How frequently should I add MA?

[IMason]

Happy winter!

I have had my pool for about a year now. It seems that I need to add MA about once a week to keep my pH at a respectable level. Is this normal? I hear that this happens with new pools. Will this change over the years?

I did my readings today and I have to adjust my chlorine, somehow it got out of wack even though my settings have been the same. I have since changed them. Otherwise all the other readings have been stable apart from a drift upwards of my pH which like I said I correct about once a week.

pH: 7.8
TC: 14
TA: 100
CYA: 80

I don't know if this has anything to do with it by water from my spa spills into my pool thereby creating aeration. I am able to decrease the amount of spill if necessary.

Many thanks!

 

[Donldson]

As you add MA to lower your pH it will also lower your TA. Eventually as your TA drops your pH should stop rising so quickly and usually you find a pretty good equilibrium where you don't have to adjust your pH often at all. What have your TA readings been?

 

[Jimrahbe]

I,

I use my waterfall, which is basically the same as your spa spillover, when I've lowered my TA and trying to increase my pH. That is what aeration does...

I would suggest that you turn off the constant spillover and set up a schedule in your automation to turn it on for a 1/2 hour a couple of times a day. This will allow the spa water to stay chlorinated and also allow you to turn it on when you want to impress your guests...

Not sure where you are trying to keep your pH, but most saltwater pools like 7.8... If you keep constantly trying to bring it down to 7.2, then that will also increase your acid use.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[needsajet]

Yep, pH at 7.8 is just fine. No call for acid until it goes higher.

Also, correcting once a week is not uncommon at all. If/as the pool cools off, it will go longer.

 

[IMason]

Thanks for the responses.
Jimrahbe, it typically drifts into 8.0 and so I add Ma to keep it at 7.8.

I will I’ll head the advice about the spa spillover.

My TA is typically 80-100.

Should I actively work on trying to decrease my TA? Apart from modulating my spa spill?

should I expect to add acid every week or so from here on out? For those with stable pools, how often do you add acid?

TIA!!

 

[mknauss]

Depends on your fill water. Is it high in TA? What is the pH? With your TA shown above of 100 ppm I suspect that is about what your fill water is. So you will be adding acid regularly to lower that to keep the pH rise lessened.

If you have an afternoon it would be a help to lower your TA using acid and aeration. I manually put my returns fully to the spa (without the heater) to create as much aeration as possible and test/dose with acid every hour when I want to drop my TA. Takes some time but getting it down to 60-70 ppm will lessen your pH rise.

Take care.