First time testing and opening a new build from last summer

[Rockybalboa]

for sure, 25mL sample...

Yes

 

[PoolStored]

I'm stumped...let's get @mknauss to lay eyeballs on this one.

 

[mknauss]

pH only goes down by adding acid or acidic products. Or if the pool is covered for long periods.

 

[Rockybalboa]

I'm stumped...let's get @mknauss to lay eyeballs on this one.

Thanks for your help!

On drop 7 the green turns to a really dark green, almost light black, and the 8 drop it is almost fully pink, 9 is fully pink. Did 3-4 extra drops and the pink did not change

 

[Rockybalboa]

pH only goes down by adding acid or acidic products. Or if the pool is covered for long periods.

Thank you! I have an auto cover that the pool is covered unless we are using the pool. Maybe uncovered for a few hours only the past few days - does that count as a long period?

 

[mknauss]

The cover restricts the outgassing of CO2.

With a TA of 50 ppm or above, there should never be a need to chemically raise the pH.

Only other thing is last week my ph was low, I added in the exact amount of borax pool math told me and the PH was way too high, darker than 8.2. I then added dry acid to lower it back down.

This likely messed up your pH. Leave it all alone for a few days and then test pH and TA.

Do not use dry acid if you have or are going to have a SWCG. The sulfates from the dry acid will destroy the SWCG.

 

[Rockybalboa]

The cover restricts the outgassing of CO2.

With a TA of 50 ppm or above, there should never be a need to chemically raise the pH.

This likely messed up your pH. Leave it all alone for a few days and then test pH and TA.

Do not use dry acid if you have or are going to have a SWCG. The sulfates from the dry acid will destroy the SWCG.

Thank you, will do!

 

[Rockybalboa]

The cover restricts the outgassing of CO2.

With a TA of 50 ppm or above, there should never be a need to chemically raise the pH.

This likely messed up your pH. Leave it all alone for a few days and then test pH and TA.

Do not use dry acid if you have or are going to have a SWCG. The sulfates from the dry acid will destroy the SWCG.

Any issues with the dry acid in there if the SWG gets hooked up this week? About 7-10 days will be since I added the dry acid

 

[mknauss]

Just do not use anymore. Sulfates will build up. Always use muriatic acid if you need to reduce the pH.

 

[Rockybalboa]

The cover restricts the outgassing of CO2.

With a TA of 50 ppm or above, there should never be a need to chemically raise the pH.

This likely messed up your pH. Leave it all alone for a few days and then test pH and TA.

Do not use dry acid if you have or are going to have a SWCG. The sulfates from the dry acid will destroy the SWCG.

Hi there! Just retested this morning and PH shot up to 8 and TA down to 80. Only thing I did was run the bubblers for an hour or so, could they aeration be the cause of the PH jump?

 

[PoolStored]

Hi there! Just retested this morning and PH shot up to 8 and TA down to 80. Only thing I did was run the bubblers for an hour or so, could they aeration be the cause of the PH jump?

Absolutely.

 

[mknauss]

pH rises due to aeration.
TA drops when you add acid or acidic products.

 

[Rockybalboa]

Absolutely.

Got it, thank you! Seems like it is difficult to always keep ph in the recommend ranges, especially if you are using water features and have an auto cover. Any tips to keep it in check? At 8 ph, I would assume just leave it alone and let it drop down. At what point would you suggest adding m acid? When it's 8.2 for several days?

 

[PoolStored]

Got it, thank you! Seems like it is difficult to always keep ph in the recommend ranges, especially if you are using water features and have an auto cover. Any tips to keep it in check? At 8 ph, I would assume just leave it alone and let it drop down. At what point would you suggest adding m acid? When it's 8.2 for several days?

Just keep pH in the 7s with MA. If it sits at 8 or 8.2 for a day or two, no issue. For now, when it hits 8, reduce to 7.6. TA will come down. When TA gets somewhere around 60-80, your pH rise will slow...except when you run your water features...and may be stable at 7.8, 7.9 or 8.

 

[mknauss]

When the pH reaches 8, lower it to 7.6 with acid.

 

[Rockybalboa]

Just keep pH in the 7s with MA. If it sits at 8 or 8.2 for a day or two, no issue. For now, when it hits 8, reduce to 7.6. TA will come down. When TA gets somewhere around 60-80, your pH rise will slow...except when you run your water features...and may be stable at 7.8, 7.9 or 8.

Thank you so much for the information!