TA target with PH hovering around 8.0+\-

Itsmejson

Well-known member
Aug 1, 2023
50
Liberty Hill, TX
Pool Size
11000
Surface
Fiberglass
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
My current TA Is 80 and since our pool was installed last year generally our PH has hovered around 8.0ish.

Would there be any benefit in trying to lower TA to 70 to try and PH to lower and stabilize at 7.8?
 

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CSI is not tested, it is calculated.
Pool Math, upper right hand corner, enable "Track CSI" and "Track Temperature."
Enter temp when you log results, CSI will be calculated.
Understood. I’ve turned in track CSI & track temperature. My pool equipment doesn’t have a temperature gauge. Can I use any standard thermometer?
 

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You should also track salinity even if you do not have a SWG.

Get a K-1766 salt test kit.

I would suggest that if the CSI is over + 0.0, lower the pH by the amount that the CSI is positive.

For example, if the CSI is +0.3, lower the pH by 0.3.

Never lower the pH below 7.2 and do not let it go above 8.3.

Do not worry about the TA directly unless it gets down to 60 or lower.

If the CSI is between -0.3 and 0.0, do nothing.
 
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You should also track salinity even if you do not have a SWG.

Get a K-1766 salt test kit.

I would suggest that if the CSI is over + 0.0, lower the pH by the amount that the CSI is positive.

For example, if the CSI is +0.3, lower the pH by 0.3.

Never lower the pH below 7.2 and do not let it go above 8.3.

Do not worry about the TA directly unless it gets down to 60 or lower.

If the CSI is between -0.3 and 0.0, do nothing.
Based on this, is it fair to say while CSI in the range of -0.6 to 0.6 is acceptable, that negative is better than the positive side? (and closer to zero is best?)
 
My preference is -0.3 to + 0.3 with -0.3 to 0.0 being ideal for plaster.

For vinyl, keep it below 0.0.
Excellent, thank you.

To follow up on this -- why is slightly negative CSI better than slightly positive for plaster pools? I've read through a lot of the material here. Does staying/targeting slightly negative reduce chance for scaling but not so aggressive as to harm cementitious materials (i.e. plaster)?
 
The poster has a fiberglass pool.

Fiberglass pools usually have calcium requirements from the manufacturer.

Heaters sometimes also have calcium requirements as specified by the manufacturer.

Calcium is probably not very important to either, but the warranty can be affected.
 
The poster has a fiberglass pool.

Fiberglass pools usually have calcium requirements from the manufacturer.

Heaters sometimes also have calcium requirements as specified by the manufacturer.

Calcium is probably not very important to either, but the warranty can be affected.
The point re: heaters makes sense. I remember reading elsewhere that, to some extent, some calcium deposition within heater coils helps to avoid/reduce short-term impacts from acidic environments and/or reduces amount of metals that can enter water over time.
 

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