I was cleaning out my skimmer baskets, and I had a bag of pH down sitting next to me. I accidentally hit it, and about 3/4 of the bag fell into the skimmer. I don't even know how I did this, but it is probably the dumbest thing I have ever done. I'm trying to figure out what to do to get this fixed. When I checked with my Taylor kit, it appeared that my pH was at the 7.0 mark. However, when I did the base demand test, it required 8 drops, which leads me to believe that it's lower than 7.0. I'm going to stop home shortly and will test it again. I'm trying to figure out whether I can safely increase this with pH Up (or something else). I have everything else well-managed and want to avoid messing anything else up. I can't believe that I did something so stupid. If I do use pH up, will it throw anything else off (TA, etc)? I've heard people mention Borax, but it's something that I have never used before.
Accidentally Dumped 3/4 or More of a Bag of pH Down Into Pool
- Thread starter chris87
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,856
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
What is your TA?
If your TA is 60 or above then aerate to raise your pH.
www.troublefreepool.com
If your TA is 60 or above then aerate to raise your pH.
Aeration - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,576
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Also, I would recommend against using a powdered "pH Down" product as it has sulfates in it that can affect your SWG. Muriatic acid is much safer on your equipment.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,443
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You can also use borax to raise pH without impacting TA. Just keep an eye pH and test regularly.
It is right at 60. I will read the aeration article. Thank you!What is your TA?
If your TA is 60 or above then aerate to raise your pH.
Aeration - Further Reading
Thanks. I know that I should be using muriatic acid. I guess the reason I haven't is because I've heard it's pretty nasty to work with.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,576
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
It can give off some strong fumes, but it's not too bad if you float the jug in the pool, then gently tip it over to add while it's almost touching the water. Then there's no danger of spilling it on concrete and causing pitting or anything like that.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,443
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Mostly myth and nonesense. If you handle it correctly and take appropriate precautions, it’s fine. The fumes smell like a mixture of mustard and strong vinegar and they can make you cough a bit or tear up but the odor threshold is so much lower than the harmful dose that you smell it well before it could ever hurt you. It’s slow to cause any kind of skin damage because of the chemistry between the HCl and your skin, other strong acids are much more harmful than muriatic acid.
Just be smart when handling it, stay up-wind of the bottle, and wear a decent pair of eye protective safety glasses and you’ll be fine.
Thank you. I'm always looking for better ways to do things, so I'll make the switch.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,443
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Also, some folks here like the acid dosing pumps … that can be a way to dose acid hands free. Another option is CO2 injection which some people have setup for reasonably low price. I like CO2 injection BUT CO2 is often not easy to find in some areas and/or costly to fill up cylinders. So I’m many areas CO2 is more expensive than MA.