Various problems can inevitably arise from owning and maintaining a swimming pool – and of these, few are likely to be more familiar to you than scale buildup on the surfaces of your pool.
The term “scale” refers to mineral deposits, consisting of calcium carbonate, that form on pool surfaces and walls.
Generally white or tan in colour, and with a gritty or rough texture, these deposits aren’t merely unsightly – they are dangerous, rendering a pool unhygienic for swimming in. They can damage the pool surfaces and equipment to which they cling, in addition to clogging pipes.
So, whatever the cause of the scale buildup on your pool surfaces, you will inevitably be anxious to get rid of it. Before we do that, though, it is worth us providing some further background information on what scale is, and how it occurs.
A quick summary of how scale arises – and ends up on your pool surfaces
To explain where scale – or limescale – comes from, we need to begin with limestone in rocks. Rain, of course, falls upon these rocks and causes the limestone to dissolve, which leads to its presence in our drinking water and swimming pool water.
Calcium carbonate limestone is also recognised as the chemical compound CaCO3 – made up of calcium, carbon, and oxygen. It is present throughout the planet, accounting for nearly five percent of the Earth’s crust, so it’s fair to say there’s a lot of it.
Let’s get onto the water that has settled on your swimming pool cover and other surfaces of your pool. The evaporation of this water – H2O – from the surface means a white, scaly carbon carbonate deposit can be left behind.
Can’t you just use phosphoric acid to get rid of the scale?
Well, yes, this brings us onto the remedy that a lot of swimming pool owners have often used down the years. If acid is put on the scale deposits, this is effective in removing it.
You might, yourself, have turned to swimming pool chemicals containing phosphoric acid for this very purpose. Sure enough, it is an effective solution in that it turns the calcium carbonate into calcium phosphate, which remains in the water and doesn’t form a scale.
However, the drawback of this remedy is that the phosphate created by this process is food for algae. So, a lot of swimming pool owners find themselves removing the scale on their pool surfaces, only to create an issue with algae as a result.
There is, however, another proven solution available
If it was possible to prevent limescale deposits from building up on your pool surface in the first place, you might well be very interested in the product that would enable you to do this. Well, such a product does indeed exist, in the form of Lo-Chlor’s No More Scale.
Available in our own range of swimming pool chemicals at a discounted price, No More Scale doesn’t react with calcium carbonate to produce a different chemical. Instead, it does something known as “sequestering”, whereby it bonds to the limescale and prevents it from being left behind when water leaves the pool due to evaporation.
This product isn’t merely impactful on the calcium in limescale, as you can also count on it working on all metals. So, it can be a great solution if you’re worried about iron stains as well.
By making sure your pool is a given a once-yearly dose of Lo-Chlor No More Scale in the spring, you can greatly help ward off the accumulation of scale on your pool cover.
Naturally, if there are any other swimming pool chemicals that you require to ensure you get the best out of your pool right through the year, please don’t hesitate to browse the Pool Warehouse range. We can usually despatch orders within 24 hours, so that your items can be with you by the next working day.
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