I recently (a few months ago) started assisting with pool operations at a small hotel. The person I assist told me that we have to add total alkalinity every morning to bring the levels up since the drop every day. For example, if I add bicarb in the morning and bring the level up to 80ppm (the level recommended by the state of WI), the next morning it will have fallen to around 20-30ppm. Not only that, but I have to add about double the amount I get from the formula in order to bring it up the desired amount, i.e. it should only take .7lbs of bicarb to bring the level up 50ppm but it generally takes around 1.5lbs or more.
My supervisor says that she dumps in 4 scoops (about 2.5 lbs) as a matter of course (she doesn't use the formulas but just "guesstimates"), so if I come in on a day after she has worked, the TA level is about 60ppm. I haven't noticed much difference in the drop in TA between slow days and busier days in the pool area.
I asked the course instructor from my certification class what he thought. He suggested testing the TA level in our tap water to see if it might be low and bringing down the level of the spa water. However the tap water tests at about 120ppm, plus our 18,000 gallon pool maintains a stable level of TA.
The pH and chlorine levels of the spa are fairly stable. pH goes up a bit (maybe 7.3 to 7.4) when bicarb is added. The disinfectant used is liquid chlorine. Temperature of the spa is 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
My supervisor told me to run the jets when adding bicarb. I have tried adding it without running the jets to see if that made a difference and it does seem to somewhat reduce the amount of bicarb I need to add. It doesn't prevent the alkalinity from falling over a 24 hour period.
Any ideas what could be causing these problems? Is there any reason for concern (besides the expense of using sodium carbonate every day) as far as the "health" of the spa water or possible damage to equipment from adding chemicals so frequently?
My supervisor says that she dumps in 4 scoops (about 2.5 lbs) as a matter of course (she doesn't use the formulas but just "guesstimates"), so if I come in on a day after she has worked, the TA level is about 60ppm. I haven't noticed much difference in the drop in TA between slow days and busier days in the pool area.
I asked the course instructor from my certification class what he thought. He suggested testing the TA level in our tap water to see if it might be low and bringing down the level of the spa water. However the tap water tests at about 120ppm, plus our 18,000 gallon pool maintains a stable level of TA.
The pH and chlorine levels of the spa are fairly stable. pH goes up a bit (maybe 7.3 to 7.4) when bicarb is added. The disinfectant used is liquid chlorine. Temperature of the spa is 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
My supervisor told me to run the jets when adding bicarb. I have tried adding it without running the jets to see if that made a difference and it does seem to somewhat reduce the amount of bicarb I need to add. It doesn't prevent the alkalinity from falling over a 24 hour period.
Any ideas what could be causing these problems? Is there any reason for concern (besides the expense of using sodium carbonate every day) as far as the "health" of the spa water or possible damage to equipment from adding chemicals so frequently?
