lowering ph

[eddie1129]

my ph is at 7.8 but i have calcium scaling. I want to lower to 7.2, I see that i can add acid to to that , but I'm reading that I have to bypass by heater when adding acid. I can't bypass heater the way it is set up, are there any other solutions?

 

[Melt In The Sun]

You don't need to bypass the heater as long as you aren't lowering the pH below 7 (or adding it to the skimmer, which is a bad idea). Go for it!

 

[Butterfly]

What MITS said, and here is a "How to add MA from Pool School" blurb:

You should always wear eye protection when handling muriatic acid. You do not want to breathe muriatic acid fumes. If you spill any on your clothes it will cause damage. Muriatic acid may sting a bit if you get it on your skin, but won't normally cause any serious harm as long as you rinse it off right away.

Muriatic acid should be added to the pool by pouring slowly in front of a return jet with the pump running. You should pour slowly enough that pouring an entire jug takes more than two minutes. Leave the pump running for at least 30 minutes after adding muriatic acid.

 

[Durk]

Add to the above the obvious: Stay on the upwind side of the open bottle at all time...including before and after pouring. Don't turn around to get the cap or put it on.

I honestly don't know how Pool School could leave this out.

 

[Richard320]

I generally scoop up a bucket full of pool water (plastic bucket), add my acid to that, then pour that diluted mixture in front of a return. By the time it hits the skimmer or drain, it's well mixed.

 

[eddie1129]

Richard
thanks for the help . I have scaling like you said, but not as bad as pictures I first posted in algae section. I lowered ph and i'm brushing with steel brush looks like it will be a while but looks a lot better then when I started. my question is do I brush as much as possible everyday or do I wait for a chemical reaction to happen by lowering the ph and maybe brush every other day.

 

[duraleigh]

By brushing, you sorta' "knock off" the outermost layer of the scale that has been exposed to the lower pH. The scale underneath is then exposed and it, in turn, gets weakened and will come off and/or dissolve back into the water. Brushing everyday would probably be best but you don't want to be a slave to the pool, either. I think I would brush 2-3 times weekly as a nice compromise.