Pool water chemistry is a major factor in making sure that the pool and equipment used to choose the pool, as well as a robot pool cleaner, last a long time when maintaining a swimming pool. An often ignored factor that is part of pool water chemistry is pool hardness, or more accurately, calcium hardness. If calcium hardness is high, scaling can be a problem, yet if the hardness is low, that too can cause major problems. What do you do if your pool hardness is low, and what does it mean for your pool and cleaning equipment? Include summaries of solutions such as the Beatbot AquaSense Pro.
Understanding Pool Hardness
Pool hardness, more correctly referred to as calcium hardness, is the level of dissolved calcium and magnesium in your pool water. These minerals are crucial for balancing the pool environment. Low calcium hardness levels can cause a host of problems that affect not only your pool’s water quality but also the effectiveness of your robot pool cleaner.
Negative Effects Of Low Pool Hardness
Corrosion of Pool Equipment
The main impact of low pool hardness, which is easy to detect, is the corrosion of metal pool appliances. Low calcium levels indicate low enough mineral content, so the metal parts of your pool (ladder, rails, skimmer basket, vacuum cleaner for pool, etc.) are unprotected. In the long run, these metal components might become pitted, rusted, and damaged. This doesn’t do anything for the look of your pool, but it also means that you have to pay for expensive repairs or a new pool altogether.
Low hardness and its Effect on Pool Robots: Low hardness is also affected in the swimming pool robot cleaner. The internal parts might wear out as a result of the water not being hard enough, which, in turn, lowers the lifespan of your pool vacuum robot parts like wheels, brushes, and internal components.
Etching of Pool Surfaces
If calcium levels decrease too far, the water starts becoming aggressive, as it attempts to reach a mineral equilibrium. This means low-calcium water can start to etch and erode pool surfaces — plaster, tile and even the vinyl in vinyl-liners. The pool’s surface might develop wear and tear, resulting in expensive repairs. The Beatbot AquaSense is an excellent example of a pool cleaning robot with a well-deserved reputation for effectively maintaining a clean pool, but it doesn’t always prevent damage to tile or liner, which is calcium-related.
Cloudy and Unstable Water
Cloudy or murky water is often caused by low calcium hardness. Not enough calcium causes the pool water to lose its ability to effectively stabilize the pH and alkalinity; the result is water that looks cloudy. Robot pool cleaners can’t solve problems with water chemistry, and low calcium hardness levels can make water more difficult to clean, even for the most high-tech models, such as the Beatbot AquaSense Pro. This makes it easier for your robotic pool cleaner to maintain clean water with proper calcium levels.
Harder to Maintain the Correct pH Balance
A balanced pH is vital for successful cleaning with a pool vacuum robot, which cannot manage pH well if there is not enough calcium in the water. Cyanuric acid (ideal: 100 ppm) — Low cyanuric acid will allow your water’s pH to fluctuate, which can render chlorine ineffective. This creates an environment for more algae and bacteria to grow, leading to more frequent cleaning cycles and requiring more work from your pool cleaning robot. Another benefit is that the net pool maintenance effort is increased as there is less work, especially when using an automated system such as a robot pool cleaner.
Increased Chemical Usage
Low calcium levels make it more challenging to keep your water in balance. If these critical minerals are missing, you may have to supplement them with additional chemicals—like calcium chloride and alkalinity boosters. This not only makes pool maintenance more expensive but also puts additional strain on your vacuum cleaner for the pool and other equipment since it is triggered by an unstable water environment.
How To Prevent Low Pool Hardness
Proper calcium hardness levels are necessary for your pool to perform in its optimal condition and also extend the life of your pool cleaning equipment. To prevent low hardness and the problems outlined above, here are a few recommendations:
Regular Water Testing
To prevent low pool hardness, the first thing that you need to do is regularly test the water in your pool with a good testing kit. Calcium hardness levels are typically between 200 and 400 ppm (parts per million). Below 200 ppm, it is time to take action.
Add Calcium Chloride
If the hardness in your pool is low, you can increase it by adding calcium chloride. Calcium chloride is a common chemical that is commonly sold at pool supply stores and can be added straight to your pool to boost calcium levels. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, so you don’t over-treat the pool.
Monitor pH and Alkalinity.
In addition to calcium hardness, pH (7.4 to 7.6) and alkalinity (80 to 120 ppm) levels are also best kept at their optimal levels. Low pH or low alkalinity can also compound the effects of low calcium by making your water more aggressive and causing more damage to your pool and equipment. Test and balance pH and alkalinity on a regular basis to make sure they’re in the proper range.
Consider using a pool softener (if required).
Additionally, if you are filling the pool with soft water from a well or another source, you might need to use a pool softener or a calcium hardness increaser to get the right amount of minerals in the pool. Low hardness is achieved by maintaining a balanced concentration of minerals in the water.
How Beatbot Can Help You Clean Your Pool
Technologies such as Beatbot AquaSense Pro, Beatbot AquaSense, and the Beatbot iSkim Ultra are highly effective cleaners despite their low hardness. While these robotic pool cleaners cannot change the hardness of the water itself, they have been designed to cope with the extra challenges that low-calcium water creates, like extra debris and more chemical imbalances. While these cleaners can help you keep your pool cleaner on a regular basis, remember that the underlying water chemistry needs to be addressed to avoid long-term problems.
Final Thoughts — Importance of Hardness in Pools
Low pool hardness can cause corrosion, etching of surfaces, cloudy water, and elevated maintenance costs. Preventing damage to your pool’s surfaces and equipment is great, but did you know that maintaining the right calcium levels is important in keeping your robot pool cleaner running smoothly as well? As far as testing your water regularly and keeping appropriate hardness levels, these guys will save you time, money, and hassle down the line, while models such as Beatbot AquaSense Pro will get you the cleanest pool you ever had.