Fighting raising PH level and low alkalinity - saltwater pool

[mknauss]

My question is do I need to increase the TA from 30 and to how high and then what's the best way to do so. Will adding baking soda to increase TA (which will also increase pH meaning I'll have to add acid which will lower TA which means I'll have to add baking soda lol) do I just repeat that process and eventually the TA will rise all the while keeping my pH level under control. Seems like nobody really knows the answer, so I think I'm just going to try that out.

Add 20 ppm TA worth of baking soda. Run pool as normal and test the next day. If below 70 ppm, add another 20 ppm TA worth of baking soda.

Once your TA is at or near 70 ppm, monitor pH and TA. If pH reaches 8.2 or above, lower it to 7.8. If TA falls below 50 ppm, repeat above.

Things should stabilize. You will always need to add acid in varying amounts throughout the year, depending on how much fill water you add due to evaporation.

 

[proavia]

In addition to what Marty suggested.....

For both the TA and CH tests, continue to add drops until the color no longer changes, then subtract the last drop that doesn't change the color.

TA less than 50 can tend to make the pH unstable and likely to swing widely.

Test your fill water pH, TA and CH - post the results here.

Keep the CSI in the 0.00 to -0.30 (negative 0.30) range.

Fill out your signature with pool, all pool equipment (include manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info.
This assists us in providing you help without needing to ask you each time for this important information.

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[jimbethesda]

Nobody has really answered my question. One person says it's because of my newer plaster which is reassuring because hopefully eventually I don't have to constantly add acid. But unless there's an underlying issue, I don't really care WHY I have to constantly add acid. My question is do I need to increase the TA from 30 and to how high and then what's the best way to do so. Will adding baking soda to increase TA (which will also increase pH meaning I'll have to add acid which will lower TA which means I'll have to add baking soda lol) do I just repeat that process and eventually the TA will rise all the while keeping my pH level under control. Seems like nobody really knows the answer, so I think I'm just going to try that out.

It’s the new plaster making this issue more exaggerated.

After your plaster is fully cured, your pool’s PH will continue to rise, just at a slower pace. In my case, it was still too frequently that I had to add acid, so I added an Inteliph. I love it.

TA is increased by adding baking soda. TA should never dip below 50. My pool (even with daily acid injections) settles at 60. Every pool is different, and a new plaster pool is different than a 2 year old plaster pool. Once things settle, I think it will be easier.

 

[proavia]

It’s the new plaster making this issue more exaggerated.

After your plaster is fully cured, your pool’s PH will continue to rise, just at a slower pace. In my case, it was still too frequently that I had to add acid, so I added an Inteliph. I love it.

TA is increased by adding baking soda. TA should never dip below 50. My pool (even with daily acid injections) settles at 60. Every pool is different, and a new plaster pool is different than a 2 year old plaster pool. Once things settle, I think it will be easier.

OP reported that plaster is almost 2 years old presently.

Hmm I think it's quite common for SWG owners to have to constantly add acid. I've heard this from numerous people and I researched it myself. Maybe I'm wrong? My pH level flies by 8. It's at 7.4 now, it'll be over 8 in a couple days

Many think it's quite common to need more acid with a SWG. This is mainly because they aren't using trichlor tablets - which are highly acidic - any longer. So it isn't the SWG causing the pH rise, it's the lack of knowledge that trichlor tabs are acidic and lower pH as well as add stabilizer and chlorine.

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

The first thing I would do before adding anything is to make sure your TA measurement is accurate. If you stop adding drops as soon as the solution turn red, your measurement could be low. Continue adding drops to verify that the red color doesn’t deepen/intensify. Do this until the last drop does not change the color, then subtract that drop and multiply by 10. Please do this before adding any other chemicals and report back what you find.

 

[pjt]

My question is do I need to increase the TA from 30 and to how high and then what's the best way to do so.

We never got a proper updated TA test. Keep adding drops until there's no further color change. OP's TA is probably 50-60.

 

[pjt]

Will adding baking soda to increase TA (which will also increase pH meaning I'll have to add acid which will lower TA which means I'll have to add baking soda lol) do I just repeat that process and eventually the TA will rise all the while keeping my pH level under control.

Yes, you will end up chasing your tail. It's an unwinnable battle so don't try to fight it.

Seems like nobody really knows the answer, so I think I'm just going to try that out.

TA of 50 is perfectly fine. First priority is getting an accurate TA test result. TA of 50-60 will typically result in a stable pH in the high 7s, maybe 8.0

PH TA Relationship - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

TA - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Saltwater-Taffy309]

We never got a proper updated TA test. Keep adding drops until there's no further color change. OP's TA is probably 50-60.

Lol I'm not sure where the misconception is that I did an inaccurate test. Just did the test again. The third drop turns the water COMPLETELY red. The 4th drop does nothing. The TA is 30.

 

[Saltwater-Taffy309]

Yes, you will end up chasing your tail. It's an unwinnable battle so don't try to fight it.


TA of 50 is perfectly fine. First priority is getting an accurate TA test result. TA of 50-60 will typically result in a stable pH in the high 7s, maybe 8.0

PH TA Relationship - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

TA - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

And no TA of 50 did not result in a stable pH. Neither did a TA of 60 or 70 or 80 and so on.

 

[jimbethesda]

And no TA of 50 did not result in a stable pH. Neither did a TA of 60 or 70 or 80 and so on.

Every pool is different. To keep my ph stable, with a TA of 60, I inject my pool with acid every day, if I didn’t, it would rise to over 8 fairly quickly.

Get your TA up to 70. Don’t worry about it unless it goes below 50. Then, let your ph rise a little more before adding acid, then only add the min to get back into range.

You’ll get to understand the unique behavior of your pool after a bit.

 

[pjt]

Lol I'm not sure where the misconception is that I did an inaccurate test.

No, when solution turns red/purple to blue I stop

Post 11 indicated you didn't run the test to completion. You haven't provided a subsequent update until just now. If your TA is truly 30, add enough baking soda to get your TA to 50-60. Your pH rise will be minimal with that TA level. Do you have water features or anything else that would cause aeration? What's the TA and CH of your fill water?