What is hard water, how does it effect my filters and hot tub, and how can I lessen it?

What is hard water, how does it effect my filters and hot tub, and how can I lessen it?

The amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water is what is meant by the term “water hardness.” This typically results from water percolating through organic layers of gypsum, limestone, or chalk.

The country as a whole has several geographic regions with different tap water hardness.

There are two primary water sources that typically supply our tap water.

Reservoirs that gather water from rivers, streams, and naturally occurring precipitation run-off from the hills and mountains are one source. This falls under the category of “soft water.”

The other is water that has been extracted from underground sources and comes from aquafers. This water typically acquired some of these organic minerals as it percolated through limestone, chalk, or gypsum. This is categorised as hard water.

Limescale in the kettle is typically how hard water is most readily apparent at home.
Hardwater results in limescale and in the UK, central, eastern, and south-east England have the hardest water.

Now that we know what hard water is, how does this impact your hot tub?
Limescale deposits may form in the hot tub as a result of hard water, particularly in the vicinity of the water heating elements. At temperatures above 60 degrees Centigrade, calcium carbonate deposits quickly build, but they can also form in cold water, such as in toilet cisterns and cold water tanks.

Water foaming and metal component corrosion in the hot tub system can both be brought on by soft water. Hard water, in addition to scaling and deposits, can contribute to hazy hot tub water.

What is the measurement for water hardness?
PPM or mg/l (milligrammes per litre) is the unit of measurement (parts per million).

Your hot tub’s calcium (hardness) level should be between 200 and 400 mg/l.
You should always test your hot water hardness right away after you fill up your hot tub.

How can I find out how hard my water is?
Use of low-cost test strips is the simplest method. Follow the directions on the package. It really is that simple to dip the strip into the water and match the colour with the provided chart.

Hardness increasers can be added to the water if the hardness needs to be raised.
While it is not possible to lessen the hardness of the hot tub’s existing water, it is possible to drain some of it and replace it with water that has been softened using a household water softener, which will lessen the water’s hardness by a small amount. Using a residential water softener to entirely fill a hot tub is typically not advised.
If you are unable to alter the water’s hardness, simply monitor the pH and alkalinity levels to keep them in check. Scale formation should be prevented or less likely as a result.

The hot tub filters will typically catch loose limescale. If there is loose scale, that can be seen floating around, there is a good possibility that the filters will be catching it and the flow will be restricted. The filters will need to be changed and cleaned more frequently, and they could need a deeper clean to get rid of all the hard calcium deposits.

We advise having two sets of filters so that one set can be thoroughly cleaned and dried while the other set is in the hot tub.

Here at Three Counties Pools and Spas we keep high-quality filters in stock that are durable and strong enough to withstand numerous cleaning cycles without losing effectiveness or integrity.

Detailed Analysis of Hard Water