Followed PoolMath. ph off the chart. Pool turning green. Help?

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AK- said:
It really depends on your circulation. In most cases 30min is enough, unless your pool circulation is really bad, but that would cause all sorts of other issues. I personally also check if the lingering MA smell is gone, but that is me.
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I always brush it around to ensure good distribution (liquid chlorine too) my husband says I’m like a witch stirring her cauldron 🤣🤣
cauldron GIF by Paper Rabbits
 
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I am a little confused with your test results that you are showing. Are you using the TF100 or Taylor test kit? I ask this because you are reporting a pH =9. Neither of those tests will give you results over 8. Also your CYA should be rounded up to the nearest 10 value since the scale is logarithmic and thus hard to impossible to guess. I would register it in PoolMath as 60. Rather be safe than sorry.

My advice is to test the water yourself (always!). If your pH looks like it is above 8 when you test it, then treat it as 8 and lower it to 7.4 or 7.6 according to PoolMath. That way you will not OVER treat the water again. Once you are registering a pH below 8, then you can lower the pH according to PoolMath a couple of tenths to ensure you have the right amount of water in PoolMath. For instance if PoolMath says add a cup of acid to lower the pH from 7.8 to 7.6, and you add that cup and your pH registers 7.2. You will know that your guesstimate of how much pool water you have is too high. You can then lower the amount of pool water registered in PoolMath a bit to help you dial in the correct math for all your additions.

BTW... I have basically the same SWG and Pool Robot as you. The differences are that my pool is plaster (need to worry about calcium) and it is closer to 19,000 gallons.

Good Luck!
 
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What test kit are you using?
How did you get a pH reading of 9.0 and a CYA of 57?
What is your CH?

What is the TA and CH of your fill water?

Any large pH adjustment if pH is NOT in the 7's should be computed based on a starting pH of 8.0 - set now pH to 8.0 and target to 7.4 - add the computed amount - retest in 20-30 minutes (with pump running) - adjust again as needed. PoolMath can't compute the correct dose of acid when pH is not in the 7's.
 
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You have been here for 4 years, so it’s not exactly like you are not familiar with the process.

You have to use some common sense and not just go throwing in 20 lbs of Borax if it does not make sense.

How did you get a pH of 9.0?

The gallon of acid and dry stabilizer brought down your pH and it would have recovered on its own if you just waited.

1652373037500.png
 
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stretchphoto said:
So here’s a question -

What’s the point of the fancy & expensive test kit and the massive amount of time spent using it if one should follow some of the recommendations but not others? And how to know which ones to follow and which ones to ignore. Seems like a fatal flaw to me, but what do I know. I’ve only had a never-green pool for ten years.

I thought adding twenty pounds of borax to ph7 was nuts.

But I did what the app told me.

:(
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how is your CYA 57 using the test kit? it's 50 or 60? and the low FC could deff be the reason the pool is green.
 
Alrighty gents. Here’s the latest.

Re - FC - going to run the SWG. Simple.

Re - PH - 7.5 looks ideal to me. Should I ignore the pool math recommendation?

Re - TA - Pool math says to lower the ph. This seems unnecessary. Ignore?

Thanks.
 

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JamesW said:
You have been here for 4 years, so it’s not exactly like you are not familiar with the process.
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And a warm good morning to you, too, JamesW. It’s folks like you who make the Internet such a pleasant place.

JamesW said:
You have to use some common sense and not just go throwing in 20 lbs of Borax if it does not make sense.

How did you get a pH of 9.0?

The gallon of acid and dry stabilizer brought down your pH and it would have recovered on its own if you just waited.

View attachment 409657
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Holydoc said:
I am a little confused with your test results that you are showing. Are you using the TF100 or Taylor test kit? I ask this because you are reporting a pH =9. Neither of those tests will give you results over 8. Also your CYA should be rounded up to the nearest 10 value since the scale is logarithmic and thus hard to impossible to guess. I would register it in PoolMath as 60. Rather be safe than sorry.
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Thank you for this.

The kit is the tf Pro.

I used 9 as the ph bc the color was off the scale pink.

Thank you for the rounding advice.

Again, is seems for $180 someone would put this kind of detail in the instructions. Would save new users a lot of frustration and everyone on the forum a lot of time.

I do appreciate your help.


Holydoc said:
My advice is to test the water yourself (always!). If your pH looks like it is above 8 when you test it, then treat it as 8 and lower it to 7.4 or 7.6 according to PoolMath. That way you will not OVER treat the water again. Once you are registering a pH below 8, then you can lower the pH according to PoolMath a couple of tenths to ensure you have the right amount of water in PoolMath. For instance if PoolMath says add a cup of acid to lower the pH from 7.8 to 7.6, and you add that cup and your pH registers 7.2. You will know that your guesstimate of how much pool water you have is too high. You can then lower the amount of pool water registered in PoolMath a bit to help you dial in the correct math for all your additions.
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Thank you.


