I converted from Baquacil to BBB this year and my pH held at 7.5 for about two weeks after the conversion. Three weeks ago, I added the Aqua Rite SWG, and it's working beautifully, but my pH is somewhere near 7.8. My TA has been at 120 since the conversion as well. Is it time to add muriatic acid, or is 7.8 within the acceptable range? I assume the SWG caused the rise in pH because when I was just using the bleach, it never moved from 7.5. I've seen posts where people need to add muriatic acid on a regular basis to maintain pH with an SWG....
New SWG and pH is on the rise
- Thread starter steve1969
- Start date
The higher TA causes PH rise with an SWG.
I dropped my TA to 70 and that dramatically slows my PH rise.
I dropped my TA to 70 and that dramatically slows my PH rise.
Steve1969, have you seen Waterbear's water balance tips for a SWG? It is in Pool School: category/pool-school/water_balance_saltwater_generator
Yes, I have read waterbear's sticky on water chem for a SWG. I just wanted to see if it was possible that my pH would keep rising, or whether it just moved up one time because of the new SWG and would stop at 7.8. Assuming I need to add muriatic acid to lower the TA and the pH, I was looking to get some feedback from people whose pH is always nudging up because of the SWG. Thanks as always for the help.
I've been working on this myself with our new pool. The TA is about 110 to 120 and I'm trying to bring it down by adding acid little by little. I'm using the pool calculator to see how much acid to use to lower the PH to 7.2 or so and then letting it rise and adding more acid. I'm also checking the stabilizer or CYA once a week and trying to get it up to the recomended level also. Seems like a slow process, but the water looks good.
I'm also having to add bleach now and then because I don't have any free clorine, hopefully this will turn around when I get the other levels right. We have a aquatrol and it's set at 40 %.
I'm also having to add bleach now and then because I don't have any free clorine, hopefully this will turn around when I get the other levels right. We have a aquatrol and it's set at 40 %.
Best advice I can give is to stop 'playing 'with your pool and get the TA and CYA to proper levels ASAP. It will make your pool maintenance much easier. If your TA is to high your pH will rise to above 8.0! If your stabilizer is too low it will indirectly lead to faster pH rise AND your pool won't hold FC.
The FIRST think you need is a good test kit so if you don't already have one get one!
Second, drop the ph to 7.0 and start aerating to get the TA down. Repeat this until TA is 70-90 ppm (lower is better). While you are lowering the TA calculate how much CYA you need to bring it up to 70 ppm and pour that into your skimmer. The CYA will take about a week to fully dissolve in the water and in that time you should have your TA at target also. Monitor your FC since it will start to climb as the CYa dissolves. Adjust the output of your SWG down as the FC climb. It can take a few weeks to get it fine tuned but you want the FC between 3-5 ppm.
The FIRST think you need is a good test kit so if you don't already have one get one!
Second, drop the ph to 7.0 and start aerating to get the TA down. Repeat this until TA is 70-90 ppm (lower is better). While you are lowering the TA calculate how much CYA you need to bring it up to 70 ppm and pour that into your skimmer. The CYA will take about a week to fully dissolve in the water and in that time you should have your TA at target also. Monitor your FC since it will start to climb as the CYa dissolves. Adjust the output of your SWG down as the FC climb. It can take a few weeks to get it fine tuned but you want the FC between 3-5 ppm.
Thanks for the advice. I've been wondering if I needed to move quicker or take my time.
"If your TA is to high your pH will rise to above 8.0! If your stabilizer is too low it will indirectly lead to faster pH rise AND your pool won't hold FC."
So, it sounds like I need to get myself some muriatic acid this weekend or else my pH will continue to go up. It's been holding at 7.8 since Friday though, which is why I originally posted the thread because while high, it's probably within the acceptable range.
My CYA is 80, pH was 7.5 when I originally turned on the SWG for the first time. After that, my FC was at 5.0 for about three days until I dialed down the SWG to about 20%, then my FC dropped to 1.5, so I moved it back to 40%. Everything's pretty much in line, except the TA has always been high. Prior to the SWG installation, it didn't seem to matter too much. My water has been sparkling for six weeks, with virtually no maintenance except for bleach (and now, just the SWG).
Either way, I will get some muriatic acid this weekend and start lowering my TA and pH. I'm shooting to lower the pH to 7.0 and aerate as well? Do I just point the jets up at the surface? Thanks for the help.
So, it sounds like I need to get myself some muriatic acid this weekend or else my pH will continue to go up. It's been holding at 7.8 since Friday though, which is why I originally posted the thread because while high, it's probably within the acceptable range.
