POOL CLARITY
- Thread starter dolphin
- Start date
Now that the clarity issue is over... I have another issue with TA...
I added a little too much acid and the pH went down to 7.2 so i decided to up the pH a little using Baking Soda.
Since my Total Alkalinity is way down.... 40 ~ 50, I thought i'd put in say around 24 oZ in the 7,500 gal pool.
According to the pool calculator it'll raise the pH by 0.02 ~ 0.03 but instead, it raised it from 7.2 to 7.6.
The product they gave me, i'm guessing isn't Sodium Bicarb. In fact, it might contain some Soda Ash ( pH +).
So to be safe, I will only put pure Arm & Hammer Baking Soda & see if I get the same pH result or not ... weird!!
I added a little too much acid and the pH went down to 7.2 so i decided to up the pH a little using Baking Soda.
Since my Total Alkalinity is way down.... 40 ~ 50, I thought i'd put in say around 24 oZ in the 7,500 gal pool.
According to the pool calculator it'll raise the pH by 0.02 ~ 0.03 but instead, it raised it from 7.2 to 7.6.
The product they gave me, i'm guessing isn't Sodium Bicarb. In fact, it might contain some Soda Ash ( pH +).
So to be safe, I will only put pure Arm & Hammer Baking Soda & see if I get the same pH result or not ... weird!!
is that a fair prediction then to assume Baking Soda can make the pH shoot thru the roof like that? My TA went up 20 ~ 25 ppms but my pH went thru the roof. Which becomes pointless if i have to add MA to drop pH back down again since MA also reeks having on the TA as well.
I might as well leave the TA down to 10 or 20 where its forcing me to leave it at. Otherwise, i'm just wasting acid and baking soda
I might as well leave the TA down to 10 or 20 where its forcing me to leave it at. Otherwise, i'm just wasting acid and baking soda
The pH test is invalid if FC is at shock levels.dolphin said:
The Pool Calculator will tell you what to expect if you enter the right gallonage and the test results in the upper portion then plug in whatever in Effects of adding chemicals
You do not want to have your TA below 60. PH changes from adding baking soda are larger when the TA is low. As TA comes up, any future PH increases will be much smaller. Besides, if you do need to lower the PH it will only lower TA just a tiny bit.
granted, at shock levels, the pH readings are invalid.
And true, the pool calculator invaluable tool. I use it for all aspects of calculating chemicals to the pool.
And yes, a high TA prevents ' pH bounce '. Too high a TA you can get 'pH lock' - too low = 'pH bounce'.
Either the batch of TA + given to me had pH + mixed into it ( a little soda ash mixed in with baking soda.
I shouldnt get screaming high pH readings just by adding 24 oz of TA+ ( baking soda) into a 7,500 gal pool.
I cant really prove the pH is high like that because as TFP mentioned, the pool is at shock levels.
Also, near the bottom of the pool calculator, it does say for X amount of baking Soda added, X amount in TA will increase, and x
amount in pH will also increase. But the increase in pH is minute compared to the increase in TA.
I'll just have to wait until the FC's are at normal levels.
I could also try pure baking soda to see if the batch of TA+ is tainted from the factory.
But the increases are very minute to what the results i'm getting. But again,
And true, the pool calculator invaluable tool. I use it for all aspects of calculating chemicals to the pool.
And yes, a high TA prevents ' pH bounce '. Too high a TA you can get 'pH lock' - too low = 'pH bounce'.
Either the batch of TA + given to me had pH + mixed into it ( a little soda ash mixed in with baking soda.
I shouldnt get screaming high pH readings just by adding 24 oz of TA+ ( baking soda) into a 7,500 gal pool.
I cant really prove the pH is high like that because as TFP mentioned, the pool is at shock levels.
Also, near the bottom of the pool calculator, it does say for X amount of baking Soda added, X amount in TA will increase, and x
amount in pH will also increase. But the increase in pH is minute compared to the increase in TA.
