TA and pH issues

[Dingo Monkey]

Having a little quandary about adding some chemicals.
My pool is currently pretty well balanced in terms of pH. Right around 7.4. However, my TA is reading about 110 ppm, using the Taylor test kit because I know those strips are about useless.
Some place online I read that that is a good place for TA to be, but I have a SWG and saw on here that 60 - 80 ppm is ideal for that. Now I just happen to have 2 gallons of muriatic acid and according to the Taylor test kit booklet that is about what I'd need to lower my TA to 70 ppm...but will that not drop my pH?
Is the correct procedure here to put in the acid to drop my TA and then test the pH again later, adding whatever is required to bring it back up?

 

[Texas Splash]

This is what you are looking for: Pool School - Lower Total Alkalinity. But I would also say that if your pH is stable, don't mess with TA. Just leave it alone. If your pH does indeed climb too fast, then certainly try those instructions.

 

[Dingo Monkey]

I'll keep that in mind. I'll just keep an eye on my pH for a few days and make sure it holds where it is. Don't think that of a TA will mess with how my salt cell functions or its lifespan?

 

[Texas Splash]

Good point Dingo - SWG. It might not be a bad idea to adjust it a little lower into the TFP recommended levels. As long as your pH remains constant you should be okay. Also, when you get a chance, please enter your pool info into your signature so we have a good quick reference of what you have to work with there.

 

[Dingo Monkey]

So my assumption above was about right? Lower the TA, then add some soda ash afterward to bring the pH back up?
And about the muriatic acid, since I've never used it before...do I just pour it in nice and slow around the deep end? I've never messed with my TA before, and never used this acid for anything at all

 

[Texas Splash]

Pour the acid nice and slow near a return jet(s) so the pump and water can mix it better. Watch the direction of the wind! When we are trying to lower TA, most of us find it better to lower the pH with the acid more than normal (about 7.2) then simply aerate the water which will increase pH and not touch TA at all leaving it lower. Repeat as needed.

 

[Dingo Monkey]

Okay, guess I feel like a total pool noob here, even though I've had this pool for 13 years...but how do I aerate the water? I have no water features or anything like that. Is there a special piece of equipment I can use?

 

[Texas Splash]

Here is one example of something very popular: Pool water relief in an intex pool?.

 

[Dingo Monkey]

Hey...now I feel stupid because I didn't think of doing something like that before even asking. I'm a plumber, for Pete's sake!
And, as such, have easy access to all that stuff right now.

Do you think that the booster pump would provide enough flow to make that work? My pool cleaner fitting is your standard 1.5" IPT and I have all that readily available, but I don't know where I'd get that fitting to go on a regular return line

 

[Texas Splash]

When it comes to aeration and a DIY like this one, there's no real right/wrong way ... as long as there are no leaks. Some may use a separate pump, but I would venture to say most pool owners with a simple set-up just cut into their return line and add a 3-way or ball valve to adjust return flow back to either the return jet or fountain.

 

[Dingo Monkey]

Thanks for the help. Before I cut into lines like that I'm going to try to build me one coming off the pool cleaner fitting. Easiest way I see to do it, if it works. Once I get something like that going I'll start to add some acid, aerate to get the pH back up...wash, rinse, repeat.

I do find it odd, however, that aerating raises pH. Never would have guessed that before looking around on here. Of course, before a tornado dropped a huge pine tree on my screened enclosure and my insurance wouldn't give me enough dough to replace it I never had any problems with anything in my pool. Everything stayed perfect all the time with no work from me other than adding a little salt and CYA when it rained a lot. Ever since that screen went away I've had to do a lot more work