Alkalinity vs PH Levels

[Smaccarone]

Hey everyone I'm just wondering if anyone can help me understand the science behind why I would need to add acid to my pool if my pH level is still a little bit below where it should be?

I assume that adding acid will lower the pH and then I will have to maybe add pH Up from Home Depot to get it back?

Just wondering what you all would do if you were in my situation as I am relatively new here!

Going to test my water levels for this week now but this question is based on last week's result in case you see mixed information with our latest pool math test.

Thanks you all in advance!!!

 

[mknauss]

why I would need to add acid to my pool if my pH level is still a little bit below where it should be?

Why would you lower your pH if it is below where it should be?

No reason to chase TA if that is what you are doing. TA buffers pH. As pH rises to 8, lower it to 7.6. The TA will fall.

 

[mknauss]

pH test is invalid if your FC is above 10 ppm ---------

 

[Smaccarone]

pH test is invalid if your FC is above 10 ppm ---------

Ohhhhh okay, got it. My FC should be below 10 today. So I should get a true reading of pH finally. The pool math app said that I need to add some acid but I didn't feel like doing that because the pH reading was still lower than where pool math said it should be.

Okay let me go do my test now and see what's happening because my guess is I will definitely need to finally add chlorine since we started swimming this week. And we will see what else!?!

 

[Richard320]

Good catch. You don;t want to add acid if pH is already good. The problem is that Poolmath has tunnel-vision, sort of like the bossy woman inside the GPS who keeps telling you to make a U-turn when safe even though you can plainly see for yourself that the street she wants you on is closed off and dug up... Don't blindly follow poolmath any more than you would blindly follow the GPS. There may be very good reasons to ignore their advice.

 

[Smaccarone]

Why would you lower your pH if it is below where it should be?

No reason to chase TA if that is what you are doing. TA buffers pH. As pH rises to 8, lower it to 7.6. The TA will fall.

PoolMath Logs

Okay so pretty similar to last week I'm guessing I should just leave it as is because it's still at the top? I have acid that I can add if you think that is better but it will lower the pH level I'm assuming?
So I was just wondering if I should lower the alkalinity and then add pH up to try and get the pH levels back up? Pool Math says to aerate the pool but I'm not sure how to do that?

 

[mknauss]

There is nothing to do. Maintain FC in target range for your CYA.

You aerate pool water by aiming your returns to the surface, throwing 10 kids in the pool and have them splash around, etc. But you do not need to do that. Relax.

 

[Smaccarone]

There is nothing to do. Maintain FC in target range for your CYA.

You aerate pool water by aiming your returns to the surface, throwing 10 kids in the pool and have them splash around, etc. But you do not need to do that. Relax.

Thank you all so much! This is so much better than using a pool service or doing things through a pool store. I am finally enjoying the pool since it is no longer a money pit. I am literally saving over $300 month!!! I was doing my happy dance today and pinching myself!!!