I am a second year above ground pool owner and it’s proving to be a pain in my neck! I cannot get the alkalinity lowered despite adding dry acid. I have brown stains on the bottom of the pool that I didn’t have last year and cannot brush off. Any tips?!
Cannot get alkalinity lowered!
- Thread starter jlofan82
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,299
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum!
Why are you trying to lower your TA? Do you have scale build up?
You should not use dry acid. How are you adding it?
Brown stains, are you adding any products with copper in them?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
Why are you trying to lower your TA? Do you have scale build up?
You should not use dry acid. How are you adding it?
Brown stains, are you adding any products with copper in them?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
The ph and alkaline have been high. I can get the ph down but not the alkalinity. The area I live in has hard water which I believe adds to the problem. I add dry acid to water before I add it to the pool water. Not adding anything with copper in it.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,299
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Ok -- again, TA is not a big issue. Manage your pH to be in the 7's. If you cannot manage the pH rise, then read Lower Total Alkalinity - Trouble Free Pool but use muriatic acid.
Are you brushing the pool after adding the dry acid? Dry acid adds sulfates to pools, be aware it can damage metals. And create calcium sulfate scale.
Are you brushing the pool after adding the dry acid? Dry acid adds sulfates to pools, be aware it can damage metals. And create calcium sulfate scale.
I believe I am just wasting chlorine because the alkalinity is not under control…super high. The chlorine falls to the bottom of the pool and test strip will read low chlorine a day after it’s been added.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,299
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
TA has no effect on chlorine.
Test strips are not accurate nor repeatable. You need a proper test kit.
I suggest the TF-100 A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
Test strips are not accurate nor repeatable. You need a proper test kit.
I suggest the TF-100 A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
There is lots of great info about pool chemistry in this forum. Take some time and start reading. It takes a while but it's worth it to know what your pool needs and how everything interacts.
Your TA truly is one of the least important things to manage in your pool. All it does is affect how easy or difficult it is to change your pH. High alkalinity makes pH changes harder to happen and make it drift higher, but adding muriatic acid lower both at the same time. I've had high alkalinity in my pool since I got it, and it never seems to go down, but I can manage my pH just fine so I don't bother with it.
If you are having troubles with FC, it is not because of your TA. Your CYA (UV protection) could be low, or you could have an algae bloom in the making. You need a reliable test kit (TF-100 or K-2006) to test all the parameters for your pool.
But do realize that FC is a consumable. A normal pool will lose 2-3ppm of FC every single day with all parameters in line.
Your TA truly is one of the least important things to manage in your pool. All it does is affect how easy or difficult it is to change your pH. High alkalinity makes pH changes harder to happen and make it drift higher, but adding muriatic acid lower both at the same time. I've had high alkalinity in my pool since I got it, and it never seems to go down, but I can manage my pH just fine so I don't bother with it.
If you are having troubles with FC, it is not because of your TA. Your CYA (UV protection) could be low, or you could have an algae bloom in the making. You need a reliable test kit (TF-100 or K-2006) to test all the parameters for your pool.
But do realize that FC is a consumable. A normal pool will lose 2-3ppm of FC every single day with all parameters in line.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,754
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
"82", I would also take a few minutes to update your signature with all of your pool and equipment info. See mine as an example. We look at that info on each post. The proper test kit cannot be over-emphasized. Without it, everything is guessing and we don't want to see you do that wasting time and money. I am confident we can help you through any water question with proper testing.
LoneWolfArcher
Bronze Supporter
Please consider following the advice from the three responses above. 3 years ago I was doing the same as you, chasing problem after problem because I'd add something and then the guess strips I was using were giving me conflicting results. It was so frustrating. My pool, due to pool store advice, inaccurate testing, dumping in chemicals randomly and using powdered and tablet stabilized chlorine was a chemical soup of which I had no chance of getting right. The first step was finding this site! Once I started following the advice and methods here my pool turned from a nightmare and into a dream! And it all started with getting a real test kit so I knew without a doubt exactly what my chemical levels were.
Welcome to TFP! You won't regret finding this site.
My main problem is I have a brown “stain” around the wall/bottom on my pool that no matter how much I scrub or brush it does not come off. I don’t much about pools but I feel like this issue is what is affecting the ph and chlorine levels. I got the ph right two days ago, put in the needed chlorine and now my test shows no chlorine (I bought the recommended test kit). I don’t believe it is algae because it does not come off at all. Any ideas on this issue?
Shirker
0
- Jul 2, 2014
- 749
- Pool Size
- 19000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You are on the right track. Don't add anything except chlorine (preferably plain store brand bleach or liquid pool chlorine) until your test kit arrives. Do the full battery of tests and post results. Whatever the brown stuff is, it will be easier to trouble shoot once the chemistry is known.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,299
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Have you reviewed the Stains in Your Pool - Trouble Free Pool
It is not likely the stain and FC demand is related. Post a complete set of test results from your kit.
It is not likely the stain and FC demand is related. Post a complete set of test results from your kit.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,754
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
We still need to know more about your pool, equipment, and accurate test results to help you. The stain could be organic, iron, or copper. For example, are you on a well? There are several questions that are related to a stain, but we need to know more about your pool by updating your signature. Also tell us how you chlorinate and post those test results.
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