How long to run Spa Spillway and Waterfalls

[mstang1988]

I live in the Austin, TX area which gets a ton of sun. This year my wife decided we are taking over pool care (from the pool folks). Already had a few oops but I’m getting the hang of it.

Pool around 12000 gallons (it was sized larger but in treatment I’m noticing it treated closer to 12000 gallons).

One thing that I noticed, PH keeps going up. I believe I’ve isolated this to the waterfalls and the spa spillway. Right now I am running the pumps 24/7 (previously was 12/7) as I have a CYA reducer I’m hoping brings my CYA down a little further (after draining the pool to get down from 143 to 85). I doubt it helps but we will try.

SPA is circular 8ft in diameter with bench seating so maybe 750 - 1000 gallons.

Configuration:
- Pool on Filter Pump, draws from pool when in pool mode
- Spa on Filter Pump when in spa mode (shutoff water feature pump)
- Spa spillway/water feature pump - runs on its own pump without filter. Cannot control the waterfalls and spillway separately with automation. Requires manual valves to be turned. Could possibly add another actuator/stepper motor for a valve if possible with my current pool controller
- Jandy Aqualink RS series (don’t recall if it’s a 4 or 6)

How do folks suggest optimizing the SPA and waterfall water turnover to minimize PH loss but ensure it’s properly chlorinated and filtered?

 

[HermanTX]

Welcome to TFP.
Aeration increases pH. The more you aerate through spillover or waterfall the faster pH will rise.
We also recommend having TA at 60-80 range which slows the rate of pH rise.

With AquaLink, you can set up Spillover by changing the DipSwitch #3 on the S1 panel (the upper dipswitch panel). Is that ON or OFF? ON is when the dipswitch is pushed to the RIGHTSIDE.

If Spillover is active, then can schedule Spillover to happen twice a day for 30 mins each. That should be sufficient to keep Spa refreshed.

Show picture of your equipment pad and of your Aqualink box with panel removed.