ph off the charts

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I

IQMike

0
Jun 30, 2015
8
Dix Hills
Well its sort of spring here in the northeast and I am circulating the water for a few days since I reassembled the pad equipment.


I just measured my water with my Taylor K-2006 to begin my chemistry adjustments and the PH was off the charts. Had to add 5 drops of acid demand before it settled to about 7.4 amber color which means I'll need to throw in a gallon to start and maybe close to 2 gallons total of muriatic acid according to the taylor chart which specs just under 2 quarts of acid for 20,000 gallons at 3 drops reagent demand. I'm around 36,000 gallons with 5 drops of reagent demand.

Ta is at 60 and CH is at 120 right now. FC is at less than 0.5 PPM residual from the 4 cups of shock a threw in right when I started up the equipment. Water is crystal clear and 48 degrees F. Water was also clear enough to see straight to the bottom of the deep end.

The end of of season last year, the PH was at 7.6 as per intellichem and reagent testing. I dropped the water about 24 inches as I do every year and the pool is full in the spring from the rain and snow as it is every year.

It is my understanding that rain and snow is more on the lower end of the ph scale so I dont understand why it climbed up so high in the off season. In fact it is always high every spring but only needs 1-2 drops of reagent demand to get it right and always arounf 1/2 gallon of acid.

Anyone have any ideas as to whats causing this?

Thanks,
 
Please edit your signature and add the following information so we can better frame our answers to you.


  • List what test kit you use to test your water
  • The size of your pool in gallons
  • If your pool is an AG (above ground) or IG (in ground)
  • If it's IG, tell us if it's vinyl, plaster/pebble, or fiberglass
  • The type filter you have (sand, DE, cartridge)
  • If you know, tell us the make and model of your pump and filter.
  • List any other equipment you have: SWG, second pump, etc.
  • Please mention if you fill the pool from a well or are currently on water restrictions

Information in your signature will show up each time you post and it makes advice more accurate as we know what equipment we are dealing with.
 
It's a plaster in ground pool. Did not know about natural cold water ph relationship. I added Signature info.

Not to hijack my own thread but I have always had a problem with the pool surface "growing" what feels like a film of sandpaper over the winter which I belive is scale deposits from the extended period of high ph. I would literally spend hours in my scuba gear scraping the walls with a spatula to reclaim the smooth surface on the walls.
 
cfherrman said:
You need a firm dose of pool school to keep your csi slightly negative.


Post up a full set of test results

Fc
Cc
Ta
Ch
pH
Cya
Click to expand...

Not to sound like a booty, but during pool season here in NY (may-sept with heater of course) I am quite anal about maintaining a CSI of 0 to -.33 by use of an intellichem which sends an alarm to the screenlogic interface if it falls below -.33 or above +.33. I also use reagent measurement backups to confim.
My intellichem dumps in around 6-8 gallons of muriatic acid per season fighting ph creep from my SWG and stays at 7.5 all season. If I try to maintain a lower ph, the acid consumption goes up.
I always shut down the pool with balanced water before I drop the level 24 inces for the winter.
During the 2017 season my levels are consistently maintained at:

FC 3-4
CC <.2
TA 80
CH 250
PH 7.5
CYA ~60 ish
Temp 80-85 Degrees F (heater set to 80)

Maybe I'm wrong but posting current test results is irrelevant since all that was put back into my pool from september to now is acid rain and snow which according to NYS DEP website is a ph between 4.5 and 5.
if anything, my ph should be lower in the spring, not way up high bright purple and unreadable via color charts. Of course evrything else should be lower as well due to dilution by makeup water.

Right now:

FC <.2 shock residual
CC <.2
TA 50
CH 120
PH unreadable, needs 5 drops of acid demand reagent to achive 7.4
CYA not tested but I will guess around 30-40 due to dilution of rainwater refill
temp 48 degrees

It was shocked a week ago and I do know that cal hypo shock will spike the PH but not 7 days later.

its hard for me to belive the water temperature alone would raise the ph so high.

How will pool school help ovet the winter?
 
If you use PoolMath and plug in your numbers you will see the CSI will be around -1.3 if the pH is adjusted to 7.4. If the pH was at 7.8 the CSI will still be -.9. The pH naturally rises in cold water and so it protects the water from becoming too acidic. Use the search function for pH in cold water and you should find some threads with all the science behind it written by ChemGeek.
 
ping said:
If you use PoolMath and plug in your numbers you will see the CSI will be around -1.3 if the pH is adjusted to 7.4. If the pH was at 7.8 the CSI will still be -.9. The pH naturally rises in cold water and so it protects the water from becoming too acidic. Use the search function for pH in cold water and you should find some threads with all the science behind it written by ChemGeek.
Click to expand...


Ping, did the math and see the results. Now this math is slowly changing over time from a good CSI as the temp drops and chemicals are diluted over the fall and winter.
Since I seem to have overwinter scale growth problems, shouldn't I be more concerned about PH rather than CSI in the off season? I.E. no water circulating in equipment so no equipment damage and no scale growth on walls?

Definitely confused over temp relationship to ph neutrality and I will study it. I do remember every point in PH represents a 10x concentration in hydrogen ions so I need to know the reason temp change alone adds / removes ions all else being equal.

I have never used borates. how will that affect the current situation if I go that route??
 
IQMike said:
Not to sound like a booty, but during pool season here in NY (may-sept with heater of course) I am quite anal about maintaining a CSI of 0 to -.33 by use of an intellichem which sends an alarm to the screenlogic interface if it falls below -.33 or above +.33. I also use reagent measurement backups to confim.
My intellichem dumps in around 6-8 gallons of muriatic acid per season fighting ph creep from my SWG and stays at 7.5 all season. If I try to maintain a lower ph, the acid consumption goes up.
I always shut down the pool with balanced water before I drop the level 24 inces for the winter.
During the 2017 season my levels are consistently maintained at:

FC 3-4
CC <.2
TA 80
CH 250
PH 7.5
CYA ~60 ish
Temp 80-85 Degrees F (heater set to 80)

Maybe I'm wrong but posting current test results is irrelevant since all that was put back into my pool from september to now is acid rain and snow which according to NYS DEP website is a ph between 4.5 and 5.
if anything, my ph should be lower in the spring, not way up high bright purple and unreadable via color charts. Of course evrything else should be lower as well due to dilution by makeup water.

Right now:

FC <.2 shock residual
CC <.2
TA 50
CH 120
PH unreadable, needs 5 drops of acid demand reagent to achive 7.4
CYA not tested but I will guess around 30-40 due to dilution of rainwater refill
temp 48 degrees

It was shocked a week ago and I do know that cal hypo shock will spike the PH but not 7 days later.

its hard for me to belive the water temperature alone would raise the ph so high.

How will pool school help ovet the winter?
Click to expand...

No worries, I thought you were a new member.
 

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