Holydoc said:
BTW... I have basically the same SWG and Pool Robot as you. The differences are that my pool is plaster (need to worry about calcium) and it is closer to 19,000 gallons.

Good Luck!
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I appreciate it.
 
stretchphoto said:
Re - FC - going to run the SWG. Simple.
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Yes, get your FC up with liquid chlorine or your SWG.

stretchphoto said:
Re - PH - 7.5 looks ideal to me. Should I ignore the pool math recommendation?
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Yes, any pH in the 7s is equally good.

stretchphoto said:
Re - TA - Pool math says to lower the ph. This seems unnecessary. Ignore?
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Yes, but your only risk with a high TA is scale in your SWG.

TA - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Why Should TA be Lowered with a SWG?​

Usually a TA on the high end is fine if the pH is stable. However TA does need to be adjusted down with an SWG. The problem is, INSIDE the cell, the CSI is very different than in bulk pool water.

With high TA and aeration from the bubbles the SWG creates, you'll get faster pH rise inside the cell and so there's more potential for scaling. With current reversal, the cell tends to stay clean but you'll get more snowflakes out of the returns. Calcium hardness is only one part of the equation.

If the SWG cell pH rises much above 10 (and it can easily do that) and if there is sufficient levels of carbonate ions available (CO3--), then you will get calcium carbonate precipitation. The higher the TA and pH, the more carbonate anions are available.

Borates are particularly helpful preventing scale in a SWG because the pKa for boric acid / borate anion buffering is approximately 9. That essentially means you get the maximum buffering capacity at a pH of 9 and that tends to hold down the pH rise inside the cell. Keeping the pH below 10 in the SWG cell reduces the risk of calcium and magnesium scaling (insoluble magnesium hydroxide precipitates at a pH of 10.2 or so).
 
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stretchphoto said:
Re - PH - 7.5 looks ideal to me. Should I ignore the pool math recommendation?

Re - TA - Pool math says to lower the ph. This seems unnecessary. Ignore?

Thanks.
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Yep. 7.5 is great. Pool math makes the recommendation based on ideals (7.6-7.8). Any pH in the 7s is fine.

So here is the deal on TA and SWCG. pH will always rise in a pool, faster in an SWCG pool. Just add Muriatic Acid to reduce pH. When you do this it will also reduce TA. We generally advise to ignore TA, it will come down over time. SOME people find their pH rises very quickly and have to add acid ever day or two. USUALLY, it is because TA is high. Just manage pH for now and see what your Acid Demand is.

If you find your pH rises quickly, you can do this:
www.troublefreepool.com

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.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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Unrelated, but maybe someone can help -

Any ideas as to how to remove this sticky residue from the duct tape the pool renovators left on our steps?

Thanks.
 

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I'd start with some mild solvents and get to progressively more aggressive ones. Plan on whatever you use being able to get into the pool, but it'd be pretty small quantities so it wouldn't affect much.

I'd start with rubbing alcohol on a cloth and see if that lifts it. If not I would go to some goo-gone type of solution. WD40 would be my last resort as it's harder to control where it goes, but spraying it on a cloth and wiping might work well too.
 
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IceShadow said:
I'd start with some mild solvents and get to progressively more aggressive ones. Plan on whatever you use being able to get into the pool, but it'd be pretty small quantities so it wouldn't affect much.

I'd start with rubbing alcohol on a cloth and see if that lifts it. If not I would go to some goo-gone type of solution. WD40 would be my last resort as it's harder to control where it goes, but spraying it on a cloth and wiping might work well too.
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Thanks!
 
Hi, Gents.

Apologies for the radio silence, but things have been running pretty smoothly here at Grace’s pool. I think I’m getting the hang of cool math and the testing kit.

Just wanted to say A/ thank you guys for your help and B/ ask what I should do with some of these chemicals. Are these things that I will ever actually need?

Thanks.
 

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ONLY the GLB 600. It is polyquat 60 and can be used when you close.

I would not add any of the others to my pool, particularly the Green to Blue. It is a Flocculant and causes all sorts of headaches. I bet you could sell them on FB marketplace or Craigslist.
 
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Sell em all on the fb marketplace-
Do u have a metals issue? If so maybe keep the sequestrant.
The dichlor is shelf stable for emergencies although not necessary.
The two “blue” things, clarifier, & phos mess can go.
Oh yeah - the polyquat 60 is ok for closing. I personally have never used it - I’m a close late ⏰ @ slam level , open early w/ fc left kinda gal.
 
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