how to decrease calcium hardness in hot tub

Understanding Calcium Hardness. Cal hypo is mainly used as a shocking chlorine. Pour the proper dose of flocculant into the tub. You’ll also need a power outlet nearby to run the pump. pipes, heating elements, pump seals, internal parts on gas fire heaters, etc. Run the tub for an hour so the flocculant can circulate in the water. Water softeners such as calcium treatment products can be used. Test the pH, alkalinity, and chlorine levels of the pool. It’s really as simple as adding a little calcium to the water. Replace the drain plug and fill up the tub using the garden house attached to your outdoor water line. Test the calcium hardness level of the water with a test strip from the calcium hardness test There is really only one way to lower your hot tub’s high calcium hardness level and that is to partially or completely drain your hot tub water and replace it with fresh water. Wash down the tub using a spa cleaning product and a soft cloth so you don’t scratch the shell. When you are testing the chemical levels of your hot tub water, you will also check calcium hardness. Calcium Hardness Booster for hot tubs corrects problems caused by insufficient levels (below 150 ppm) of dissolved calcium. Make sure to test your hot tub’s water calcium levels regularly. Water softeners such as calcium treatment products can be used. The first way to drain is by removing the drain plug at the base of the tub (it’s on the outside wall). The level of calcium in a hot tub is imperative for keeping the water chemistry balanced. Calcium hardness is the measure of how hard or soft your hot tub water is, and measures the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium. When the pH level is off, it also throws off the TA level, and then everything else goes haywire. Measure out the dosage your tub requires. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. It is important to maintain water’s pH, as it controls the hardness. Download App for Android, ©2021 King Technology, Inc. All rights reserved  |   Call Customer Service 1-800-222-0169  |   www.kingtechnology.com. Read>> HOW TO CLEAN AND DRAIN YOUR HOT TUB 2020. You may also come across a spa product called Calcium Increaser. Get it as soon as Wed, Mar 3. Turn off the tub and test the water using. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. We recommend using a hose filter while filling the water to avoid impurities Brush down the walls of the tub in case there are any undissolved granules. When you refill it, use a hose filter to keep at least some of the minerals out of the water. As mentioned, hot tubs require hard water to stabilize the pH and TA levels, otherwise problems will arise. This also speeds up mixing the solution into the water. Pour in the trisodium phosphate as you walk around the hot tub. Prevents corrosion of heater & equipment, etching, water foam. It’s high concentration makes it ideal for shocking purposes, but the calcium from it will raise levels whenever you use it. The ideal range for calcium hardness is 150-400 ppm (parts per million). We recommend taking a sample of your hot tub water to a dealer test station or using an advanced test kit. Test the water with your testing kit to get the current TA level. Similarly to when the hot tub’s pH level is too high, when a hot tub’s calcium hardness level is too high it becomes basic and over saturated with dissolved particles including calcium. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. A hot tub can handle 400ppm for calcium and water hardness. As the temperature rises, calcium precipitates out of solution. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Drain the hot tub When hot tub water becomes too soft (i.e. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. However, before you attempt to balance your hot tub’s calcium hardness level, first make sure your Total Alkalinity level is balanced, then the pH and lastly calcium hardness. Each FROG product uses Fresh Mineral Water∞ to make your water Cleaner, Clearer, Softer and Easier®. If your calcium hardness is above 400 ppm, you’ll need to drain a portion of your pool or hot tub and add fresh water. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. … SpaGuard Hot Tub Stain and Scale Control Download App for iOS If the reading is above 200 ppm, correct the problem by lowering calcium hardness. drain the water in the hot tub and if it needs cleaning, this is the right moment. How to Lower Hardness in a Pool If you’re dealing with too much calcium in a pool, you can try adding a sequestering agent, which is a chemical treatment that fights the effects of high metal and calcium content in swimming pool water (as an added bonus, it also fights stains). How To Lower Calcium Hardness In A Hot Tub, How To Raise Calcium Hardness In A Hot Tub, Best Hot Tub Heaters: Everything You Need to Know for 2020, 8 Amazing Health Benefits You Should Know About Soaking In A Hot Tub, Best Hot Tub/Spa Gazebos: A Review & Buying Guide for 2020, Hot Tub Water Testing: How To Test Your Spa Water Chemistry, How To Raise pH In Your Hot Tub (When It Gets Too Low). Your local dealer will also be helpful with what the local water is like if you are new to the area or new to owning and maintaining a hot tub. Most tubs are filled straight from the backyard tap, and this water usually has a moderate to high calcium level to begin with. Here’s how to drain and refill your hot tub: If you don’t have time (or are just trying to avoid the amount of work involved in doing a drain), using flocculant is the other way to get rid of calcium. Low calcium (aka soft water), and happens when the calcium level is less than 175 ppm. Now that you understand why hot tubs need calcium, here’s how to add it in if your levels are low. Decrease Calcium Hardness. If using Calcium Increaser, follow the dosage instructions on the bottle, as they vary between products. This can vary depending on the hot tub finish and chemicals you are using to treat your spa. Increase Calcium Hardness Read the instructions to find out how much you should add for your particular hot tub and start with the smallest recommended amount. 