Is 8.0 pH acceptable to stay at long term?

[aztodd]

My pool pH likes to stabilize at 8.0. I can add a gallon of acid in the water and within a few days it's back up to 8.0, but still distinctly below 8.2. It will stay stable at 8.0 seemingly indefinitely. Is this acceptable, or do I need to shoot for keeping it a bit lower at 7.6-7.8? I just installed a swcg recently but at least so far that hasn't had any effect on my pH's affinity for 8.0.

Test results from this morning:
Free Chlorine: 7.0 (I'm lowering this)
pH: 8.0
Total Alkalinity: 90
Calcium Hardness: 300
CYA: 50
Salt: 3400

 

[JohnT]

The main concern would be scaling. Being in Arizona with a plaster pool you need to carefully watch your CSI to avoid problems.

 

[Donldson]

Have you tried allowing your TA to drop and seeing if that stabilizes your pH at a lower level?

 

[Sunnydaze]

I'm in AZ and I experience the same thing. My TA is 70 and PH will rise from 7.5 to 8 in about 4 or 5 days then doesn't really go over 8. Though I don't give it a chance for too long as I add MA again to bring it back to 7.5-7.6. someone here told me it's because of our high TA fill water. It's 120ppm last time I checked.

 

[aztodd]

Have you tried allowing your TA to drop and seeing if that stabilizes your pH at a lower level?

Not yet, I may do that and see if I can get it to stabilize a bit lower. TA generally is between 90 and 110 without any active management.


I am considering adding borates since I've read that it will help with pH stabilization.

 

[an1vrsy]

As you keep knocking down your pH from 8.0 to 7.2 (96 oz of 14.5% MA for a 13k gal pool, pool math), your TA will continue to come down. Do this a few times and your TA will be down around 60 or so. Then you might be able to tell where your pH will settle down at. Then you can consider to add borates.