Help understanding my chemistry results

[steelman93]

Hello, I have a new pool and am really struggling to really understand my test results. I am using the TF test kit with the automatic stirring, I bought it in the middle of the summer so all the reagants are new. This is not my first pool and I am confident my testing method is good. We take samples from the deep end, we follow the instruction exactly such as wiping the tip of the bottle with a damp cloth on the alkalinity test, and we rinse the bottles after the testing.

On 9/26 these were my results:

FC 4, CC 0, PH 8.2, TA 90, CH 375, CYA 60 and salt 3200. Added some acid. After this test we got a ton of rain. I have an automatic overflow and fill.

0n 9/30 these were the results

FC 4.5 CC 1, PH 8.2, TA 90, CH 375, CYA 100 and salt 2600. I was not surprised by the salt change due to the amount of rain we had gotten, but didn’t understand the increase in CYA.

0n 10/4, again after quite a bit of rain these were the tests:

FC 5.5, CC 0, PH 8.2, TA 140, CH 400, CYA 60 and salt 3000.

I don’t understand how my salt increased as well as the alkalinity. In addition I don’t know why I can’t keep the ph under 8.2.

It is a plaster pool, with an SWG, and I do have a spa overflow and water feature.

Can someone give some ideas for me. I have read a ton of threads on the increasing Ph, but don’t understand why mine goes so high.

As far as chemicals, the only thing I add is acid for the most part.

Thanks

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hey there Steelman
I suspect your pH is rising due to new plaster, water features and the spa overflow. You can't do anything about the new plaster at this point but if you could limit your use of the spa overflow and water features to no more than 30 minutes a day (to keep fresh chlorine in the pipes) it should help.
Water features raise pH as the water drop falls into the pool. Heavy swimmer loads and kids splashing will also do it.

See if turning those features off more than on slows down the rise. The plaster curing should slow down in time.....

Maddie

 

[YippeeSkippy]

oh yeah... some say the SWG will raise their pH, but mine never goes above 7.8 which is where it likes to stay. I'm okay with that for the most part.

 

[steelman93]

Hey there Steelman
I suspect your pH is rising due to new plaster, water features and the spa overflow. You can't do anything about the new plaster at this point but if you could limit your use of the spa overflow and water features to no more than 30 minutes a day (to keep fresh chlorine in the pipes) it should help.
Water features raise pH as the water drop falls into the pool. Heavy swimmer loads and kids splashing will also do it.

See if turning those features off more than on slows down the rise. The plaster curing should slow down in time.....

Maddie

thank you for the advice Maddie. I will have to change a bit of programming on the spa...the builder set it to always be on, but that is an easy fix. As far as swimmer load.....no kids and very little use at this time of the year

 

[Mdragger88]

Do as suggested above in regards to water features & with regular acid additions your ta will lower thus stabilizing ph more - eventually- as your plaster cures the rise will slow also.
How much acid did u add? What was your target? Did u check again in 30 minutes or so to see if you actually reached your target?
The ph comparator only goes to 8.2 so it’s possible that your ph is really higher than that.
Try this … test & add acid to get to 7.6, test again in 30 minutes or so, add whatever PoolMath calls for to get to 7.6 if the 1st dose didn’t get u there - repeat until you see a change.

Cya:
I imagine that cya of 100 was a testing error. Lighting really effects the cya test.
Try for a sunny day, do the test outside w/ your back to the sun & the tube waist high. You can pour the solution back into the little squirty bottle & re- perform the last part of the test as many times as u need to & get an average & feel confident in the result.

As for the salt test - if your swg is happy & you’re in range, don’t fret too much.
Be sure to let the drops fall from the bottle almost naturally & not “squeeze” so u get uniform appropriately sized drops (this goes for all the regeants not just salt)
Squeezing the bottles will make u have less drops & a lower result.
Also if you subscribe to poolmath & use the logs you can share them with the forum- just switch on sharing in the settings menu.

 

[steelman93]

Do as suggested above in regards to water features & with regular acid additions your ta will lower thus stabilizing ph more - eventually- as your plaster cures the rise will slow also.
How much acid did u add? What was your target? Did u check again in 30 minutes or so to see if you actually reached your target?
The ph comparator only goes to 8.2 so it’s possible that your ph is really higher than that.
Try this … test & add acid to get to 7.6, test again in 30 minutes or so, add whatever PoolMath calls for to get to 7.6 if the 1st dose didn’t get u there - repeat until you see a change.

Cya:
I imagine that cya of 100 was a testing error. Lighting really effects the cya test.
Try for a sunny day, do the test outside w/ your back to the sun & the tube waist high. You can pour the solution back into the little squirty bottle & re- perform the last part of the test as many times as u need to & get an average & feel confident in the result.

As for the salt test - if your swg is happy & you’re in range, don’t fret too much.
Be sure to let the drops fall from the bottle almost naturally & not “squeeze” so u get uniform appropriately sized drops (this goes for all the regeants not just salt)
Squeezing the bottles will make u have less drops & a lower result.
Also if you subscribe to poolmath & use the logs you can share them with the forum- just switch on sharing in the settings menu.

thanks. I am using pool math and add what they recommend, I will turn on sharing

 

[steelman93]

I just looked...I already have sharing on in pool math. If you can't see it then if you can point me at what I am doing wrong

thanks

 

[Mdragger88]

I can see it now- but your recent additions aren’t logged - next time remember to hit the “log addition” button as it will keep track for u.
It can even compile a summary over a specified period of time.
Very helpful when figuring out how much of what chems u use over a season.
I try to log backwashing/ filter cleaning & even adding water too. That way my hubby can’t say my pool is a $$ pit
I’ve got the proof!

 

[steelman93]

I can see it now- but your recent additions aren’t logged - next time remember to hit the “log addition” button as it will keep track for u.
It can even compile a summary over a specified period of time.
Very helpful when figuring out how much of what chems u use over a season.
I try to log backwashing/ filter cleaning & even adding water too. That way my hubby can’t say my pool is a $$ pit
I’ve got the proof!

Thanks. I have not been good about logging acid additions, but everything else I have logged. That is what the puzzle for me was....no additions other than acid. I don't log water additions because that is automatic. There is an overflow out to the street and a float to add water if necessary but I doubt I have added water because it rains like crazy here.