High ph and low alakalinity

[doctorfaraz]

Hi experts,
I have been using liquid chlorine in my pool for several months in order to keep CYA under 80 and I have been successful. Chemistry remains ok except my pH and Alkalinity which are always in opposite direction no matter what I do. My pool ph remains high and alkalinity remains low. I add baking soda and alkalinity becomes around 100-120 but ph becomes around 8.3 then I add acid to correct the ph but alkalinity gets around 50-60 once ph is within range. Have tried reverse as well, that is creating low ph and then adding baking soda to correct both ph and alkalinity but nothing is working for few months. I have 3 water falls that I use once a month and pump filters remain open around 8 hours a day. This is 14000 galloon pool in Houston, Texas. Any suggestion that can be easily done here? Thank you.

 

[Bperry]

Hi experts,
I have been using liquid chlorine in my pool for several months in order to keep CYA under 80 and I have been successful. Chemistry remains ok except my pH and Alkalinity which are always in opposite direction no matter what I do. My pool ph remains high and alkalinity remains low. I add baking soda and alkalinity becomes around 100-120 but ph becomes around 8.3 then I add acid to correct the ph but alkalinity gets around 50-60 once ph is within range. Have tried reverse as well, that is creating low ph and then adding baking soda to correct both ph and alkalinity but nothing is working for few months. I have 3 water falls that I use once a month and pump filters remain open around 8 hours a day. This is 14000 galloon pool in Houston, Texas. Any suggestion that can be easily done here? Thank you.

That’s the way TA and pH work. A TA of 50-60 is great (when using liquid chlorine) and will help slow the pH rise. Adding baking soda to increase the TA to 120 makes the pH rise too fast. Don’t do that anymore. Any pH that starts with a 7 is perfect, including 7.2 or 7.9.

If you’re trying to reach TA of 120 because some other website or guide is saying that, it’s likely because they advocate using trichlor tablets which are acidic and will lower the pH and TA over time to corrosive conditions if not carefully managed.

 

[pjt]

Stop adding baking soda. With LC or a SWCG, you'll probably never need it.

How are you testing?

 

[doctorfaraz]

Thats really helpful, thank you so much. I have been using different ways for testing including strips, pool shops. Now with your guidance, I think I should be able to have ph in 7s if TA get around 50. I was unnecessarily trying to have TA more than 80. Thanks again.

 

[Bperry]

Thats really helpful, thank you so much. I have been using different ways for testing including strips, pool shops. Now with your guidance, I think I should be able to have ph in 7s if TA get around 50. I was unnecessarily trying to have TA more than 80. Thanks again.

Pool shops and strips are really really really inaccurate and can cause you to add stuff that you don’t need. Would advise you to test yourself with one of the recommended test kits here:

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why not use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Mdragger88]

Please also understand that aside from their flawed testing many pool stores report what is called “adjusted” ta.
This is your actual ta minus some of your cya.
Any actual ta 50 or above is perfectly fine.
No need for baking soda.
They will have you on a merry go round to sell you expensive baking soda.

Get a tf100/pro or Taylor k2006 & test your own water.