Chronically high pH

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Ds3161

Ds3161

Gold Supporter
Sep 23, 2021
56
Kansas city
Hey all, just wanted to ask if I should be concerned about the chronically high pH in my pool. See my signature for all relevant info.

My numbers seem ok but I have to add a lot of muriatic acid (about 1.5-2 pints every two days). I have a big waterfall feature and a couple bubblers but I don't run them very much (just enough to keep putting fresh water through them. My waterfall is losing water and so until that is fixed I only run it about 30 minutes a day). So I don't think aeration is a factor. Now, the plaster was just done on Oct 1st of last year, so the plaster is only 8 months old and I know that the curing process can last a long time but should I see pH rise in as little as day back up to ~8 or so when I have adjusted it down to about 7.6? Should I consider doing anything more to stabilize the pH or just accept that it might be a long while until the plaster stops affecting it?
 
Ds3161 said:
Hey all, just wanted to ask if I should be concerned about the chronically high pH in my pool. See my signature for all relevant info.

My numbers seem ok but I have to add a lot of muriatic acid (about 1.5-2 pints every two days). I have a big waterfall feature and a couple bubblers but I don't run them very much (just enough to keep putting fresh water through them. My waterfall is losing water and so until that is fixed I only run it about 30 minutes a day). So I don't think aeration is a factor. Now, the plaster was just done on Oct 1st of last year, so the plaster is only 8 months old and I know that the curing process can last a long time but should I see pH rise in as little as day back up to ~8 or so when I have adjusted it down to about 7.6? Should I consider doing anything more to stabilize the pH or just accept that it might be a long while until the plaster stops affecting it?
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Don’t adjust it back down to 7.6. Just keep it as 7.8 and it’s fine. Keeping your TA at 60 or so will also help.
 
I also had a new plaster pool completed last year, in July. My fill water is high TA, but once I followed the process to get my TA down to 80 I noticed the pressure upwards was much slower. I then added borates, due to desire to slow the upwards pH pressure, and benefit my SWCG.

I now only add acid, maybe once a week! It's been so much better.
 
It doesn't help my fill water is like 9 pH, but it also has 30 TA. And I do have to add an inch of water about once a week (or more if I'm testing the waterfall leak...but that's another story). We've had a dry spring.

My pool TA has been stable between 60 and 70 (its hard to tell with the kit but it STARTS to turn slightly at 6 drops, fully by 7...so it could be like...65?) for a couple months. Should I intentionally drop it a bit and see if that helps? Should I let the pool naturally hover at 8ish pH? I wish I had a kit that showed more accuracy above 8.0. My TF-PRO goes to 8.2. But I've been using acid demand on the TF-100 Taylor K-2005 to kind of estimate how far above 8 I am (like I did to test my home tap water which was super basic).
 
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So it has been a couple of days and my pH seems to be holding steady at 8.0, though I am having to add an inch of (9 pH) fill water now. Would you recommend:
a) I try to bring my TA down by bringing pH down to 7.0 or 7.2 with acid and aerating pH back up
b) just let pH hover at 8.0 and only adjust if it creeps a lot higher
c) continue to adjust pH from 8.0 to 7.6 every couple days, which I assume would eventually lower TA anyway
d) something else?

I prefer option b but don't want any issues to creep in from the higher than ideal pH
 
I had/have a similar experience. Though several years after new plaster my pH still climbs regularly, so it never really leveled out as others describe. I suppose it is the TA in my fill water. Doesn't matter, it needs what it needs!

As others have mentioned, I found the more I battled it, the more I lost. Pushing pH down below where it wants to be, to try and stay ahead of it, or to minimize dosing, just doesn't pan out. The lower I push it, the faster it bounces back!

I finally solved this by installing an automated acid dosing system. Now I barely think about pH and don't have to handle acid much at all (just fill the acid tank a few times a year).

If after some number of months or years you find that your pH is still constantly on the rise, maybe automation would be right for you, too. With an IC40, an IntellipH would be a good solution, and very easy to DIY install. Keep it in mind...
 
Definitely something I've had an eye on if pH becomes a pain. pH is really the only thing I have to worry about right now. Everything else seems to be dialed in pretty well. PoolMath wants my CH to be a little higher but I'm intentionally staying at the low end of ideal for that anyway. My FC levels seems pretty stable at 3.5 too so I haven't pushed my CYA any higher than 50 either even though pool math wants me 70-90 which seems up there.
 
Ds3161 said:
So it has been a couple of days and my pH seems to be holding steady at 8.0, though I am having to add an inch of (9 pH) fill water now. Would you recommend:
a) I try to bring my TA down by bringing pH down to 7.0 or 7.2 with acid and aerating pH back up
b) just let pH hover at 8.0 and only adjust if it creeps a lot higher
c) continue to adjust pH from 8.0 to 7.6 every couple days, which I assume would eventually lower TA anyway
d) something else?

I prefer option b but don't want any issues to creep in from the higher than ideal pH
Click to expand...
A!

I just did it, and it works.
 
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