I'll just have to wait until the FC's are at normal levels.
I could also try pure baking soda to see if the batch of TA+ is tainted from the factory.
But the increases are very minute to what the results i'm getting. But again,
Ok, i bought 24 oz ( 3 cups ) of pure Backing Soda. pH before the immerse: 7.4. After mixing it in: the same ... 7.4 so i'm certain the batch of TA + is contaminated with TA+ and pH+ ( what the heck its Mexico).
I will undergo another measured approach... i will add measured amounts of pure backing soda & see what the 'exact' results are...
Then, i will the 'same' exact measure amounts of this product i got and see if the pH goes thru the roof.
My theory is ... there are TA + ( Alka), TA+ and pH + combined and lastly, pH+. Somehow, the hopper or the chute is contaminated with Soda Ash so that a tale tale amount of the stuff got or keeps getting mixed in with what is supposed to be pure TA+ alone.
This will take a while to find out what is happening here.
BTW, OCLT excellent, water is crystal clear despite all the junk (pollution) flying in the pool. Oh well, at least i'm 'scrubbing' the air for the community for free lol
I will undergo another measured approach... i will add measured amounts of pure backing soda & see what the 'exact' results are...
Then, i will the 'same' exact measure amounts of this product i got and see if the pH goes thru the roof.
My theory is ... there are TA + ( Alka), TA+ and pH + combined and lastly, pH+. Somehow, the hopper or the chute is contaminated with Soda Ash so that a tale tale amount of the stuff got or keeps getting mixed in with what is supposed to be pure TA+ alone.
This will take a while to find out what is happening here.
BTW, OCLT excellent, water is crystal clear despite all the junk (pollution) flying in the pool. Oh well, at least i'm 'scrubbing' the air for the community for free lol
it took basically, 4 weeks to go from 'can't see the drain cover' cloudiness to 98% ~ 99% pure water; all using chlorine alone!
it had algae or semi-dead algae floating and sitting at the bottom.
Shocking at normal levels made the water turn cloudy white with obvious clearing of the water.
as the water became clearer, it took longer and longer to achieve it; kinda like a square law curve.
Now, the only way to check for detectable clloudiness is by using the pool light at night.
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I poured Sodium Hypo along with MA. As the 2 streams came too close to one another and the 2 streams touched in the water, the water boiled furiously!
Is there any reason why the 2 chems reacted so violently when the 2 streams became too close to one another while pouring into the pool? The reaction was rather violent! alot of bubbles and it look like a lot of heat was being released in the boiling
it had algae or semi-dead algae floating and sitting at the bottom.
Shocking at normal levels made the water turn cloudy white with obvious clearing of the water.
as the water became clearer, it took longer and longer to achieve it; kinda like a square law curve.
Now, the only way to check for detectable clloudiness is by using the pool light at night.
---
I poured Sodium Hypo along with MA. As the 2 streams came too close to one another and the 2 streams touched in the water, the water boiled furiously!
Is there any reason why the 2 chems reacted so violently when the 2 streams became too close to one another while pouring into the pool? The reaction was rather violent! alot of bubbles and it look like a lot of heat was being released in the boiling
Never add acid and chlorine at the same time. Doing so releases chlorine gas which is highly poisonous.
the water had been crystal clear for quite some time. Suddenly, i let some air get sucked in ( not a ridiculous amount, but enough to makie air come out of the return inlet ) while vacuuming. A short time later, with the pool light on, the water is cloudy once again.... uuugghh!
i brushed the bottom of the pool, and all over the floor is a white ( or it looks white) powder wisping up as i sweep.
is it because air beeing forced thru the sand filter ( in this case zeolite), is disrupting what has settled on top of the sand or?
i put the motor on a on/off cycle 5 times a day. Does this create a compaction then a de-compaction of the dirt sitting on the media only to be released with the sudden motor turn on?
my chlorine levels are still on the 'normal shock levels'
the water ad been really good for 3 weeks now- up until the air introduction, along with the on-off cycles.
if its the case of the sediments /dirt settling on top of the media, should i backwash it out to prevent it from slipping back into the pool or should i leave it for a better filter ( the dirtier the better filtration)?
