Low CH, High pH

[fatboy1271]

This morning's test:
FC = 8
pH = At least 8.4
CH = 125
TA = 80, yesterday it was 70
CYA = Will measure later today
Salt = Was 3600 yesterday

Over the course of the week I added 2 to 3 gallons of liquid chlorine everyday, due to the fact that I had zero CYA. I also dropped my pH and aerated to bring my TA down.

Yesterday I installed my new/replacement IC40 SWG and received my stabilizer. Before turning on the SWG and adding stabilizer I tested the FC, which came out at 0.5. I added 2 gallons of stabilizer and will check this evening to see how much more I need to add. I ran the pump overnight and also had the SWG set at 100%. The SWG is clearly working, since FC went from 0.5 to 8 without adding any liquid chlorine!

Last night I tested the CH and it came out at 125; last week it was at 175. I retested this morning and still got 125. I'm going to purchase some calcium increaser, but I was curious what makes it drop?

I stopped aerating when I hit 60 to 70 TA. My pH last night was 7.7, my target, and then this morning it was at least 8.4 and the TA bummed up to 80. Why might this be happening?

Thanks for any help/suggestions,
fat

 

[mknauss]

CH only goes down if you drained high CH water and refilled with low CH water. So it is most likely testing variation.

TA can only go up by adding high TA fill water or chemicals that increase TA, primarily baking soda.

 

[mknauss]

Have you tested your fill water CH and TA?

 

[Richard320]

CYA can contribute to Total Alkalinity. Even so, you're only a drop difference on the test, so it's nothing to get excited about.

SWG will raise pH. So if it was on, that is why the pH kept climbing.

CH dropping is either testing error or the Calcium is coming out of solution and sticking to the walls as scale. Or you have a leak and the autofill is diluting things. I would suspect testing error first. Squeezing the bottle too hard will cause bigger drops so you use less and figure the CH is lower. Or the first test wasn't swirled enough. When you're right at the tipping point, sometimes another thirty seconds of swirling will push it over. But another drop will also push it over.

Test your fill water. If you have high CH, you don't need to add any. Just be patient and wait for the water to start evaporating. During the worst parts of the summer, my CH can rise 25 ppm per week.

 

[fatboy1271]

Thanks @mknauss and @Richard320!

I've done a lot to my water over the last week, so it makes sense that many things can be effected. I have the magnetic speedstir, so I feel like it mixes pretty well.

I do have an autofill. I'm sure this is obvious, but I take it I just test from the little reservoir.

 

[Richard320]

Thanks @mknauss and @Richard320!

I've done a lot to my water over the last week, so it makes sense that many things can be effected. I have the magnetic speedstir, so I feel like it mixes pretty well.

I do have an autofill. I'm sure this is obvious, but I take it I just test from the little reservoir.

If you don't use softened water, a sample from the hose is good enough.

 

[fatboy1271]

If you don't use softened water, a sample from the hose is good enough.

I don't use softened water. I did take a test from the reservoir of water in the autofill and got 100 CH, 4 drops. I did a quick search and found this, but I don't know the accuracy of this site: "The average water hardness for California residents is 100-300 PPM. The state's most populous city and the second-most populous city in the US, Los Angeles, has a water hardness average of 186 PPM..."

 

[Richard320]

I don't use softened water. I did take a test from the reservoir of water in the autofill and got 100 CH, 4 drops. I did a quick search and found this, but I don't know the accuracy of this site: "The average water hardness for California residents is 100-300 PPM. The state's most populous city and the second-most populous city in the US, Los Angeles, has a water hardness average of 186 PPM..."

The hardness can vary tremendously depending on location and time of year. You don't know if your water came from a well, from the Owens Valley aqueduct, or the California aqueduct (those waterslide looking things right at the base of I-5 in Santa Clarita.) and it switches around throughout the year. Which is why you test your water. Find the valve and shut off the autofill and see if your water drops a lot over the next few days. That'll tell you if you have a leak and a constant dribble from the autofill.

 

[fatboy1271]

The hardness can vary tremendously depending on location and time of year. You don't know if your water came from a well, from the Owens Valley aqueduct, or the California aqueduct (those waterslide looking things right at the base of I-5 in Santa Clarita.) and it switches around throughout the year. Which is why you test your water. Find the valve and shut off the autofill and see if your water drops a lot over the next few days. That'll tell you if you have a leak and a constant dribble from the autofill.

Alright, I'll shut off the autofill. Just to be clear, "find the value" means the water level, not the CH reading?

 

[Richard320]

Alright, I'll shut off the autofill. Just to be clear, "find the value" means the water level, not the CH reading?

The shutoff valve, not the CH value.

 

[fatboy1271]

The shutoff valve, not the CH value.

Haha, sorry, I misread valve as value... Thanks for you patience with me Richard!!! I took a picture of the waterline and I'll compare throughout the week.