thought I had read that keeping a cover on at night, would help lower ph, but the opposite is happening, the ph rises. I test all chem with the TF-100, and everything else is OK. But we started to keep the cover on at night to help maintain the temp. better, we have a heater also , I just tested the ph, it was 8.2. Is this normal? The ph has not acted this way before without the cover being on.
pool solar cover causing ph rise
- Thread starter ryker
- Start date
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I've been using a cover for years and don't have a problem with any abnormal pH rise.
Please add your pools info into your signature as outlined here - - > Pool School - Getting Started
Do you have a spa attached to the pool ??
Please add your pools info into your signature as outlined here - - > Pool School - Getting Started
Do you have a spa attached to the pool ??
don't have a spa--we got 1/4 inch of rain, but that never seemed to raise the ph like this before. I'm really stumped, the solar cover is the only thing we have changed.
Rain can cause PH to rise due to aeration of the water. There is no reason I can think of that a solar cover could cause PH rise. What is your TA?
I use a solar cover every night and have no pH issues at all.
Can you post a complete set of test results (FC, CC, CYA, pH, TA & CH)?
Dom
Can you post a complete set of test results (FC, CC, CYA, pH, TA & CH)?
Dom
tested this morning 10-2
FC 6.5
CC 6.5
CYA 30-40 never sure what I think I see on this one
PH 7.5 today added 1 1/2 cups of acid yesterday after seeing the rise
TA 80
CH 300
my pool since last year likes a ph of 7.8 I have brought the TA down a couple of times from being over a 100, and the ph always comes back and settles in at 7.8 stays there forever. thats why this threw me, but there could be another reason I just remembered, I also read I think that using a solar cover at night, to reduce your chlorine by half, which I thought I did, enough, but I guess not. I keep the FC at 5 to 7, and the other day right before this, I noticed that when I put the power in the test beaker (from the tf-100) it was very very red, I knew FC was out of wack, and it was FC 13.5. So I had to let it come down, but could that be the cause of the sharp uptick in the ph.
FC 6.5
CC 6.5
CYA 30-40 never sure what I think I see on this one
PH 7.5 today added 1 1/2 cups of acid yesterday after seeing the rise
TA 80
CH 300
my pool since last year likes a ph of 7.8 I have brought the TA down a couple of times from being over a 100, and the ph always comes back and settles in at 7.8 stays there forever. thats why this threw me, but there could be another reason I just remembered, I also read I think that using a solar cover at night, to reduce your chlorine by half, which I thought I did, enough, but I guess not. I keep the FC at 5 to 7, and the other day right before this, I noticed that when I put the power in the test beaker (from the tf-100) it was very very red, I knew FC was out of wack, and it was FC 13.5. So I had to let it come down, but could that be the cause of the sharp uptick in the ph.
A couple of things;
You have listed cc of 6.5 I assume that that is a typo, since fc was also 6.5 if it is not a typo we have a problem.
The PH test will not be accurate when FC is greater than 10. So on that particular day the results are invalid.
The FC chlorine loss is from two things, organics and UV light. At night there would be no loss from UV so your cover should not have any bearing at night, Now during the day the cover (if opaque) will definitely lessen chlorine loss when covered.
Hope this helps
You have listed cc of 6.5 I assume that that is a typo, since fc was also 6.5 if it is not a typo we have a problem.
The PH test will not be accurate when FC is greater than 10. So on that particular day the results are invalid.
The FC chlorine loss is from two things, organics and UV light. At night there would be no loss from UV so your cover should not have any bearing at night, Now during the day the cover (if opaque) will definitely lessen chlorine loss when covered.
Hope this helps
your right--in my haste to post that-it should have been
FC 6.5
CC 0
TC 6.5
the high chlorine is definitely why the ph was a bad number then. the cover is opaque, we had left it on during the day, we had several different days we didn't get to swim much, putting the cover right back on, thought I had cut down on the chlorine enough to compensate for not losing much thru the days or at night. 1st time using a cover on the pool, and still getting use to it. didn't cut down enough, even though we were still swimming some, but not enough which is why the Chlorine got so high.
all this came about because I just started using the cover, testing it with the Pentair Ultra Temp heat unit, to extend the swimming season. 1st time using the heat unit also. pool had never seen the cover on that much, equals less chlorine loss during the day, because the cover would go right back on to help hold the heat put out form the unit.
FC 6.5
CC 0
TC 6.5
the high chlorine is definitely why the ph was a bad number then. the cover is opaque, we had left it on during the day, we had several different days we didn't get to swim much, putting the cover right back on, thought I had cut down on the chlorine enough to compensate for not losing much thru the days or at night. 1st time using a cover on the pool, and still getting use to it. didn't cut down enough, even though we were still swimming some, but not enough which is why the Chlorine got so high.
all this came about because I just started using the cover, testing it with the Pentair Ultra Temp heat unit, to extend the swimming season. 1st time using the heat unit also. pool had never seen the cover on that much, equals less chlorine loss during the day, because the cover would go right back on to help hold the heat put out form the unit.
Please advise on when you are adding liquid chlorine and when you are testing for PH? Adding bleach raises PH immediately, but as the chlorine is consumed, PH comes down, and everything is PH Neutral. Are you testing after adding liquid chlorine? Could this be the issue?
How much does liquid chlorine raise PH for how long?
You will find much more information if you search the forum on this matter. Thank you.
- May 3, 2007
- 16,880
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)