Your water chemistry must always be balanced to avoid the different effects it will have on the pool, making you go through much more stress.
Calcium hardness is the aggregate amount of calcium and magnesium that is in the water. The main function of hard water is to prevent bubbles. If you have ever taken a shower with very soft water compared to hard water from a well, you will notice there is a very big difference in the way soap lathers.
If you fill your hot tub with water softener supply, your hot tub will have a calcium hardness reading of 0 parts per million, and just one drop of soap in that water will activate a massive amount of bubbles. Imagine having left-over soap on your swimsuit after washing and entering the tub with it.
So, maintaining the right amount of calcium hardness in your tub is very important as it will help prevent this from happening. However, you should not just add calcium to your hot tub every time you have bubbles, as having too much calcium can increase the probability of scaling.
You can remove the hardness of water without draining it in these three ways.
- Making use of a water softener
- Reverse Osmosis: You can use a vanishing act by placing it in the return valve or sidewall of the tub for over 48 hours. Flip it after the first 24 hours. It traps calcium when the water flows into the filter system and is returned back into the pool.
- You can pour a liquid calcium remover into your pool, which bonds minerals into larger particles and clogs them up in your filter.
Why does the inside of my hot tub feel like sandpaper?
Calcium majorly contributes to the hardness of your water. It is a mineral like magnesium and sodium, usually found in most water sources. In fact, it is the primary reason for water hardness alongside magnesium.
When you notice an unsightly sandpaper feel or little brown spots in your pool, it indicates mineral deposits, and it happens when you have very hard water, especially caused by calcium. It could be from your water source or from chemicals you have used that are calcium-based.
What causes calcium buildup in hot tubs?
As a tub owner, you have definitely heard the term “hard water” before. It simply means that your water source has a very high supply of minerals, which includes calcium, which causes these deposits and buildup.
However, if your calcium level is too high or even too low, it may lead to damage to your pump, filter, and even the tub. That is why it is very important to monitor the calcium level in the pool.
What does calcium buildup look like in a hot tub?
Anytime your hot tub’s pH gets high, you might notice different signs of calcium buildup because it precipitates out of the water and sticks to everywhere and everything in the tub where there is water.
Calcium buildup can be very unsightly as it makes the surface of your tub have a sandpaper feel or give it a white layer.
The water gets very acidic and you might just not want to get into the pool to avoid itching in your eyes and other skin reactions.
What will dissolve calcium buildup?
When you notice a calcium buildup in your tub or pool, you do not just want to enter because it gets very acidic and might bother your eyes, skin, and other parts of your body.
To dissolve this calcium build-up, first you have to use a pH adjuster. It is approximately 2 pounds. Leave the tub to run for about 24 hours and also make sure that the air controls are open, the water diverter is in the middle and turn the pumps on. Test again after 24 hours if you did not get your desired result. You can go through the process again.
Note that you use a pH adjust because calcium buildup was formed because the pH of your pool was too high and it made the calcium precipitate, so when you adjust the pH, you are indirectly removing the calcium.
How do you lower calcium hardness in a hot tub?
Water hardness caused by high calcium can cause different effects on your phone, such as cloudiness of water killing on the surface of your tub.
You can remove passion through these three easy methods. You just have to choose one that works perfectly for your tub.
- Firstly, you have to test your water source to know the level of calcium and also test the level of calcium in your tub. Then you can use a hose filter to keep some of the minerals out and then drain some of the water and replace it with freshly filtered water. This process is also called dilution.
- The easiest way to get calcium out of a pool is by vacuuming after the process of shocking, adding a clarifier, and applying the flocculant in the pool has been done. Now, for every 6,500 gallons of water, add about one-quarter gallon of flocculant. This flocculant clumps and pulls the calcium to the bottom of the pool, but make sure your pool filter has the waste setting for using a flocculant so that it can dispose of the calcium through it.
- If draining the pool and adding flocculants doesn’t work, then you might just want to add muriatic acid as the last option. It will not actually reduce your calcium level in the hot tub, but it will help to balance the water chemistry.
How do you remove calcium deposits from hot tub jets?
The jets in your hot tub are one of the most important pieces of equipment you need to keep your tub in good working order. If they become dirty, no matter the quantity of chemicals you add to the water, it will still become contaminated.
Firstly, you have to start by stopping the air control so that any disinfectant you add will not be evaporated. Then you can add a little water to fill the pool to the point where the highest jet is located.
Now, you can go on to add your bleach or vinegar to the water, making sure that the jet is left running. After about 2 weeks, clean the dissolved slimy brown particles from the jets and other parts of the pool.
Can you use CLR in a hot tub?
CLR is used to clean tap heads, shower heads, glasses, tiles and remove stubborn stains, limescale, calcium buildup and rust.
If your hot tub requires cleanup, you can use a CLR to clean the equipment, the body of the hot tub, and some stubborn stains caused by minerals like calcium. It is critical to note, however, that it should not be placed in the swimming pool water after use. It is better to drain the water completely, rinse the hot tub, and refill with fresh water to avoid any reactions on your body.
Can I use muriatic acid to clean a hot tub?
Muriatic acid is popularly known by chemists as hydrochloric acid. It can be used to dilute many stubborn and hard stains, such as calcium buildup and scaling in your pool.
Muriatic acid is one of the easiest and strongest chemicals to use in the pool for cleaning. When using it to clean up the pool, make sure you drain the water completely. If you use it in freshly added water, it is capable of changing the alkalinity or pH of the water.
Does vinegar remove calcium buildup?
Vinegar is used by most households for cleaning shower heads, sinks, tap heads, and other household equipment because of its ability to remove stubborn rust and strong stains.
It is also very efficient in pool management because it helps to remove scales and calcium buildups found on the tiles and equipment. Use about 5 gallons of vinegar in the pool water, cover the pool and allow it to dissolve the calcium by leaving it for about 3 to 4 weeks.
How long does it take for vinegar to dissolve calcium?
Using vinegar to remove calcium buildup requires a lot of patience because calcium can be very hard. Many pool owners get impatient and go on to scrape or try to break the calcium from the tub, but doing that might hurt your tub.
Before pouring in the vinegar, you should have known the right amount to add and the level of calcium your tub has. You would want to leave the vinegar in the tub for about 3 to 4 weeks.
Since the tub is programmed to automatically turn the pump on, you can just cover the tub and let it dissolve the calcium.
How do you soften water in a hot tub?
Before using any water softener, make sure you test the water first and make sure that the level of the hardness is above 25 parts per million.
After testing and confirming, you can either use a vanishing act method to remove the excess calcium, use a water softener, or use a calcium remover.
How do you dissolve calcium deposits naturally?
Calcium deposits can be very hard and strenuous to dissolve, especially when using the natural method.
Many pool owners use different things. You just have to find out what will work best and easiest for you. You can scrape, use a hammer to carefully knock it out without breaking the tiles, or use a pumice stone to scrub.
