SCALE: Excess calcium in the pool water will lead to a build up of scale that can be readily deposited on the pool walls, floor, plumbing or equipment. In order for scale to be present, an excessive amount of calcium must be present and water chemistry must be out of balance. Scale is obviously unattractive on the pool walls and floor, but it can become a potential problem if it builds up in the plumbing or on the equipment.
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CAUSES OF SCALE FORMATION: Scale is a build up of calcium that can be readily deposited on the pool walls, floor, plumbing or equipment. Scale will appear as a white, calcified deposit. In order for scale to be present, an excessive amount of calcium must be present and water chemistry must be out of balance - typically either high pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, or a combination of any of the three. If calcium is present and the water is out of balance, the calcium will be precipitated out of the water, by either heat or evaporation, and will deposit itself on the pools walls, floor, plumbing and equipment in the form of scale.
Scale is obviously unattractive on the pool walls and floor, but it can become a potential problem if it builds up in the plumbing, restricting water circulation and filtration, or if it builds up on the equipment, causing equipment failure and premature replacement.
It is due to this potential build up of scale that dictates that Hardness, often called Calcium Hardness, must be tested and adjusted. Visit your local pool professionals approximately once per month and have them test your Hardness level, as well as all your other chemicals, on the computer.
HOW TO TREAT SCALE FORMATION: If scale occurs, either the pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, or a combination of any of the three is high. You must test and adjust the Alkalinity, Hardness, and pH - in that order. Then, once water chemistry is in range, a Metal Sequestering Agent should be added to the water to remove the scale. Read the instructions on the label before any application is made. It will also help to brush the scale off of the pool walls and/or floor. If scale occurs, poolmanual.com recommends that you take a water sample to your local pool professionals and have them test the pH, Alkalinity, and Hardness levels of your water on the computer and then listen to their advice on the proper treatment.
SHOCK AS IT MAY RELATE TO SCALE FORMATION: Since calcium can lead to scale formation and its destructive results, if you traditionally have hard water (primarily due to high levels of calcium), you should use Lithium Hypochlorite instead of Calcium Hypochlorite to shock the pool. As the name implies, calcium is an ingredient of Calcium Hypochlorite shock.