Help Lowering TA & increasing PH

[bigdave]

I have been running my pool for 3 days straight now and can not get my PH to rise. It was at 7.4 last week and I lowered it to 7.2 with muriatic acid. I am trying to lower my TA which is currently at 140. But I can't get my ph to rise so I can add another dose of acid. I am currently using a salt water system and it is on at the same time as the flows.

Here are some pictures of what I have running. Two returns both with 90 degree tees and one running a foutain and the other just a hard drop. See pix.

Any help or thoughts would be appreciated. I also tried running my compressor for 6 hours on 30 psi hooked to a drip hose weighted at the bottom of the pool

 

[sevver]

You are just not making enough bubbles. Maybe get a puddle pump, make a Tee out of pvc, and hard pipe it to the pump in the pool so that the water will disturb a large surface of the pool.

The way I understand it, the more air put into the water the better. Looking at what you got going, it could take awhile like that. Do you have an air compressor? Toss a quick connect fitting on the end of the hose, and just chuck it in the water and let it run for a couple days.

Right now, I have a tee hard piped into my return line, with a garden hose connected to it, in the end of the garden hose I put a barbed connector, I have the line valved so that I can direct some or all of the flow into the hose, or I can turn it off. Essentially it is a water jet that shoots a stream of water into the pool. Just like in the in ground ones, only mine is above ground. Basically, this worked awesome at lowering my TA the last bit this year.

 

[Guest]

Also, run your pump 24/7. It takes time sometimes. Don't get discouraged.

 

[bigdave]

If anyone has pictures of your own inventions for pumping air into your pools or aerating, it would be appreciated?

I'm sure others would enjoy seeing them as well. I have searched the forum but haven't been able to see any, other than a home depot water fountain.

Lowering TA seems to be a hot topic for many.

Thanks!!!

 

[chem geek]

The lower the pH, the faster the rate of outgassing, so 7.0 is actually quite a bit better than 7.2 assuming your pH test can measure down to 6.8 so you'll know you haven't gone too far. As for aeration, lots of tiny bubbles at the bottom of the deep end is best. A pipe or nozzle with small holes connected to an air compressor should work well. Usually, the SWG works well but it will also increase your chlorine level so you can't run that continuously.

Have you seen this air injector that was mentioned in another post? Air injection should be better than a splashing fountain effect as shown in your pictures.

As waterbear mentioned, even under the best of circumstances it still takes some time, but is a lot faster than just adding acid to control pH for months on end.

Richard

 

[bigdave]

I was finally able to lower my TA down to 90 from 140. However, with the kids jumping in the pool and the air being pumped into the pool over the weekend with 90+ degrees I lost a quite bit of water.

So I measured my water before refilling the pool to find it measures 140. How will I maintain a lower TA if I have to continue to put in water that is already higher? Sounds like a battle, is it worth always trying to lower after every refill? Or should I just live with 140?

I only had to adjust my ph a few times all last season, seems like it is a lot harder to bring my TA down that just adjust my ph.

Thoughts?

 

[JasonLion]

If the PH drift isn't enough to bother you then there is no need to lower the TA.