High CH and bouncing pH - need advice

[iamtexmax]

Hello,
These are my readings from last evening - before adding Liquid Chlorine:

FC - 2.5 (added LC to bring it to 5 - which I normally maintain)
CC- 0.5
pH - 8.0 (I need to add MA - I seem to have to add MA every week at least once to bring it down)
TA - 80
CH - 550

My fill water CH (tested last night) is 225. Since construction of my pool I have not replaced the water.

I have been getting this white deposits on the wall - have tried to scrub the walls with 50% diluted MA to no effect.

Questions:
- I assume to bring down CH, I need to replace the pool water. Do I drain the whole pool or should I replace half the pool water?
- Do I use a sump pump to drain water and refill (never done it - would like some advice)
- How do I maintain pH - from avoiding to add MA every week
- How do I get rid of the white deposits on walls

Attached pics
Would appreciate any and all help!!

 

[Richard320]

Where are these white deposits? If they are above the waterline, they're not pool chemistry. Search the word efflorescence up above and read all about it.

550 CH isn't so bad. In the last ten years, mine has only been lower for a few months, after harvesting a lot of rain. If you reduce the TA to 60ish and run the pH in the lower end of safe, you should have no problem keeping the CSII in the neutral zone up to about 800 CH. Just accept that adding acid is a way of life. Every time I add water I have to add more acid. It's the fill water I'm stuck with. Looks like you are, too.

BTW, the CYA also affects the CSI, so it's important to know what yours is for more than just FC levels.

 

[iamtexmax]

Thanks for the quick reply Richard - the white deposits are above the waterline - they are in line with my waterfalls - have 3 spouts on the wall and these white deposits are there. I too assumed it was efflorescence - is there any way to get rid of it?

Have been using the TFP way since pool inception - just feel that the water does not have the sparkle or clarity - that's why was surprised the CH had jumped so much in the last few months

 

[Richard320]

Thanks for the quick reply Richard - the white deposits are above the waterline - they are in line with my waterfalls - have 3 spouts on the wall and these white deposits are there. I too assumed it was efflorescence - is there any way to get rid of it?

Have been using the TFP way since pool inception - just feel that the water does not have the sparkle or clarity - that's why was surprised the CH had jumped so much in the last few months

You'll need to read on efflorescence. My knowledge is all from posts.

CH will climb with evaporation. I gain about 25 CH per week in the summer. It doesn't affect the sparkle. High pH and low FC affect that. Target 7.2 on the pH and leave the filter run for a couple hours and the appearance should improve.

 

[tucsontico]

Richard is absolutely correct. The lack of "sparkle" is due to high pH and low FC. My pool is currently at 750 CH and I have to get to 7.4 pH with a TA of 60 to keep the "sparkle". Since I'm using an SWG, I put in an IntellipH acid injector in 2015 to keep the pH under control when I cannot be at home (not a problem since COVID-19!). Does a fine job of keeping my pH between 7.2 and 7.6 with 95% injection rate. My CSI runs just in the negative range (-0.1) to keep that clarity and sparkle we all want.

 

[iamtexmax]

Thank you - when I say "sparkle" - I also mean slightly cloudy water...

So I guess from the above comments I should not worry abt the rising CH