ph is slightly high, ok to swim?

[nate81]

FC 7
TA 80
ph 7.9 or 8


I dont have any muriatic acid, and i hate to buy 10 lbs of it when the calculator says i only need 4 oz. I understand low pH can damage pool parts and burn your eyes, whats wrong with having a slightly high ph? Will simply swimming in the water lower the ph?

 

[Divin Dave]

Hi nate,
with that pH, you're ok to swim.

pH is something you will likely continually have to adjust, so a gallon of muriatic acid wont go to waste.

Swimming in the water will not lower pH. Its something that doesnt go down naturally. The opposite is the case.
swimming and splashing around causes bubbles and aeration. And aeration causes pH to naturally rise. How quickly depends on what your TA is.

 

[tim5055]

^^^^^^What Dave said

Stop by Lowes and pick up a gallon of muratic acid, $7.75 a gallon. Look in the paint department, they have two Low Fume has a green label and full strength has a blue label. They make the Low Fume by diluting it, so go with the blue label. It's twice as strong (you need less to adjust your pH) but both are the same price per gallon.

 

[nate81]

Nice! Didn't know Lowes carried it....i will pick some up thank you both!

 

[tim5055]

Nice! Didn't know Lowes carried it....i will pick some up thank you both!

when you said pounds I assumed you were looking at the expensive dry acid at the pool store. Use the liquid from Lowes, mush less expensive.

 

[Lomag]

Everytime it rains here in NJ the PH in my pool falls so our acid rain helps keep my pool balanced PH wise. Although the acid rain does have me concerned...