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[mknauss]

You are in Phoenix. Cal Hypo should be illegal to sell there. Your fill water will triple your CH in a year.

When your FC is 10 ppm or greater, pH test is invalid.

 

[redjeep61]

You are in Phoenix. Cal Hypo should be illegal to sell there. Your fill water will triple your CH in a year.

When your FC is 10 ppm or greater, pH test is invalid.

Was not first choice, but want to use the box I got before switching. CH has been holding at 250 and I have been using up the box for three days.

 

[ajw22]

If you notice all of your pH 8+ readings are with FC over 10.

PH test is NOT VALID with pH over 10. Your pH has been fine.

 

[redjeep61]

Latest test, roller coaster continues...

Ph was 7.4 and Alk 75 prior to adding Chlorine last night at 20:30.

Test 12:00 9/3/19
FC - 6.5
CC - .5
Ph - 7.8
Alk - 80
CYA - 30
Calcium - 250
Water Temp - 86 °F
CSI = 0.23 (pool math)

12:30 9/3/19 Added 37 fl oz of 28.3% muriatic acid

 

[ajw22]

Do you have a spa spillover running? Any water features? Your returns pointed up and creating ripples in the water?

 

[redjeep61]

Do you have a spa spillover running? Any water features? Your returns pointed up and creating ripples in the water?

Nope, no aeration, no fill water the auto leveler out of commission and plugged. The only things going into the pool are what I put in, the wind blows in or what falls from the sky. The last two get pulled out within a couple hours.

 

[ajw22]

Be patient and let your TA drop to 50-60 as you lower your pH. As your TA drops your rate of pH rise will decrease.

 

[Flying Tivo]

Are you using a speedstirr or just stirring by hand?

 

[Jeff J.]

Latest test, roller coaster continues...

Ph was 7.4 and Alk 75 prior to adding Chlorine last night at 20:30.

Test 12:00 9/3/19
FC - 6.5
CC - .5
Ph - 7.8
Alk - 80
CYA - 30
Calcium - 250
Water Temp - 86 °F
CSI = 0.23 (pool math)

12:30 9/3/19 Added 37 fl oz of 28.3% muriatic acid

I would consider putting some trichlor pucks in a floater. They will lower your PH and TA, and raise your CYA. And keep your CL up.

 

[redjeep61]

Wow! I think we are making progress now, this is the lowest amount of chlorine I have added since I embarked on this journey July 22nd. My Chlorine burn off was much less this afternoon than I anticipated. It is going to be very interesting to see when Ph and Alkalinity come in tomorrow at noon after adding a minimal amount of chlorine. Fingers crossed the lower TA is going to help stabilize things.

Yes I know I am still using the evil cal hypo, once this box is gone it will be no more.

Here are the latest results:

Test 21:00 9/3/19
FC - 5.5
CC - 0
Ph - 7.2
Alk - 65
CYA - 30
Calcium - 250
Water Temp - 86 °F
CSI = -0.45 (pool math)

21:15 9/3/19 Add 6 fl oz of 73% CalHypo (Target FC 8)

 

[frogabog]

No one is going to disparage you for adding what your pool needs, with chems that do what you intend them to do.

TFP is about only doing what you need to your pool water. Do that, nothing more.

 

[redjeep61]

Ph rose about the same after chlorine addition at 21:15, a little surprised TA also came up as well. (see results from previous post)

Here is the latest:

Test 12:00 9/4/19
FC - 5
CC - 0
Ph - 7.6
Alk - 70
CYA - 30
Calcium - 250
Water Temp - 86 °F
CSI = -0.03 (pool math)

12:30 9/3/19 Added 28 fl oz of 28.3% muriatic acid (Target Ph 7.1)

 

[ajw22]

65 vs 70 TA is within the range of testing error.

Your water chemistry looks fine now. Don’t try and lock into such specific numbers. Just manage within acceptable ranges.

 

[JeanZ1]

I'm no expert here, but I do have a background in chemistry and I'm wondering why you lowered your pH to 7.1 from 7.6? Or am I misreading your notes? Perhaps your pH would have been stable at the 7.6 level with lower TA, but you'll never know because you keep forcing it down. Not sure why. Seems you might be micro managing just a bit.

Also, some research on-line shows the calcium hypochlorite can raise pH (I attached 1 source). Maybe try another method of chlorination and see if that yields different results.

Even at equilibrium, you'll still be adding acid. I do about 2x per week.

 

[redjeep61]

I'm no expert here, but I do have a background in chemistry and I'm wondering why you lowered your pH to 7.1 from 7.6? Or am I misreading your notes? Perhaps your pH would have been stable at the 7.6 level with lower TA, but you'll never know because you keep forcing it down. Not sure why. Seems you might be micro managing just a bit.

Also, some research on-line shows the calcium hypochlorite can raise pH (I attached 1 source). Maybe try another method of chlorination and see if that yields different results.

Even at equilibrium, you'll still be adding acid. I do about 2x per week.

Jean,

I have not found that sweet spot for Ph / TA, getting closer. The consensus was to try getting TA to 60 and see if that will stabilize the Ph. The Ph jump was also happening for the previous 3 weeks with liquid chlorine. Not saying it is chlorine related but Ph is still jumping .4 to .6 daily.

 

[redjeep61]

Finally hit TA 60 we will see how Ph behaves now, also minimal chlorine addition tonight and last night so chlorine seems to be much more stable. Feels like I am in the home stretch. Will be interesting to see if TA 60 holds?

Latest results:

Test 21:00 9/4/19
FC - 5
CC - 0
Ph - 7.2
Alk - 60
CYA - 30
Calcium - 250
Water Temp - 86 °F
CSI = -0.49 (pool math)

21:30 9/4/19 Add 2 fl oz of 73% CalHypo (Target FC 6)

 

[mknauss]

Let pH rise to 8+ before adjusting.

 

[redjeep61]

Let pH rise to 8+ before adjusting.

Ok, I am game to give it a shot.

 

[redjeep61]

Here is the latest, not adding a thing lets see what Ph does?

Test 12:00 9/5/19
FC - 4
CC - 0
Ph - 7.6
Alk - 60
CYA - 30
Calcium - 250
Water Temp - 86 °F
CSI = -0.11 (pool math)

 

[aeh0603]

I know your main focus seems to be on pH right now and you are getting good advice there, but I wanted you ask you a little more about your chlorine consumption. Is there a particular reason you are raising FC to SLAM level every day? You mentioned you have higher FC consumption than you felt should be happening, but before this started did you have any signs of algae? (water a little cloudy, "dust/dirt" accumulation that poofs when you brush it, visible algae on the walls or floor of your pool...) I'm just wondering if you may have also been dealing with the start of an algae outbreak which would explain the higher chlorine consumption. If not, then it could just be that chlorine burns off faster at higher FC/CYA ratios or that your CYA level is not high enough to protect your FC from the desert sun.