Have my numbers under control, everything within reason for a couple of weeks now. My only issue is my pH constantly rising. Meaning I get it to 7.4-4.6 and then 2-3 days later it is in the 8.0 range. Pool is not new, 2006. Water is aerated every day by 850 gal spa overflowing into 18,600 pool. Nothing falling into pool, no leaves, no big rains only few sprinkles, no wild swings in anything else, FC stable, borates at 50-80. Is this just my pool being my pool, just the way it is and a function of the overflow aeration?
pHlevel, as good as it gets?
- Thread starter firstbase
- Start date
I would guess it is the spa overflow contributing to the pH rise.....but without knowing your TA its hard to say for sure. Can you limit the spa overflow for a week and see how that changes things?
Here are my tests from yesterday prior to MA add due to +pH:
FC - 10.0
CC - 0
CH - 400
CYA - 78
TA - 70
pH -8.0
Borates - 50-80
Salt 3200
Temp - 83
I guess I could turn off the spa overflow and just circulate the pool but that would cause stagnant water in the spa. Maybe I could valve it to drain/fill both pool and spa at a rate that would cause spa to stay at the same level. Haven't tried that before. MAybe letting the spa water just sit for a few days would be ok? Again haven't done that in the past...
TA?
EDIT:
TA is there now... everything looks fairly normal. I would think that with borates, you'd be experiencing less pH rise than you are. In general, pH is more stable at higher pH levels... sounds odd, but outgassing rates of carbon dioxide are less at higher pH levels. Try only dropping the pH to 7.6 at the lowest when it rises above 7.8. You can certainly let the TA drop to 60 ppm... even 50 ppm for a short time to evaluate how the pH behaves at that level. Even at this low TA level, your CSI is acceptable.
EDIT:
TA is there now... everything looks fairly normal. I would think that with borates, you'd be experiencing less pH rise than you are. In general, pH is more stable at higher pH levels... sounds odd, but outgassing rates of carbon dioxide are less at higher pH levels. Try only dropping the pH to 7.6 at the lowest when it rises above 7.8. You can certainly let the TA drop to 60 ppm... even 50 ppm for a short time to evaluate how the pH behaves at that level. Even at this low TA level, your CSI is acceptable.
Jaimslaw
LifeTime Supporter
I have a somewhat similar pool configuration as yours and dealt with that nagging ph issue for years. Pool plaster was about 14 years old and not in great shape. It would only be a few days after adding MA that I was back to high ph levels. Had my TA down to your 70 level hoping that would help. It didn't.
Resurfaced a year ago with mini peeble...no other changes. After resurfacing, that continually rising ph issue has completey disappeared. PH is rock solid.
Cause and effect?
Resurfaced a year ago with mini peeble...no other changes. After resurfacing, that continually rising ph issue has completey disappeared. PH is rock solid.
Cause and effect?
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,200
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
First,
I had similar issues on my 3 year old pool. My pH went up at similar rates to you and I have a constant overflow (aeration) from spa running about 9 hr per day for solar heat. The same people advising you advised me. It works! I lowered TA to 50 and raised the pH target to 7.6. I keep all other readings within tfp recommended ranges. Acid use has dropped from 1.5 gal+ per month to about 90 oz. Pool still looks great! Next I'll try to edge up the TA to 60 and see if that works OK.
I hope this helps.
Chris
I had similar issues on my 3 year old pool. My pH went up at similar rates to you and I have a constant overflow (aeration) from spa running about 9 hr per day for solar heat. The same people advising you advised me. It works! I lowered TA to 50 and raised the pH target to 7.6. I keep all other readings within tfp recommended ranges. Acid use has dropped from 1.5 gal+ per month to about 90 oz. Pool still looks great! Next I'll try to edge up the TA to 60 and see if that works OK.
I hope this helps.
Chris
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
I'd leave it at 50 Chris.
If you raise it to 60 you'll likely have more ph rise. You want the TA low enough so that the ph doesn't change.
If you raise it to 60 you'll likely have more ph rise. You want the TA low enough so that the ph doesn't change.
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,200
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Borjis,
Thanks for the input. I've seen posts here that seem to come from experts indicating I shouldn't leave it that low. Others that would appear to be experts also say it's OK. Kind of confusing. I'd much rather leave it as is since it's working so well.
Chris
Thanks for the input. I've seen posts here that seem to come from experts indicating I shouldn't leave it that low. Others that would appear to be experts also say it's OK. Kind of confusing. I'd much rather leave it as is since it's working so well.
Chris