97. The differences are that clarifier works slower, but the clumps float on the water surface for easier removal by skimmer net or by the filter. Balancing out the calcium hardness in your hot tub only requires knowledge and action. of TSP into the measuring cup. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Finally, using a high calcium chlorine such as calcium hypochlorite (mainly used for shocking), will also raise the calcium level in the water. 1 level capful per 400 gallons increases hardness about 10 ppm. Typically, hardness up to 400 ppm is safe for hot tubs, but check with your hot tub manufacturer’s recommendations to be safe. 5 lbs. Then use a scale control product to help keep things balanced. Place the Vanishing Act calcium remover flat side down over the heater return in the foot well. Just don’t go crazy. It’s an option, yes, but one we wouldn’t recommend. Over time, the water will become cloudy and the excess amount of dissolved particles in the hot tub will cause the water to scale in and around your equipment, possibly clogging and blocking the flow of water in and out of the hot tub, which can damage your hot tub equipment. Imbalanced water can cause all sorts of issues, from green, to stinky, to even foamy hot tub water. When added to a spa, cal hypo raises the calcium level in the water by 0.8 ppm for every ppm of free chlorine. Total Hardness is a measure of the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the hot tub water. Stay up-to-date with new product information, tips and more from FROG Products . Unfortunately, as pool owners, battling disproportionate calcium hardness is one of the most difficult parts of pool maintenance because there isn’t a chemical on the market that can easily be used to reduce calcium hardness, though you can use a hardness increaser (like calcium … At times, the tub water may peak past the 250 ppm mark, which is when you’ll see issues with the water. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. FROG® Fresh Mineral Water is softer because minerals condition the water for softness so it’s easier on you and your pool or hot tub with no faded suits or smelly odors. Consult the bottle for the proper dosage of flocculant (dosages vary). Step 5 Pour the TSP from the measuring cup into the hot tub. its calcium hardness drops below 150 ppm) it becomes corrosive. It’s imperative not to let your hot tub’s calcium hardness dip too far below 150ppm. Fill up a bucket of water and add the calcium chloride, making a diluted solution. The reason this happens can be one of many. ). FROG features prefilled cartridges for no mess, no guess, and no stress pool and hot tub care. Adjust the pH and alkalinity before you attack the calcium hardness because the other chemicals affect the calcium hardness. Clean the hot tub and remove impurities. Another idea is to empty the tub and fill it with soft water. This is because of the chance of erosion and other issues that may arise if you accidentally go over 400ppm. Ideal for plaster pools & soft water areas. FROG Serene Floating System (formerly SPA FROG), FROG Serene In-Line System (formerly SPA FROG), Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) calculator, Eroding of tile grouting and delaminating of plaster surfaces, Etching or pitting of hot tub decks/stairs or stone and concrete surfaces surrounding your hot tub. If you don’t use any other chemicals in your water that contain calcium, using calcium chloride allows you full control over the tub’s calcium level. per 10, 000 gallons will raise increase your Total Hardness … FROG® Fresh Mineral Water is softer because minerals condition the water for softness so it’s easier on you and your pool or hot tub with no faded suits or smelly odors. How to Manage Total Hardness. Lowering hardness is more difficult than increasing. This helps to lower levels because calcium-rich water is … Many people spend money to soften the water in their home, but in a hot tub, calcium needs to be present in the water to stabilize the pH and total alkalinity (TA) levels. For example, if you raise your free chlorine level by 30 ppm with cal hypo, the calcium level in the water goes up by 24 ppm. The other way to drain is to use a submersible pump. Decrease Calcium Hardness. Sometimes it’s due to improperly balanced water. If you have a test kit or test strips that measure for calcium hardness levels in your spa, you can easily check your spa water to see if you have hard (or soft) spa fill water. Regardless, this is the more common way to reduce alkalinity in the hot tub, as it can also kill mold and remove calcium deposits. Turn off the tub and unplug it from the power source. