First open - is it normal to lose TA and lower Ph over the winter?

[DanielJ]

I had the my pool builder open the pool for me yesterday. I grabbed a sample of water as soon as the cover was off. I was surprised that my TA was at 20 and that my Ph was at 7.0. When it was closed last October, the TA was around 100 and my Ph was very stable all summer around 7.8. The pool was closed with a safety cover that lets melted precipitation through. I drained water a couple of times over the winter. Perhaps 6 to 8 inches of 2 different episodes.

Obviously, I'm going to work on bring the levels back to the appropriate range, but I was just curious if this is a normal occurrence for a closed pool.

 

[Richard320]

Yes, it's normal. Rain and snow will dilute things. Also, how long did you let the water mix with the pump on?

 

[DanielJ]

I didn't have the pump on yet at the time I collected the sample. It's been running now for 24 hrs. I guess that I should sample again before I start adding chems, huh?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

"I didn't have the pump on yet at the time I collected the sample. It's been running now for 24 hrs. I guess that I should sample again before I start adding chems, huh? "


Absolutely! That's a must!

 

[DanielJ]

Results after letting the pump run for a day were better. Ph was 7.2 and TA was a more expected 80. I hadn't run a CYA test the day before. I ran that test yesterday and came in at < 30. I had expected that with the winter dilution so I already have a supply of CYA granules on hand ready to go in.