Balancing PH

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Pboales

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Jul 22, 2023
8
Kempner, Texas
How important is it to get PH down to appropriate level before SLAMMING? New pool owner, first time using TF Pro test kit.
Above ground pool, 13, 594 gallons, vinyl liner, chlorine, located in Central Texas, high temps 100+ on daily basis, adding water about every 3 days.

Our pool has been green for about 3 months now. My husband did everything the local pool store told him to do with no results. I found your website, ordered the recommended test kit. Initial PH was over 8.2. Have added PH Down as recommended in Pool Math app. (Also added stabilizer and chlorine per app) Continued to test and add over the past three days. Picture of today's test attached. It's darker now that when I began. Chlorine is down to 1. CYA is at 90. We are on community water and the company currently has a boil order in effect due to low levels of chlorine. Water also has manganese in it.

Please help. Thanks in advance.
Paula
 

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ajw22 said:
What is your TA?
Click to expand...
160 in the logs.

I would lower your pH to 7.2 before you SLAM.

To better read the pH, you might try 4 drops instead of 5.

I'm not sure why you added stabilizer. 90 is not a recommended CYA level for a liquid chlorine pool. This is going to make a slam very difficult. I would consider replacing 30% of your pool water. Use the "no drain water exchange" here:

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
Last edited:
Pboales said:
How important is it to get PH down to appropriate level before SLAMMING? New pool owner, first time using TF Pro test kit.
Above ground pool, 13, 594 gallons, vinyl liner, chlorine, located in Central Texas, high temps 100+ on daily basis, adding water about every 3 days.

Our pool has been green for about 3 months now. My husband did everything the local pool store told him to do with no results. I found your website, ordered the recommended test kit. Initial PH was over 8.2. Have added PH Down as recommended in Pool Math app. (Also added stabilizer and chlorine per app) Continued to test and add over the past three days. Picture of today's test attached. It's darker now that when I began. Chlorine is down to 1. CYA is at 90. We are on community water and the company currently has a boil order in effect due to low levels of chlorine. Water also has manganese in it.

Please help. Thanks in advance.
Paula
Click to expand...
Your pH is around 7.8 in that picture.
 
You need to test 30 minutes after adding acid to see what its effect it.

When you test a day later your high TA has already caused your pH to rise.

Add 30 oz of dry acid or 25 oz of 31% muriatic acid, wait 30 minutes and test pH, repeat until pH test is 7.2 orange color. Then begin the SLAM Process

Get your CYA down around 30-40 for the SLAM Process. Draining the water and replacing it with fresh water will also dump some of the algae.
 
Pboales said:
My husband did everything the local pool store told him to do with no results.
Click to expand...
Do you know what chemicals were added to the pool?

Pboales said:
Also added stabilizer
Click to expand...
Was your starting CYA 30? If so, you should have left it there and not added any more CYA. Performing a SLAM with CYA 30 is great, but very difficult with CYA 90. PoolMath is just a calculator; if you give it a target, it will tell you how to achieve it.
 
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pjt said:
Do you know what chemicals were added to the pool?


Was your starting CYA 30? If so, you should have left it there and not added any more CYA. Performing a SLAM with CYA 30 is great, but very difficult with CYA 90. PoolMath is just a calculator; if you give it a target, it will tell you how to achieve it.
Click to expand...
Yes, my CYA was 30. The app listed a target of 45 and said to add stabilizer.
 

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Welcome.

Please understand that Pool Math is a calculator. It does not make recommendations. You input your desired "target" (and pool volume), and the calculator will tell you how much chemical to add to reach the target. Do not assume that the default "target" is correct for your pool or situation. The "target" can easily be changed, maybe even by accident.
 
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ajw22 said:
What did you input into the app?
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I had the results of my last PH test in the app. When I click on the PH test result area in the app a screen opens that shows the target and the recommended chemical and the amount. Mine came up as “dry acid/ph down”. There is a drop down with a list of other chemicals, muriatic acid is one of the choices. When I click on that, the recommended amount reads 0.0.
 
Pboales said:
I had the results of my last PH test in the app. When I click on the PH test result area in the app a screen opens that shows the target and the recommended chemical and the amount. Mine came up as “dry acid/ph down”. There is a drop down with a list of other chemicals, muriatic acid is one of the choices. When I click on that, the recommended amount reads 0.0.
Click to expand...
What was your test result and what target did the app show?

The app does not know about your pool environment and it's suggested targets need to be adjusted for each specific pool.

The app also does not know about interactions between chemicals like ph and TA or the various components that make up CSI. You may have a specific set of targets you want to achieve a specific CSI. I am trying to have you appreciate the limitations of the calculator you are using. You should not become the slave to the robot.
 
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ajw22 said:
What was your test result and what target did the app show?

The app does not know about your pool environment and it's suggested targets need to be adjusted for each specific pool.

The app also does not know about interactions between chemicals like ph and TA or the various components that make up CSI. You may have a specific set of targets you want to achieve a specific CSI. I am trying to have you appreciate the limitations of the calculator you are using. You should not become the slave to the robot.
Click to expand...
I understand that now, but as someone with zero experience in this process, I didn’t know what else to do.
 
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