Evaporator raising PH too high.

[artattacktat2]

Hello everyone, I tried a search for the answer, but no such luck. So, I'm hoping someone knows the answer. Since using the BBB method, my water sparkles, so no issues there. I try to keep my PH around 7.4 and ALK at 100-110, I've had no issues doing either, and I know that agitating the water will raise the PH, but how in the world do you find a happy balance between cooling your pool and not sending the PH through the roof. Just checked my pool and the ALK was 110 and the PH 8.0, I added MA twice in the last month to lower my PH and ALK a bit......what's the deal here? Thanks in advance if anyone has the answer, Marc

 

[JamesW]

Keep your pH higher and your TA lower. Try about 7.6 to 7.7 for the pH and about 60 ppm for the alkalinity. What is your calcium hardness, cyanuric acid and water temperature?

 

[JohnT]

Adding acid twice or more a week is common with a lot of pools, so you really aren't having a problem compared to what some people deal with.

 

[anonapersona]

Twice last month? Pfft, I add acid with each chlorine addition. Until recently, when TA finally got to 70 after some trichlor tabs for a while.

Work on lowering that TA, see Pool School.

 

[artattacktat2]

Keep your pH higher and your TA lower. Try about 7.6 to 7.7 for the pH and about 60 ppm for the alkalinity. What is your calcium hardness, cyanuric acid and water temperature?

Couldn't tell you what my calcium is, I have a vinyl pool and have never checked it, CYA is at 40 and water temp is 83. It generally goes up 6 degrees a day, but the evaporator usually brings it down 6 degrees overnight.

Adding acid twice or more a week is common with a lot of pools, so you really aren't having a problem compared to what some people deal with.

that's good to know!!!

Twice last month? Pfft, I add acid with each chlorine addition. Until recently, when TA finally got to 70 after some trichlor tabs for a while.

Work on lowering that TA, see Pool School.

never had this problem last year, I think I added MA once all season, but PH is up there this year for some reason. Reading Pool School and the inside of my TF-100 test kit, it says to keep my TA between 100-120, so is the PH more important in the proper range than the Alk?

 

[JamesW]

For vinyl, you don't need calcium. I was just checking in case it was high. If it were high, then you might need to adjust the pH to prevent scaling.

The recommended level for the TA is 70 to 90 for a vinyl pool using bleach. You should lower the TA. Increasing the cyanuric acid to 50 would also help.

Since you're using an evaporator, you will need to constantly add water. If your tap water has a high TA, then that would contribute to the pH rise.

Did you use the evaporator last year?

 

[Richard320]

Twice last month? Pfft, I add acid with each chlorine addition. Until recently, when TA finally got to 70 after some trichlor tabs for a while.

Work on lowering that TA, see Pool School.

Ditto.

 

[artattacktat2]

Since you're using an evaporator, you will need to constantly add water. If your tap water has a high TA, then that would contribute to the pH rise.

Did you use the evaporator last year?

Yes I used the evaporator last year, and don't recall having this issue with having to lower TA and PH. I'm on a well, so I don't add water often I let Mother Nature do it for me, but it's been blistering hot here this week with little rain, so I'll probably be sticking the hose in there soon. I lose a little water from it blowing out when the evaporators running.