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Problems often associated with low calcium hardness include: Once damage from soft water occurs, there’s no way to undo it. Calcium chloride is a highly concentrated calcium, available at 77% (hydrated), and 100% (anhydrous) strengths. Dosage is almost always just a capful or two, a few ounces - so be careful not to over-shoot the mark! If the high calcium hardness is due to pool chemicals, simply draining the pool/spa water will lower the calcium hardness level (If it's not too high, try partially draining the water, but if it's quite high, you should drain all of the water). Soft water has reduced mineral content (ie. poolonomics.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. A high water temperature can be another reason. Any pH level below 7.4 could spell trouble. No matter what size pool or hot tub you have, we make a product for it! If high alkalinity is so bad, why not just try to keep it as low as possible? For more than 20 years, FROG has sanitized pool and hot tubs in its unique, patented way. This makes it not ideal in a smaller body of water like a hot tub, as calcium levels will quickly get out of control. Both are easy to do and for the amount of work that goes into it, you might as well just do a full drain. Thoroughly rinse the hot tub. of trisodium phosphate (TSP) into a measuring cup for every 1,000 gallons of water the hot tub holds. Ideally, you’ll need to keep between 175 and 250 parts per million (ppm) worth of calcium in the tub at all times. The ideal range for calcium hardness is 150-250 ppm (parts per million) for hot tubs. Learn about decreasing calcium hardness with your Hot Spring Spa ACE System. If you don’t manually add calcium or magnesium back into the hot tub, the water will begin to take what it needs from any part of your hot tub and equipment that contains stone, concrete, metal, grout, etc. Total Hardness is often referred to as Calcium Hardness or Total Hardness. If the reading is above 200 ppm, correct the problem by lowering calcium hardness. However, it is best to keep it below that amount. Retest the water and adjust any levels if necessary. Amazon's Choice for calcium hardness hot tub. Know your hot tub size in gallons, and refer to the label for dosage per 100 gallons. Highly acidic water makes it more difficult for your sanitizer to work effectively, leaving bathers in your hot tub exposed to potentially harmful contaminants. You’ll need a long garden hose that can reach a safe place for wastewater to be dumped. Remove any clumps that have settled to the floor of the tub. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Unless you’re willing to pay someone to do it for you, you’re gonna have to learn it at some point. This level is referred to as calcium hardness. As you might have guessed from it’s name, it also contains calcium. First, rinse the Vanishing Act calcium remover with running water until the water runs clear. The lower the pH level, the more acidic your hot tub water is. Balance the water and take note of where the calcium hardness level is currently at. The basic recommended range in a hot tub is between 200 and 400 parts per million. Weekly testing for Calcium hardness levels should be preformed on your spa water to keep your hot tub water and your hot tub and equipment working at optimal levels. If you’re filling the tub from a water source that already has high calcium content, this could be the culprit as well. However, many spas and hot tubs can operate effectively with much higher levels. Check with your manufacturer's guidelines to see what they recommend for your tub. For instance, if your hot tub holds 500 gallons of water, then pour 3/4 oz. Then use a product to control the level of calcium in the water. If your tub is smaller, you’re going to have to do some math. You can drain the tub 2 different ways. High calcium levels can cause murky hot tub water and scale on the surfaces of your spa. More Buying Choices $19.12 (7 used & new offers) Sanitizer Prevents corrosion; Reduces foaming; 14 oz. If low, use Calcium Hardness Increaser. However, before you attempt to balance your pools calcium hardness level, first make sure your pools total alkalinity level is balanced, then the pH and lastly calcium hardness. How to Raise Calcium Hardness in Your Hot Tub What is Calcium Hardness? This measurement will tell you how much magnesium and calcium in the water. Draining your hot tub should be done every 3 months. If your hot tub water is a little too soft, it’s not too terribly difficult to adjust with a calcium hardness increaser. A hardness reducer can also be used to soften water levels. Ensure you do not dip below 150ppm or go over 200ppm. Sign up for newsletter Just like pH and Total Alkalinity, it’s important to keep the calcium hardness balanced to prevent your hot tub water from becoming corrosive or scaling. Ensure you turn it off when there’s no water in the tub, as this can blow out the motor. These products use calcium chloride, but you’ll pay more for them. Testing Calcium Hardness: How to Lower Calcium Hardness in Your Hot Tub There is really only one way to lower your hot tub’s high calcium hardness level and that is to partially or completely drain your hot tub water and replace it with fresh water. Corrosion of metal parts (i.e. If so, let them settle and try again. A general rule uses 2 ounces of calcium chloride to raise 1,000 gallons of water by 10 ppm. