newbie pool owner first readings

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earthling

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Sep 3, 2009
10
We had our pool put in eariler this summer. It is a 18x36m lagoon shape, 8ft on the deep end and 3'6 on the shallow end. It also has a circular spa with a waterfall flowing into it. It has a SWG, Sta-rite modular cartridge filter, and an intellflo pump for the pool, starite pump for the spa. The main pump runs 24/7 and is set for 27GPM (the intelliflo did this on its own) or approx full turnover twice a day.

Readings

The salt level is at 3100ppm
FC is 6 ppm
PH is 7.8/8.0
TA is 130ppm
CH is 210
CYA is 80

I have the taylor 2006 test kit BTW if there is anything else I should be testing for. I know the PH is high, I have been adding about a 1/3rd of a liter of Muratic Acid to compensate. Is there anything else I should do?
 
Hi earthling and welcome to the forum :wave:

I like your username :mrgreen:

You are already aware that the pH is high and are using MA to lower it. If adding the MA is happening often and becoming aggravating, you could lower your TA which should help with the pH rise.

Have you seen Water Balance for SWGs in Pool School? Great info there, too.

How does your water look?

Edit: Dave beat me to that question :mrgreen:
 
The water looks good, very clear. Even the pool guys commented that it looked very good so I don't think there are any issues. I have been fighting the TA for a month now and I finally have it down to 130, it was over 200. I did read the guide in the pool school, and I guess I just have to keep trying to lower TA.

BTW, when I ran the taylor test for combined chlorine there was none. Is that a problem?
 
Your most pressing issue is to bring down your pH into the low to mid 7's.

From that point, you may continue to lower TA if your pH rise is annoying but lowering your pH first is more important than the TA.
 
earthling said:
I thought lowering TA would lower PH as well? I better go read the guide again
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The two are very closely linked. In fact, I haven't been able to raise/lower one without the other moving a proportionally equal amount.

I aerate 8 hours a night and my Ph goes up overnight but so does my TA. I add MA and both come down but the next morning they are both right back up to where they were the morning before.
 

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1. If you want to raise pH, use borax. Your TA will rise some but not too much.

2. If you want to lower pH, use muriatic. Your TA will come down with it.

3. If you want to lower pH but leave your TA where it is, lower pH with muriatic and raise TA with baking soda.

4. If you want to permanently lower TA but leave pH alone, follow the article in Pool School.

5. If you want to raise TA, use baking soda. Your pH will remain relatively stable.
 
duraleigh said:
4. If you want to permanently lower TA but leave pH alone, follow the article in Pool School.
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This is what I have been trying but my TA comes right back up with the Ph when I aerate.

I'm just using the built in aerator that sprays pool water out over the surface because I don't have a way to connect anything else to any of the plumbing (the returns are flush with the plaster), so maybe this is my problem. I've just accepted that I'm stuck with high TA-to-Ph ratio.

It's not bad. I'm at 100 TA with 7.6 Ph, but I'd prefer it to be closer to 70-80.
 
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