Finding optimal TA

[sandman98]

So I started this season opening with my TA=150. Over the last 2 days, I have been incrementally adding Muriatic Acid to bring the pH down to 7.0-7.2, then aerating with my tile-line fountain jets. After my last addition of acid, I have a pH of 7.2 and TA=110. I'm planning to continue until my TA is down to 70-80, then turn off the aerating jets, and hold on any further additions of acid for a couple days to track my pH drift, while testing daily. Does this sound like a reasonable approach?

And is there an optimal TA that pH will remain relatively stable? Will I be adding acid routinely throughout the season?

As always, thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Richard320]

So I started this season opening with my TA=150. Over the last 2 days, I have been incrementally adding Muriatic Acid to bring the pH down to 7.0-7.2, then aerating with my tile-line fountain jets. After my last addition of acid, I have a pH of 7.2 and TA=110. I'm planning to continue until my TA is down to 70-80, then turn off the aerating jets, and hold on any further additions of acid for a couple days to track my pH drift, while testing daily. Does this sound like a reasonable approach?

And is there an optimal TA that pH will remain relatively stable? Will I be adding acid routinely throughout the season?

As always, thanks in advance for any replies.

Sadly, those elusive numbers are going to be different for every pool. You'll have to find out by experimenting. Someone might find that targeting 7.4pH leads to a constant battle, whereas leaving at at 7.6 will buy them 2 weeks without acid. A whole lot depends on how much aeration and what the refill water has in it.

You will probably find that as you keep lowering pH and the TA drops naturally with it, that the intervals get longer and longer and the dose gets smaller and smaller. You'll know it when you reach a stable combination. There's just no way to predict where it will be. Regular testing and keeping a spreadsheet will help.