One of the most common problems pool owners encounter with their pools, especially with dirty and cloudy water, is water hardness. Water hardness is primarily determined by the concentration of minerals present, which impacts not only the water quality in your pool but also the efficiency of a robot pool cleaner. In this blog post, we’ll explore what minerals cause water to be hard and how they affect pool management. We’ll also look at how a pool cleaning robot like the Beatbot AquaSense Pro can work to mitigate the impacts of hard water.
What is Water Hardness?
Water hardness=” water hardness refers to the amount of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium in your pool water. Failing to keep your hard water in check can lead to scaling on pool surfaces, clogged filters, and, over time, even damage to your pool vacuum robot. Though these minerals can naturally occur in most sources of water, knowing their contribution to hardness is essential to maintaining your pool in prime condition.
Which mineral hardens water?
Calcium and magnesium are the two minerals most responsible for raising water hardness. When these minerals dissolve in water, they react with other elements which results in the formation of hardness salts, this reaction causes the hardness of the water to rise.
Calcium
The most common cause of water hardness is calcium. The concentration of calcium increases the hardness of the water. As calcium rises, the build-up can cause calcium carbonate deposits to open on pool surfaces and tiles, as well as the equipment, causing scale that is unsightly and damaging. Calcium is important for balancing pool water chemistry, but with too much calcium hardness, the water can get cloudy and scaling can occur.
Calcium Hardness: Your pool should maintain a balance of calcium hardness between 200 and 400 ppm (parts per million). High ranges of cyanuric acid in the water can cause problems with the pool (such as scaling or cloudiness when filling up the vacuum cleaner for pools).
Magnesium
Water hardness is caused primarily by soluble salts of calcium, but is also frequently caused by magnesium compounds as well (if to a lesser extent). Like calcium, magnesium contributes to water hardness, which can lead to potential scaling issues. Magnesium is also more common in natural or well water, and is another potential cause of swimming pool robot cleaner damage if left unmoderated.
The Detrimental Effects of Hard Water on Your Pool + Pool Cleaning Equipment
Among other maintenance devices, hard water can have the greatest negative impact on the functioning of your pool cleaning devices (if you own a robot pool cleaner, pool vacuum robot, etc.).
Build up of Scale on pool surfaces.
Hard water tends to leave behind scale on pool surfaces, which is one of the most prominent impacts of hard water. This scale develops when calcium and magnesium bond with other chemicals, such as carbonates and sulfates, forming a chalky, white residue. If left untreated for too long, this accumulation can begin to make the surfaces of your pool appear dirty, even after running a cleaning cycle with a robotic pool cleaner.
Scale Buildup’s Effect on Pool Robots: Over time, if not treated, scale can build up on your pool cleaning robot and especially on its brushes and wheels. This will reduce the lifetime and efficiency of your pool cleaning robot. If the scale clogs its filters or hose, a pool vacuum robot may also be unable to work effectively.
Filtration systems are becoming clogged.
This also clogs up your pool’s filtration system. Hard water contains minerals that can cause deposits to form within the filter, impeding water flow and reducing the filtration capacity. You will find that your pool robotic pool cleaner will find that it has much harder work to do in order to keep the pool and the water clean as the quality could deteriorate.
Less Effective Pool Chemicals
Another downside of very hard pool water is that it can interfere with the balance of other pool chemicals like chlorine. Hard water has a high mineral content that can hinder the effectiveness of chemicals, resulting in algae formation, water cloudiness, and the requirement for more frequent chemical adjustments. An automatic pool cleaner can only do so much when the water chemistry is out of whack.
What to Do About Hard Water in Your Pool
What everyone should do for hard water is constant water chemistry testing and adjustment on their pool water. Here are some tips to help you achieve a proper balance and keep your pool cleaning robot running in good condition:
Regularly Test Calcium Hardness
According to pool professionals, you should test the calcium hardness in the pool water with a reliable pool test kit. Calcium hardness should be between 200 and 400 ppm. Once that threshold is exceeded, action needs to be taken to bring it down.
Use a Pool Softener
Which is just as well, because if your pool has levels of hardness that are just way too high, you’ll likely have to use a pool water softener. The author describes the function of these products as reducing the calcium and magnesium content of the water, which in turn helps to reduce scale build-up and lower water hardness. When using a bisulfate of soda pool softener, make sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Maintain Proper pH Levels.
Proper pH (ideally 7.4 to 7.6) will help prevent calcium from precipitating out of the water, where it can cause scale formation. Test your pool’s pH regularly, and make minor adjustments as needed so that your water stays balanced and doesn’t cause hardness issues to crop up.
Routine Cleaning and Upkeep
Proper maintenance of your robot pool cleaner, as well as your pool, goes a long way in ensuring that this equipment keeps functioning optimally. Use these tips to get the most out of your investment. Regularly maintain pool skimmer, filter, and pool vacuum cleaner to prevent the building of dirt and minerals that could harm your equipment. Clear the swimming pool robot cleaner by wiping the brushes, wheels, or internal components on it to remove any scaling.
Why Beatbot, and how do you help with the “Hard water”?
Models like the Beatbot AquaSense Pro and Beatbot iSkim Ultra were developed to address all debris, even those that develop from scale deterioration. These models are super effective at picking up dirt, debris, and even those pesky fine particles that can come from hard water. And because you’re using one of the best robotic pool cleaners that are made for long-term efficiency, you can make sure your pool is kept clean and your equipment is well-maintained, even in areas with hard water.
Conclusion: The Factors of Minerals in Water Hardness and Pool Maintenance
Calcium, magnesium, and other minerals, which are responsible for hardness in the water, can cause scales to build up and clog your robot pool cleaner, reducing performance. Proper water hardness balances play a vital role in the efficiency and cleanliness of your pool cleaning system. Pool water testing, water softeners, and proper maintenance will keep your pool in top shape. In order to equip your pool with this high-tech, pain-free water filtration, we suggest looking at models like Beatbot AquaSense Pro & Beatbot AquaSense specifically made to combat the hard water issue and hassle of maintaining clean pools.
