TA question

[DJSO]

So, I have my TF100 and my pool is no longer green! now I just can't seem to stop testing my water!
Tonight's tests are:
FC-5
CC-.5
CYA - 40
CH 300
TA - 130
PH - 7.2

I've been slowly letting my FC drop after completing the SLAM process, otherwise my tests are pretty consistent day after day. Now I'm starting to wonder about my TA. I'm just a bit high, but my pH is on the lower side. Am I close enough or should I be adding Muriatic Acid? I don't want to yo - yo and drop my pH too low. Suggestions?

 

[jblizzle]

Go swimming, ignore the TA.

 

[Suziqzer]

I wouldn't bother too much with the TA, as your ph drifts back up, add some muriatic acid to bring it back down. Every time you do this it will lower your TA a bit. Eventually your TA and ph will stabilize and you won't have to do much with them.

Enjoy your sparkling oasis!

 

[JamesW]

If you're using trichlor tabs for your chlorine source, you don't want to lower the TA. You need the higher TA to offset the acidity of the tabs.

I would recommend reducing the amount of tabs to prevent excess cyanuric acid levels. If you do switch to liquid chlorine, your pH would tend to rise, and then you would need to slowly start working your TA down a bit.

 

[DJSO]

If you're using trichlor tabs for your chlorine source, you don't want to lower the TA. You need the higher TA to offset the acidity of the tabs.

I would recommend reducing the amount of tabs to prevent excess cyanuric acid levels. If you do switch to liquid chlorine, your pH would tend to rise, and then you would need to slowly start working your TA down a bit.

Thanks for the responses. Happy to hear I don't have a new project this weekend, and can just enjoy the pool. I am currently using Trichlor tabs, so I was very surprised that I had no CYA when I started testing myself. However, I have been browsing the site, and see how the tabs can have a negative effect. I've been considering switching to bleach, but I'm not sure how much to add to maintain my desired level.... Pool math only helps to increase or decrease a level. What is everyone's routine? Add bleach daily or weekly? How much? I realize this will vary greatly based on conditions and usage, but I'm just looking for some current practices to get me going in the right direction.
Thank you!

 

[JamesW]

You could use a combination of tabs and bleach. Each tab will add about 3.7 ppm fc and 2.2 ppm cya. If you used 1 to 2 tabs per week, you could go a few more weeks before needing to stop using tabs. If we assume that you needed about 18 ppm fc per week, you could use 2 tabs per week and about 1 quart of bleach per day.

You could go for about 4 weeks like that before needing to stop using tabs.

You should test daily and add the amount of bleach needed to maintain the FC per the chart for your CYA level. Once you get a good feel for the chemistry, you can usually test and add every other day.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock

Note: Tabs can be useful for times you might be away and can't add chlorine on a daily or every other day basis. It can be useful to stop using tabs early so that you have some room to use them if needed for such occasions.