

You need to dump some salt into the filter every now and then to displace the calcium which can then be backwashed out.

[ddrumm]

I used a regular water softener and a submersible pump - took 2 weeks to go from almost 700 to 200 ppm

What brand of water softener did you use? Could you define a submersible pump? (Brand, cost)
Is your pool inground and where did you place the submersible pump?

ddrumm

[Pool Helper]

You could use any resin-based water softening unit. You could also pump water through it using any pump you have handy.

A submersible pump is a pump you drop into the water, the kind they usually use for water ponds and features.

I assume mrmike pumped the water through the softening tank and then piped it back to the pool.

[Ice-cream]

I wouldn't be worrying much about the hardness weren't for having the chlorine generator.

I live in Malta and the water here is extremely hard (the entire island is made of limestone!).

On the instruction manual it says the titanium plates of the generator have to be checked for limescale every 3 months or so.

But in my case the alarm buzzer goes off every 3 days. And every 3 days we have to clean the titanium plates....

I wonder what is the best thing for me (other than getting rid of the chlorine generator)...

[Deaun who can't sign in]

There are commercial pool products to "remove" hardness or calcium levels. They can be used once off if the hardness is an accumulation, or can be added weekly if the fill water is very hard.

Keeping the pH a little low (pH 7.0) can prevent scale problems associated with hard water.

Hmmm...my fill comes from the well--and we have a whole lot of lime. The scale is an accumulation, but is also in the water (duh). My pool is a vinal liner, in-ground. Does the 7.0 pH still apply for helping with the scale?

I opened my pool in late April and swam in it for the first time yesterday--still needs work. I am devastated. Thank you for help (or at least listening).

Deaun

[Buggsw]

Deaun, yes the pH of 7.0 means your water is more acidic and will soften scale a little bit. Since you are vinyl, don't go under 7.0 or else you run the risk of permanent puckering in your liner.

Calcium hardness removers are very expensive. So, if you have a hardness problem, softening it before adding it to your pool is a better idea.