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Here’s how to add flocculant to your hot tub: The flipside to having too much calcium, is not having enough of it. This pump is submerged in the tub and sends dirty water out via the attached garden hose. Prevent foam due to high pH by using pH Decreaser. SpaGuard Spa Calcium Hardness Increaser (12 oz) (3 Pack) 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,130. If the calcium level is so high that it’s causing major issues with the water, you can either do a partial drain and dilute the water, or a full drain and completely replace the water. Test the hot tub water for the concentration of calcium ions. A general rule uses 2 ounces of … Pour 1 1/2 oz. Mix it using a wooden stir stick so that the calcium is fully dissolved. If this is not balanced, though, your hot tub water could be foamy or cloudy. If the calcium hardness is above 400 ppm, you need to lower the degree. Low pH in Your Hot Tub. For this reason, most spa owners won’t use this specific chlorine as a sanitizer or shock. To prevent this issue, use Hardness test strips once a week to check and maintain the calcium hardness level in your hot tub. Measure out the dosage your tub requires. This is usually a storm drain or sewer. Measure out 1 1/2 oz. Clorox Pool&Spa Calcium Hardness Increaser raises low Total Hardness levels in your swimming pool that can cause damage to your pool surface. To lower the alkalinity by the widest margin possible, start by turning off the hot tub pump. Use it to raise Total Hardness levels in your pool that are below 175 ppm. Another idea is to empty the tub and fill it with soft water. You may also come across spa clarifier, which acts similar to flocculant. calcium and magnesium), and increased sodium content, giving it a more gentle feel. These cookies do not store any personal information. The best way to have the correct hardness in your water is to fill soft. Changes in pH, chlorine levels, and alkalinity … Reader note: An edited version of this article originally appeared in the summer 2007 issue of The Edge, a publication of the Northeast Spa & Pool Association.. Calcium hardness must be actively managed—along with pH and total alkalinity—to keep water in … The accumulation of scale caused by high levels of calcium hardness can be detrimental to hot tub components like the jet pumps and heater, as well as to the electrodes within the ACE system. Muriatic acid works best in still water. $20.97 $ 20. Check with Hardness Test Strips. Then place in the hot tub, slight color transfer to the water may occur, and can easily be removed with chlorine. of trisodium phosphate for every 1,000 gallons of water in the hot tub to lower the calcium hardness by 11 ppm. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Add a small amount and retest the water after 30 minutes, and if needed, re-dose again. If your hot tub’s calcium hardness level drops below the recommended 150 ppm the easiest and most common way to raise calcium hardness is by adding a calcium hardness increaser such as calcium chloride to your hot tub. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.) Flocculant works by coagulating the calcium particles in the water. Too much calcium in the water can lead to problems with your hot tub, and will need to be rectified immediately so that it doesn’t lead to permanent damage of the tub. It clumps it up and sinks it to the bottom of the tub, which you’ll then have to scoop out. Use Easy pH for raising low pH. bottle; Product notes: Fast-dissolving calcium chloride, 100%. If you have a softener in your household and the water from the tap that you are using to fill your hot tub measures the correct hardness level then simply fill using this water. A high level of calcium in the water can only be fixed by using the following methods. Tubs with very high temperatures are prone to this issue if you aren’t monitoring the water regularly. If you don’t have trisodium phosphate, continue to step 3. Turn off the tub and test the water using test strips, a liquid test kit, or digital tester. What about low alkalinity? All hot tub owners can benefit from the Vanishing Act ® calcium remover, which helps to protect hot tub components and makes hot tub water feel softer. Attach the garden hose to it and let the tub drain out. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Check the filter for any flocculant that may have accumulated in it during circulation. To determine if your hot tub is properly balanced use our Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) calculator. Calcium hypochlorite, better known as cal hypo, is a highly concentrated chlorine at 65% to 75%. High calcium is more challenging to remedy and may require special filters, scale prevention, or water-clarifying agents. If the calcium level is way above 250 ppm, your best bet is to completely drain the hot tub and clean it. You can decrease the calcium level in your hot tub with sequestering agents like spa defender. As you are removing them they may kick up. You might also notice scale build-up or, worse, damage to the metal components. It is important to test the water for total calcium which measures the hardness. How to Lower Calcium Hardness in a Hot Tub. How to Lower Calcium Hardness in Your Hot Tub Use a test strip reader to get the level of water’s calcium hardness. If it’s there, spray down the filter’s cartridge using your garden hose and nozzle. Increasing Total Hardness in your pool prevents surface damage like corrosion, staining, and etching. By learning what causes both high and low calcium levels, you’ll be prepared to tackle this issue head on if it ever becomes a problem in your tub.

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