So, I should focus on bringing down the PH first? My pool shop said to focus on the TA first.. Maybe that is my problem. I added 5oz of MA last night, woke up to a 7.8 PH, so I am making some progress.
New Sundance optima 880 owner and looking for some guidence.
- Thread starter wickflair23
- Start date
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,019
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Lowering ph lowers ta.
High ta isn’t hurting anything, just making ph rise more quickly. As ta falls the ph rise frequency will lessen.
You never want to lower ph below the 7’s.
Focusing soley on ta with acid additions can cause you to lower ph too low & lead to an acidic condition which is not good for your tub, its components, or bathers.
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.google.com
PH TA Relationship - Further Reading
www.google.com
Okay. This seemed to be the ticket. Took 5 rounds at 2-3oz each time after running jets for 10-minutes. Per the test kit I'm at 7.6ph and 50-60TA. I plan to run the jets a bit more to see if PH creeps. What do I do if it does since I can't add more acid?
Last edited:
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,019
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Let ph ride when in the 7’s. When it rises to 8-8.2 lower to high 7’s with acid.
The smaller ph drops should have less noticeable impact on ta.
Be sure the water has been calm before testing ph.
If ta dips below 40 you may want to add baking soda to raise it back up to 50. Many people find a ta of 40/50 to keep things (ph) more stable in a spa - ymmv.
Be careful-go easy with additions,
you can always add more chems if needed but it is easy to overdo things in a small spa. With any luck you may find your ph quite stable at the higher end of the 7’s/8.0 with a ta of 50. Don’t rush to lower it.
I suspect as you replace water due to splashout & evaporation with your high ta water you will not often need any baking soda.
As @RDspaguy mentioned , lower your circ pump frequency and also be sure to be mindful of your water level- when too low the jets often cause more aeration
Morning update: Checked PH first thing this morning and it was sitting at 7.7. I ran the jets and aeration for 20-30 minutes. Let the water settle and the PH was at 7.8 so minimal increase. I did another TA test to be sure. At 4 drops it is a very faint pink, 5 drops it is bright pink, 6 drops does not seem to make the color any darker. I think that tells me I am some place between 40-60TA?
This all seems pretty good, but just want to verify. Ordered the rest of my chemicals and plan to go away from the @ease system due to cost. Next focus is getting the CYA into range and start using bleach. Thank you @Mdragger88 for the advice so far!
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,019
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
The end point of the test is when there is no further change so that sounds like your ta is 50.
With a ta of 50 my spa’s ph will hang in the high 7’s for a long time.
With a ta of 50 my spa’s ph will hang in the high 7’s for a long time.
So I should consider this balanced or should I try to bring it closer to 40 with a lower PH?
- Jun 1, 2018
- 16,019
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
You’re golden right where u are
The ph will eventually rise - cuz that’s what hot tubs do- but just aim for no lower than mid to high 7’s once hitting 8.2 & the ta shouldn’t take too much of a hit.
Happy hot tubbing
Does anyon know if the new 2024 optima have the quick drain? I cannot find it, but every video I see shows it.
JoeSelf
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