Offer to help

Mdragger88 said:

Do just as @wireform instructed.
Just wanted to add that at higher levels of ta the decrease from each dose of acid isn’t as much as it would be at lower ta levels.
You’ve got plenty of room for ta to come down before it’s a problem so don’t worry about it.
Don’t get discouraged- follow the test instructions & poolmath.
Also add acid directly to the tub vs diluting it (there’s less chance of splashing/spilling it this way)
Hold the measuring cup over the water, pour acid into the cup, set ma bottle down & cap it, pour cup in water & rinse it out.
*Always add acid to water - never add water to acid.
U can do this!

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Am I supposed to run the aerators?

kimkats said:

Run what ever you need to run to mix all of the water up. If the water will mix WITHOUT running the aerators then that is what I would do. You can even mix it up with a straw broom or boat paddle so long as the water is all moving and mixing with acid. (That is what we use if there is not power at the house for what ever reason.)

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Ok thanks.

I used the app, presumptive pH of 8.0 and added the amount without aerators. Still no sign of pH below 8.0. Re-ran the numbers again and finally pH made an appearance.

Oly said:

Your source water has a high TA, like mine. Your pH will rise rapidly after a new fill so expect that and drop it to the low 7s often. Eventually the TA will drop and your pH will stabilize. Don't get manic, it's just a fact of your source water so stock up on muratic acid and deal with it.
More important is sanitizing your tub after each use, cleaning your filters often and do not add anything that will degrade your water, ie magic potions or body lotions. Focus on minimizing the need to drain and refill often as that will start your high TA situation again.
Also you will need to add water over time so expect a slight rise in TA each time.

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Should I be happy with my TA and pH as they are right now and once a week add acid to bring things back down or should I do that more often?

CYA is still <30ppm. Should I I ignore it for a week, sanitize with liquid chlorine and in a week's time remeasure CYA and shock with dichlor?

I feel like what it is right now is a big success for me. What a relief so far. Been quite a journey. This is my first start up using this method and the next one will be much better now that I know what to expect. You guys have been great.

Ok I won't worry 'bout a thing. I finally saw meaningful intentional changes to my Alk and pH after trying so many things that didn't work. It was just a problem at first, and I talked to so many people, read so many articles, watched so many videos that it became very confusing and contradictory that it I lost the plot. It's like saying the same word over and over again until it loses all meaning, except it was all the information on the internet.

I thank everyone here who gave advice and coached me. I hope this thread will help someone in the future, and maybe they will relate to how frustrating this whole thing was in the begining or as a beginner.

Now that I've tamed the beast that is my source water, from here I'm going to put my trust in the PoolMath app, do what it says, and if I ever have any questions I know who to ask.

thanks again!

signing off