Constantly rising PH

[Sandyco]

I know this has been discussed before, but just wanted to see if anyone had ideas, as I think I've tried most strategies suggested.

I have an approx 9 month old gunite pool with diamond-brite plaster. There is a flush spa with a continuous spillway (there's really no splash or I think aeration from it, it just runs over the edge and down about 1" to the pool depending on the pool level - sort of a slick look). I run in pool mode all the time (meaning all pool and two spa returns are on but only pool drain is on, to keep spillway moving constantly), about 14 hours a day. The returns are not turned up, and we don't use the spa that often. There is a vacuum that runs every other day, but I don't think it's contributing to aeration. Pool gets a lot of sun.

My PH is constantly rising to 8.0. I have tried low TA (~70) and high TA (~125) and it doesn't seem to matter, although of course the TA gradually drops as I lower the PH over and over. I use a taylor reagent test kit. My Calcium is about 375. At PH of 8.0, I am over the saturation index safe point most of the year here (with water temps over 70 almost all the time and even 90s in summer).

Any suggestions to get off the acid train? I am adding every 2-3 days, using dry acid. When I have adjusted TA, I did it with baking soda.

Many thanks in advance

 

[PoolingAround]

Any source of aeration is going to cause higher PH. My spillway drops about a foot (which I run all day) and I'm constantly battling high PH. I too have only had the pool 9 months so part of this due to new plaster. I'm hoping after a year it stabilizes.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Also, even though your pool is 9 months old and should be stabilizing over time, its still a new pool. New pools with plaster do this for a while.

Keep dosing it with the MA, and using PoolMath to monitor the CSI. Try turning that small spillover valve off and see if that changes things.

Yippee

 

[Sandyco]

Also, even though your pool is 9 months old and should be stabilizing over time, its still a new pool. New pools with plaster do this for a while.

Keep dosing it with the MA, and using PoolMath to monitor the CSI. Try turning that small spillover valve off and see if that changes things.

Yippee

Thanks

Unfortunately I don't think I can turn off the spillover because that's the only way the spa circulates. I don't think I could consistently balance the drain and returns between the pool and spa as separate systems.

 

[Naplespool]

I've got a new pool and have nearly the same chemistry now as you except I've added Boric Acid to 50 ppm. It slowed the Ph rise. I'm now dropping TA from 80 to 60 to measure that effect.

My situation: New Pool Alkalinity and PH.

 

[WyattEarp]

My pool is just now a year old. It ate a LOT of acid last season. I found that getting my TA to 60 kept my acid additions to about once every 3 days. For the first 4 months or so I was having to add daily. Things held pretty steady over the cold winter months and water. We shall see how it does year two. So far it seems to have slowed way down but we are not using the pool yet and water and air temps are just about 80.

If you have constant spillover and a SWG you are going to use acid. No way around it. I think getting your TA down to 50-60 will help.