Wow! High Total Alkalinity. Ideal Target?

[guisandov]

I'm status post recent total drain and refill. On well water so high TA fill water.
TF-100 results:
FC 4
CC 0
TC 4
pH 7.8
TA 240
CH 130(pre-drain level-500)
CYA15-20

What TA should I shoot for? Muriatic acid or dry acid?
(I'm working on CYA level, and non-SWG.)

Thanks.

 

[JohnT]

Don't get too caught up worrying about the TA. You can live with it there, and it's fairly easy to lower over time. Unless you are having to add acid several times a week to maintain pH, I'd just keep adjusting your pH down to 7-7.2 and aim the returns toward the surface. It's not urgent, mostly a convenience factor to minimize pH adjustment frequency.

I'd stick with muriatic acid.

 

[257WbyMag]

Agree with John. As long as you add acid to correct high pH readings as indicated, your TA should pretty much find its happy place over time.

Muriatic acid is usually cheaper than the dry acids and is also more "pure" from a chemical standpoint, being that it doesn't add extras that you don't want or need in your water.

 

[guisandov]

So, just follow the pH? The pH test kit that comes with the TF-100 is hard to read above 7.8 and I'm wondering if my pH is higher than 7.8. What pH do I shoot for? Do I get a more accurate pH tester?

Thanks again.

 

[anonapersona]

You should shoot for 7.5 at first, so that you are certain that you know your pool volume and TA. TA is important in knowing how much muriatic acid you need. When you add the acid, it changes the TA some and the next time you need less acid for the same effect. So you gotta measure TA often.

So, at first, just get from 7.8 or whatever to 7.5. Test and be sure you got what you expected. Then when you are comfortable with that, you can go lower in one jump, like to 7.2 or 7.0. You just don't want to use too much and not know it.

 

[Sportsman]

My TA was also 240 and pH off the charts when I filled my pool a month ago. I was high of my targets teh first couple times I used MA but once I got my TA to around 180 it started being more predictable. I'm at 130 as of tonight and when I bring it to 7.2 I have a while before it goes to 7.8

When you use the pool calculator, make sure you enter the correct TA when calculation MA to adjust pH.