poolmath website

[michaelwoosley]

Hello everyone. This is our second year of enjoying our 28' round above ground pool. We are really trying hard to understand the methods to keep the water balanced. For example, I entered the following values on the poolmath website... Free chlorine, now=50, target=3, pH now=7.2, target=7.5, alkalinity now=140, target=10, CH now=200, target=200, CYA now=70, target=70.

The issue is that the form has me increasing my pH with the appropriate chemical but suggests nothing for LOWERING the alkalinity level. I don't understand why this calculator is not suggesting a solution to lower my pools alkalinity level.
I would appreciate any feedback that would help me understand the reasoning behind the lack of a solution for decreasing alkalinity.

Thanks.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Michael, Welcome
I'm a little baffled by your levels? You say your FC is FIFTY?? Or did you mean to type 5?
Your pH is fine.
Your Alkalinity is a tad high, but if it isn't causing your pH to rise too quickly, it isn't a rush. Each time you drop your pH with muriatic acid, it will also work to lower your TA.

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.

www.troublefreepool.com

Unless you have a heater, vinyl pools don't need calcium.
I'm assuming that with a CYA of 70, you use a salt system to get your chlorine? Please confirm?

Double check your goals here--> What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?

Maddie

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome to TFP.
I am wondering if there are some miswritten numbers
You ahve Current FC as 50 (I think you mean 5.0. On Alkalinity you have Target as 10 The absolute bottom is 40 -the target should be 60-80.

You should lower TA over time - not all in one go.
Please read Managing pH and Total Alkalinity - Further Reading

Also review
Pool Care Basics

 

[wireform]

Following

 

[mgtfp]

pH now=7.2, target=7.5, alkalinity now=140, target=10

With these values you are letting loose a very unusual request onto PoolMath, I don't think that reducing TA to 10 and at the same time increasing pH to 7.5 is chemically possible. At TA 10, pH will be approaching 5.

Must be some highly sophisticated AI in the software to just remain quiet there.