It's a new pool and I have to add acid every day or every other day to lower the Ph. My alkalinity has now gone down to 50. My ph is currently 7.8, I added acid yesterday. Should I add baking soda and/or acid today? I'm not sure how to handle this since the baking soda will make my Ph go up. Also it's a SWG but we have been using bleach since it's too cold for the salt to generate chlorine. Do I still follow the SWG water level guidelines or do I follow the bleach?
Should I raise my Alkalinity?
- Thread starter beachcozy
- Start date
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
I would hold off on raising TA. Between that new plaster pool and your SWG you are going to be fighting pH for a while. FWIW baking soda is virtually pH neutral. Use the non-SWG numbers until you can use your SWG.
There isn't a magic number for that even though we do have a suggested TA range. Its dependant on other things such as CH, but don't assume you'll be needing to adjust. Your pH rise should be quite slow at that TA level, and you may have all the TA you need in your makeup water. Let it sit and see what it does pH wise. It might hover there and be ok, depending on what your other numbers are. Can you give us a full fresh set of numbers please? Also, BS will only elevate your pH a tiny little if it is fairly low, say 7.2 or less.
Ok I just did the TF test kit:
FC 2.5
CC 0
CH 300
TA 100 (i also re-did the test again using the kit from our builder that I used this morning, it was 60)
CYA 60
I retested the Ph with the little kit that came with the TF kit. It shows closer to 7.5
FC 2.5
CC 0
CH 300
TA 100 (i also re-did the test again using the kit from our builder that I used this morning, it was 60)
CYA 60
I retested the Ph with the little kit that came with the TF kit. It shows closer to 7.5
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
Your FC is way too low for your CYA. That is more important than anything.
But to address the TA discrepancy, the next time you do that test, wipe the R-009 bottle tip between drops and see if you get a smaller number.
But to address the TA discrepancy, the next time you do that test, wipe the R-009 bottle tip between drops and see if you get a smaller number.
Ok I've added bleach to go up to 5 and we will see from there. It's odd, I did wipe while using the TF kit since that's what directions said.
- - - Updated - - -
Oh and my CYA is 60 because I originally raised it to 70 since I was following the SWG guidelines.
- - - Updated - - -
Oh and my CYA is 60 because I originally raised it to 70 since I was following the SWG guidelines.
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
Not to belabor a point, but 5 is the absolute lowest you should get to with a CYA of 60 without your SWG running. Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart The target it 7-9.
TA is fine tuning, don't worry about it until pH is acting really weird. With a fresh plaster pH is just going to go up for a while. You will be adding a lot of acid, especially when the SWG gets turned on.
TA is fine tuning, don't worry about it until pH is acting really weird. With a fresh plaster pH is just going to go up for a while. You will be adding a lot of acid, especially when the SWG gets turned on.
I was adding 50oz to get to 5 so I figured I would start there and then re-test and bring it up more.
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
I've added more bleach to get it up to 8. Since my level needs to be above 5, I can't use that yellow drop test. So do I use the powder test that's in the TF kit every day?
If you have something going on you can...or every other day or two until you are able to predict what it will be with high accuracy. After a time you will have a feel for it, and wont need to test with that one daily. You will learn what your pool does in all weather and circumstances, so by that point a few times a week is usually more than enough for most pool owners.
I tested Alkalinty again today. Using the PB test, 60. Using TF test, 110. I don't get it.
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
What is the pb test? Strips?
It kind of doesn't matter anyway. If you are trying to lower TA to reduce rising pH, there is one course of action to accomplish both, acid! TA is not that important unless it is very low or very high. I would recommend managing pH and only testing TA (with the Taylor drop test that came with your TF100 kit) once every couple of weeks or so and not worrying about it too much.
It kind of doesn't matter anyway. If you are trying to lower TA to reduce rising pH, there is one course of action to accomplish both, acid! TA is not that important unless it is very low or very high. I would recommend managing pH and only testing TA (with the Taylor drop test that came with your TF100 kit) once every couple of weeks or so and not worrying about it too much.
The Taylor based drop tests included in the TF-100 is the most accurate pool test available, trust it. We do.
I would trust the Taylor based TF-100 kit rather than trust the kit from China. There's no telling what, if any standards they hold their reagents too, but those made by Taylor are held to very strict ones. You'll make yourself crazy trying to compare the differences.
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