My psi is not significantly higher than the starting pressure
i brushed the bottom of the pool, and all over the floor is a white ( or it looks white) powder wisping up as i sweep.
is it because air beeing forced thru the sand filter ( in this case zeolite), is disrupting what has settled on top of the sand or?
i put the motor on a on/off cycle 5 times a day. Does this create a compaction then a de-compaction of the dirt sitting on the media only to be released with the sudden motor turn on?
my chlorine levels are still on the 'normal shock levels'
the water ad been really good for 3 weeks now- up until the air introduction, along with the on-off cycles.
if its the case of the sediments /dirt settling on top of the media, should i backwash it out to prevent it from slipping back into the pool or should i leave it for a better filter ( the dirtier the better filtration)?
My psi is not significantly higher than the starting pressure
is it going to take another 4 weeks for the fine sediments to settle once again on top of the filter?
Maybe wise to backwash it out before an accidental introduction of air suction will cause it to get suddenly jolted or dislodged and flow once again, back into the pool? This is costing me tons of money on electricity
Maybe wise to backwash it out before an accidental introduction of air suction will cause it to get suddenly jolted or dislodged and flow once again, back into the pool? This is costing me tons of money on electricity
did the air getting introduced ( not a heck of a lot ) 'scrub ' or 'disrupt' the fine sediment on top of the media back into the pool? if thats the case, ' the dirtier the filter isn't always a wise decision? ?
im ready to turn the pool into a gigantic pool plant planter... i have to now spend another 30kwatts on electricty just to get the sediments back on top of the sand media? If that is what happened ? the air suddenlly getting sucked into the filter disrupting some of the settled sediments ???
if this is the case, then it'll be little like catching a mouse in a mouse trap- catch all the sediment to get all the sediment but one wrong move ,, i.e air or a jolt to the pressure, and there goes the mouse... all of thediment escapes!
Please describe what actually happened that caused air to get into the system. None of your speculation about what effect that could have had makes any sense, but perhaps a description of what actually happened will give us a clue to what is going on.
i was vacuuming the steps when the end of the hose came off the vacuum head. It gulped a second or 2 of air as the end of the hose came near the surface. Not a big deal for the system but it might of been enough to dislodge, disrupt all the sediment on top of the media. Kinda like setting off a snow avalanche inside the filter.
I cant use cellulose filter aids because it doesn't exist in the area i live nor am i a great fan of using polymers or chems to clump up fine stuff
I cant use cellulose filter aids because it doesn't exist in the area i live nor am i a great fan of using polymers or chems to clump up fine stuff
3 hours later, i turned the pool light on and the water was modestly cloudy once again. All kinds of fine silt was on the floor. All that work, 4 weeks worth down the drain ( excuse the pun)
This sounds more and more like the common problem with Zeolite. Sometimes zeo will get crushed causing a gray/white cloud of crushed zeo to get into the pool. It forms a white/gray/tan cloud of very fine particles which settle after several hours with the pump off. However, people usually see the cloud coming out of the returns when this happens.
I have a sand filter w/ Zeolite (I think I used Zeosand) and occasionally I'll use the cellulose filter aids, with good results, BTW.dolphin said:
If you want to try something similar, try diatomaceous earth (DE). It's not polymers or chems. DE is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has been used for decades in pool filters, so it's probably available in Mexico.
Pour about a cup (slowly!) into the skimmer suction line. You want to add just enough so that the filter pressure goes up about 1 PSI.
It sits on the top of the filter medium (your Zeolite) and helps trap small particles. It also washes out w/ each backwash.
Good luck!