My CYA is 80, pH was 7.5 when I originally turned on the SWG for the first time. After that, my FC was at 5.0 for about three days until I dialed down the SWG to about 20%, then my FC dropped to 1.5, so I moved it back to 40%. Everything's pretty much in line, except the TA has always been high. Prior to the SWG installation, it didn't seem to matter too much. My water has been sparkling for six weeks, with virtually no maintenance except for bleach (and now, just the SWG).
Either way, I will get some muriatic acid this weekend and start lowering my TA and pH. I'm shooting to lower the pH to 7.0 and aerate as well? Do I just point the jets up at the surface? Thanks for the help.
That's what I've been doing, letting it break the surface. Looks like I dropped from 120 to 110 from yesterday, used 4 cups of acid yesterday. Today I'm trying to go at it a little harder and checking the ph more often and adding more acid.
After trying the Borax, I'm a believer. It will take you several trips to walmart to get enough, but it is worth it.
Since i raised my CYA to 70ppm and my Borates to 50 ppm, my pool has truly been trouble free!
Since i raised my CYA to 70ppm and my Borates to 50 ppm, my pool has truly been trouble free!
Last night I bought a gallon of 31.45% muriatic acid and poured one quart into the skimmer (to lower my pH down to 7.2 from 7.7 or 7.8). My TA was 120. I also pointed the jets up at the surface for aeration and went to bed. This morning, the pH is still 7.8 and the TA is still 120. Does muriatic acid take a while to affect the water? I wouldn't think so. My CYA is still 80, FC = 3.5 CC = 0, salt = 3200. Everything seems in line except TA and pH are high and didn't seem to want to go down with the acid. Any suggestions?
I started about a week ago with a TA of 120. I'm down to 90 this morning after going through a gallon of acid so far plus 2 more cups this morning. My pool holds less water than yours so it'll take more for you. I hit it good a couple of days ago to get the ph to a 7 and it goes up to a 7.2 in about 12 hrs, then I'll put two more cups in.
Well that explains why the guy at the pool store asked me if I only wanted one gallon. I guess I'll be going back for more this weekend. How high was your pH when you started? The pool calculator basically said that one quart would reduce my pH to 7.2 and the TA -8. It's possible that the pH dropped and came right back up again, especially since I added the acid at 9:00 PM, had the filter running all night with the jets breaking the surface, and then checked again this morning at 7:00 AM. I guess it's also possible that the TA is now down to 112. It still took 12 drops to turn red, but you know how that test is kind of subjective....
So, can you tell me what your process has been over the last week? It would help me out a lot. I'm an accountant, so I like to do things methodically
So, can you tell me what your process has been over the last week? It would help me out a lot. I'm an accountant, so I like to do things methodically
Do not add muriatic acid to the skimmer! It will damage the pump seals and, if you have one, copper heat exchange coils in the heater.
Pour muriatic acid slowly! in front of a return jet with the pump running.
Pour muriatic acid slowly! in front of a return jet with the pump running.
Whoops. I poured VERY slowly into the skimmer (thankfully). My heat pump is titanium, so I'm okay there. What kind of damage would occur with the pump seals? I assume if I did any damage, the pump would have been leaking or making funny noise this morning, right?
Muriatic acid mostly tends to accelerate the corrosion of the pump shaft seal. A single application is unlikely to have caused any immediate damage, but it will have taken a year or two off of the lifetime of the seal. If you don't do that again you should be alright.
My pump is original to the pool (nine years old maybe?) and has probably seen better days. It wouldn't surprise me if I only get another season or two out of it anyway. It just looks really weathered and makes funny squeaking noises when it first starts up. That being said, it still performs.
I pour it in the pool, near the jet. I've been trying to be methodical also, but with the kid and his freinds and the wife wanting to swim at all different times of the day it's tough. I check it in the morning and add as much acid as I can then do it in the evening again and add as much as I can, usually thats only two cups. The ph was 7.8 when I started, so I added four cups the first time if I remember right, did that several times but now the ph is staying down it seems so I use less acid. I know what you mean about the test being subjective, I think I've got it close to 80 instead of 90 because it almost turned with 8 drops and was definite at 9 and thats what I got last night as well and I added 2 cups after that test. The CYA test is really hard for me to judge, been trying to increase that as well but have another day to wait untill checking it again.
That's what I added last night - four cups (a quart). How long does the acid take to affect the pH? I mean, it's possible that last night's addition moved it down, but then it came right back up again. Are you aerating constantly too, or is the pH coming back up on its own? I guess I'll start seeing a decrease in the TA once I have added some more acid. I don't want to drive the pH down below 7.0