Do Vinyl Pools Need Calcium

Yes calcium is still important to all types of pools.

Do vinyl pools need calcium.

For you engineers there is some evidence calcium protects metal equipment made of steel or iron. But there is little evidence that this is so for copper or brass components found in pools built in the last 15 years. Low calcium as is often the case will cause long term serious damage especially to plaster vinyl liners grout in between tiles metal rails and even concrete decking around the pool. You do not have to drain your pool to remove calcium deposits.

However it s not as big or pressing of an issue as chlorine ph and all the other stuff. Generally i don t have my customers deal with the calcium until the pool is sanitized and clear. 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. Any additional calcium forms in the water as calcium carbonate and is visible and suspended in the water.

A low level can result in foaming which is unpleasant but shouldn t harm the liner. Our treatments remove almost any calcium buildup in pool surfaces. If calcium hardness goes above 400 ppm you will likely see a white. Neither vinyl nor fiberglass has available calcium to donate to the water like a plaster pool.

Your pool can only hold so much calcium in your pool dissolved as a calcium salt before it reaches its saturation point. Of course you don t want to operate at an acid ph either. Plain old water believe it or not is very aggressive. Here s why it happens.

For vinyl pools calcium should be between 150 250 ppm.