Someone Check my logic, Please:)(High CH/High TA & Managing PH)

[Mdragger88]

If you have high ta/high ph fill water it will be an ongoing need to add acid especially with a plaster pool.
Try not to overthink it too much- its nature & we all know there’s no controlling nature!
It seems you have it going well so just continue to monitor & adjust ph when it rises to 8.
Your lower ta is helping out.
Some pools will hang around 7.8/8.0 for quite some time.
If you have an autofill it may be to blame for some of the sudden rise if its adding high ta/ph water.
After the puck is gone you may notice more rise. Those pucks also don’t necessarily dissolve at a steady rate so that may account for some fluctuations as well.
Before long you’ll really know your pool & its behavior during different seasons/conditions & it will be 2nd nature

 

[AmyCJeff]

Thanks for the reply Yes....We really can't control nature (I am a Type A...so overthinking is a hobby of mine...lol) but I hear ya
I really do think I am getting the hang of this TFP method and I kind of forgot about the Fill water playing a part as well as the inconsistency of the dissolving puck.

Like I said...I think .6 over 5 days seems pretty good so I am not too worried (I was experiencing ALOT more when my TA was high and I was trying to maintain a lower Ph)

 

[Bperry]

Thanks for the reply Yes....We really can't control nature (I am a Type A...so overthinking is a hobby of mine...lol) but I hear ya
I really do think I am getting the hang of this TFP method and I kind of forgot about the Fill water playing a part as well as the inconsistency of the dissolving puck.

Like I said...I think .6 over 5 days seems pretty good so I am not too worried (I was experiencing ALOT more when my TA was high and I was trying to maintain a lower Ph)

You may find it slows down even more if you let the pH stay at 7.8.

 

[Newdude]

It can fluctuate. Some days you aerated more in-between either with a swim day, a longer pump schedule to skim after a storm, spa use (etc). Other times it went up a little like to 7.7 but looked more like 7.6. On the next test it might catch up and a 7.9 looks like an 8.

Your experiment is great to get a general idea but don't split hairs too much. You really only care about too high or too low. Put another way it's either time to dose, or not.

 

[AmyCJeff]

Ok....for anyone still following along

Over the past 3 weeks I think I FINALLY was able to "Stabilize" my PH around 7.6
I cannot aim for any higher PH due to keeping CSI in check (as my CH = 1000)

I only added 66 ounces of MA over the course of 21 days (Prior to this, I was adding 20 ounces a day...lol).

Now, that I am aiming for Ph=7.6, my PH is staying pretty stable and for several days not rising at all.

With a TA = 50, and CH = 1000, and keeping the CSI in check.....I think I found my pool's equilibrium..yay!

BUT...now, over the course of 21 days my TA rose 30 ppm to 80. I am guessing because I was not adding enough MA along the way to keep it "in check" so to speak (Fill water = 130)

So, I have solved one problem (stabilizing PH) ...only to create another one (rising TA).

I just had to add 197 ounces of MA to get my TA back down to 60 (via aeration process).
So, whatever MA "I saved" in the last 21 days (due to my PH being stable) I used in the last 24 hours.

Question : Do I just have to come to terms with the reality that my pool currently need alot of MA in order to maintain my TA & CSI?
If so...I should focus on adding more during regular testing...verses having to add a TON at one time via aeration process.

**Once I can do a water replacement and get my CH down...I might be able to maintain a higher PH & TA and still keep CSI in check, but until then..this is my reality.


FINAL NOTE: My pool water color is GOREOUS and CRYSTAL clear! I mean, I can literally see the imprint on the screw that holds the filter cover at the bottom of the pool! and we don't have calcium lines at the water line or the spillover and not a speck of algae anywhere! So, I am EXTREMELY happy with my results! Thank you again TFP!!

 

[Mdragger88]

As you may have noticed they are both wings of the same bird. Obviously you don’t wanna tank ph with your acid additions but every so many times you will need to go a little lower (7.2) to get a ta drop if you’re adding the high ta water. So you can keep ta in the range you prefer.
No need to play the aeration game - the ph will likely rise on its own soon enough. Congrats on the TFP clear pool!
Add it to the post
How Clear is TFP Clear?

 

[Newdude]

I can literally see the imprint on the screw that holds the filter cover at the bottom of the pool!

The Phillips screw test is my personal benchmark / favorite.