Help with PH and Alkalinity

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steven8809

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Aug 30, 2013
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I'm a new pool owner. I'm American but I live overseas in Argentina. I have a new pool (just built). In ground pool. It's about 13,472 gallons. Mossaic Venetian Glass Tile finishing. The problem I'm having is PH and Alkalinity. The PH started at 8 and I add Muriatic Acid to get it down... Then it shoots back up.
The only test kits I can get here are the classical PH and Chlorine tests (yellow and red). I was able to get an Alkalinity test today (test strips that are made in the USA).
I got a result of TA about 200...
I've been adding Muriatic Acid like crazy. Should I use Muriatic Acid or Dry Acid? What do the experts recommend? Is there any way that's better to add it?
By the way, I'm only using Liquid Chlorine, and Muriatic Acid, so I have no CYA in my water.
In advance, thanks for all the great postings on this site. I've learned a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Welcome to TFP!

You have some mixture of high TA fill water, and the grout between the tiles is curing, both of which will raise the PH fairly quickly. As the TA comes down, and the grout cures, things will slow down and become much easier to manage.

It is best to use muriatic acid. You want to pour slowly in front of a return jet while the pump is running.

You do want some CYA in the water, but don't raise it too quickly, (which could have a slightly negative effect on the grout). Keep CYA at 30 or below for the first week or two.
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

I highly suggest you keep looking for a better test kit. Strips are just not very good.

You need to just keep adding muriatic acid to lower the pH and keep it in range ... this will also slowly lower the TA which will slow the pH rise.
You should also certainly add 30ppm of CYA into the pool to help protect the FC from the sun (see comment from JasonLion).

Have you read through Pool School to help your understanding of the chemistry?
 
jblizzle said:
It is not just that. You need to test fit CH and FC and CC and certainly need to know CYA.
Click to expand...

I understand... But unfortunately for the next couple of months I wont be in the States, so I'm stuck... Anyway, it's an indoor pool so I'm not so interested in adding CYA.
 
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