Lowering TA with small amounts of muriatic?

[Jlandon11]

Curious if anyone has ever heard of using small amounts of muriatic acid every day (just a splash) to lower the TA without lowering PH? Recommended by pool store worker and stated it would bring down my TA but now my PH. I know the distrust of pool stores at TFP so I’m not really looking to be educated on why I shouldn’t trust them, I’m just curious if there is any scientific basis to her claim? I already have muriatic acid being stored so I’m going to follow pool math recommendations, just interested on your thoughts on the legitimacy of what they said to do?

My TA is around 130 while PH is 7.2. I read up on lowering TA by aerating, I can’t adjust my jets as their built in but I’m thinking through a way to build something. Thanks.

 

[Msch99]

Measure a "dash" and enter into pool math. MA will reduce both, regardless of the amount. I would guess if the testing isn't accurate someone would think they see a reduction in TA but not PH.
Many don't distrust pool stores as much as we don't trust their testing.

If you are in a hurry to raise PH so you can lower your TA, get a sump pump and have it shooting water into the air splashing down into pool for aeration.

 

[mknauss]

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.

www.troublefreepool.com

To be honest, if your TA is 130 ppm, that is your fill water TA. So it is not all that high. Keep you pH in the 7's.

 

[Richard320]

A child and a kickboard can aerate a lot.

While 130 TA is on the high side, it shouldn't cause any real problems. It's not alarmingly high. It doesn't cause cloudiness, or algae. Test it when pH needs adjusting, because you'll need it for poolmath, but don't worry about it.

I've never heard of this technique. Usually the pool stores recommend the "slug" or "column" method - where you dump a load of acid into the pool and let it settle. Why that's supposed to work eludes me, It seems like a recipe for damaged plaster. At least the recommendation you got mimics our technique somewhat, by allowing the pH to rebound. But it still isn't necessary. TA is not harmful and what it will do is push the pH up faster. Which you can deal with by adding acid and lower the TA as a side benefit.