As a pool owner who has had the pleasure of enjoying the outdoor amenity for some time, you may have come across white, chalky residue along the pool tiles. These are deposits of calcium. Pool maintenance services commonly include cleaning calcium build-up cleaning because the residue hinders both aesthetic appeal and healthy swimming!
That said, you can both prevent and clean up calcium residue and get your pool back to its clear glory. We’ll talk about how to stop calcium build-up in your swimming pool, so read on!
What Causes Calcium Build-up in Your Swimming Pool?
Typically, calcium deposits occur when the water in your pool evaporates. The heat that causes this also creates pool pH imbalance, i.e. increases the pH level. One of the main effects of high pool pH level paired with water evaporation is calcium build-up—which occurs as a crusty scale on the pool tiles.
Different Types of Calcium Build-up
It’s important to know that there are two types of calcium build-up in swimming pools:
- Calcium Carbonate: It’s usually white and flaky, and fairly easy to remove.
- Calcium Silicate: This kind of deposit is whitish-gray, and is tricky to get rid of.
Can’t identify by color? The next best way to recognize the calcium build-up is by using muriatic acid. Pour a few drops on the tile area with the deposit. Calcium carbonate will become foamy, whereas calcium silicate will remain unaffected.
How to Stop Calcium Build-Up in Your Swimming Pool Effectively?
The smartest move to manage stubborn and unappealing calcium build-up in your pool is timely prevention. Once you identify the ways calcium deposits occur and make efforts to prevent these, you won’t have to bother yourself with the stress of removal for long periods. Here’s how to reduce calcium in pool water:
– Install a Pre-Filter to Block Calcium in Water Supply
Does your area have a hard water supply? One of the easiest ways to prevent both calcium and magnesium content in pool water is a pre-filter.
Add this to the water hose (or the plumbing fixture where the water enters. The external filter will minimize tricky mineral contaminants from entering, while your pool’s standard filtration system will take care of the rest to reduce scaling.
– Cover Your Pool to Avoid Evaporation
Installing an automatic pool cover is a convenient choice, as it minimizes evaporation, thus reducing calcium build-up. You can install an automatic pool cover for a hassle-free solution to prevent calcium deposits due to evaporation.
Additionally, one of the easiest ways to stop calcium scaling in pool water is via a reverse osmosis treatment. This filtration method clears up the pool water by eliminating salts and various impurities.
– Lower pH Levels with Acidic Treatment
This is important to know: the pH level of your pool water actually has a more significant impact on calcium scaling than the calcium content in the water supply!
Therefore, the aim is to have a pool pH level between 7.2 and 7.6. You can use an acid such as sodium bisulfate or muriatic acid to decrease pool water pH levels. However, be cautious and make sure to use safe quantities. If you’re not sure how to balance the pool’s pH safely, then go for an expert’s guidance.
– Get a pH Testing Kit to Check the Water
Be diligent about checking the pH and alkalinity levels of your swimming pool water! This habit will enable you to reduce the need for intensive chemical ‘shock’ treatments—and prevent calcium from affecting the pool’s appearance and safety.
Purchase a pool p testing kit from a pool retailer, or ask your pool maintenance experts to help you choose a simple and effective one.
How to Remove Present Calcium Deposits in Your Pool?
You’ve got a few easy and effective tips on how to prevent calcium build-up in the pool. However, what are you going to do about the calcium deposit that has already settled on the tiling?
Luckily, cleaning pool tiles is fairly simple, though it requires a bit of hard work depending on the calcium deposit type. You can tackle calcium deposit cleanup yourself, or call the pros.
– Applying Stain Eraser (For Calcium Carbonate Deposits)
Less stubborn than silicate build-up, calcium carbonate does not need special equipment. In fact, one of the two simplest methods of removal is a pool stain eraser. Get this treatment from any pool equipment supplier. Read the instructions carefully, as a stain remover should go on specific (deposit) areas only.
And, don’t worry about your pool’s integrity—as high-quality stain removals are effective for build-ups but safe for most surfaces such as fiberglass, vinyl, and even steel (in the case of container pools).
– Adding Scale Treatment (For Calcium Carbonate Deposits)
In addition to stain remover, you can also use a good-quality scale remover to get rid of calcium carbonate deposits. These are commercially available, with a formulation that is safe for all pool surfaces (vinyl, fiberglass, concrete, and so on).
Unlike a stain remover that you need to apply at a specific area, you can simply add a scaling treatment—spreading it throughout the water. The deposits will gradually dissolve, typically taking a span of a few weeks to disperse completely.
– Using Physical Removal (For Calcium Silicate Deposits)
You cannot quickly remove calcium silicate deposits in your pool with a standard chemical cleaner. A pumice stone is the wonder solution—which means considerable physical work. But, that’s not the challenging part.
Pumice stones are rough, which means the clearing deposits DIY-style with it on stone or concrete may be okay—but vinyl or fiberglass pools are out of the question. Thus, your pool needs professional maintenance, as only experts can execute safe calcium build-up removal. They’ll do the heavy lifting and keep your pool’s surface nice and clear while you enjoy a build-up-free pool again!
Enjoy A Calcium-Free Pool With Professional Help
Don’t sleep on a calcium build-up in your swimming pool! Since you know how to stop calcium build-up in your swimming pool, so make sure you address this issue immediately. Of course, you can also call pool professionals for maintenance or assistance to make things more effortless!
Reach out to SwimBox at +971 50 509 6580 or drop us a message on the website to schedule a visit with an experienced and certified pool cleaning and maintenance expert for residential and commercial pools.