There are 2 SIMPLE and EASY things you can do to slow down calcium buildup. . . and neither one costs you a dime!
The first way to slow down calcium buildup is to brush the tile line (water line) weekly. This two minute job has a big impact on slowing the calcium buildup, but yet it is something that many pool owners neglect to do.
Before I give you the second way, I want to talk a little bit about the cause of calcium buildup (as it will help the second way make more sense when I talk about it). Calcium buildup on pool tiles is a direct result of the amount of calcium in the water.
That calcium in the water can come in the form of hard water. Every geographical area wil have different levels of hardness in the water.
Calcium in the water can also come from the chemicals you regularly add to your pool. You are adding chemicals to your pool every single week (even if you have a salt system).
Think of your pool as a cup of tea. If you keep adding sugar to that cup of tea, at some point saturation takes place and our tea can’t handle all the sugar you’re putting in it. When that happens, absorbtion becomes more and more difficult. The same is true with the chemicals you add to your pool.
Calcium buildup can therefore occur in any part of the pool that is under water. The most common place it occurs, though, is at the water line.
Another way to slow down the natural buildup of TDS in your pool (especially if you already have a known calcium or TDS issue with your water), is to backwash your pool frequently. That way, you are replacing saturated water with fresh water (assuming, of course, that the hardness of the “fresh” water is lower than the hardness level of the water you’re replacing in the pool).
Closing or winterizing your swimming pool is very important, especially for the folks living places where it gets really cold. Last year in the northeast, we had the biggest snowfall in decades. Could you imagine not closing your pool for that? We have put together some important tips to use while closing your swimming pool for the upcoming seasons.
#1 – Use An Air Pillow (For Above Ground Pools)
Air pillows serve multiple purposes, but the most important purpose is the fact that they protect your pool from being damaged by ice expansion. In the winter when the water in your pool freezes, the ice expands and puts pressure on the walls of your pool. This could cause the walls to break (this has happened to my pool). By using an air pillow in the middle of your pool, the pillow absorbs the expansion of the ice, relieving the pressure off your pool walls.
#2 – Lower Your Pool Water
In today’s market there are skimmer plates that block the skimmer holes which allows you to keep your pool filled at normal level. These are very popular and I’m not really sure why. Lowering your pool water is actually a good thing. When you are constantly putting pool chemicals into your pool, you are building up your TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). Over time this can lead to problems. Adding more chemicals to fix problems over and over again can be a bad thing. However, in the summer we have splash-out and evaporation, so we are always topping off the pool with more water. This is slowly diluting the water, which is a good thing. So, a good time to add some fresh water is in the spring, and if your pool is already full because you used a skimmer plate, then you won’t be able to give your pool fresh water.
#3 – Make Sure Your Chemicals Are Balanced Before You Close
I know you are the perfect pool owner. You keep your chemicals in check all season long. You monitor your pH and alkalinity levels like a hawk. You always make sure your sanitizer levels are perfect, keeping your family and friends clean and safe. Because I know you are this way, then I don’t have to tell you to make sure it’s perfect just before you close the pool, right? You just want to make sure you pH isn’t low and your sanitizer level is good, even high. Low pH can be bad over the winter. Your pool water becomes stagnate acid that can eat away at your liner. Also, keeping your sanitation level perfect (or even slightly higher) is a great way to prevent algae from growing in your pool over the winter. No one wants to open up thier pool to a green mess in the spring.
Here a just a few tips to help you along your way to closing your swimming pool. Remember that closing your swimming pool is important and taking care of your pool throughout the season and following a tight closing regiment will allow you to open up a to a clear and clean pool in the spring time.
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