I know there is a lot of discussion on this matter, but haven't been able to find any tips yet (or at least understanding) that applies to the situation I find myself in.
I actually posted on here years ago with a similar question, and in the end resolved myself to using trichlor tablets (vs bleach) and draining my pool every year to get rid of CYA--yes, I'd have to drain my pool completely as I'd instantly get 30-40PPM upon refilling (probably from CYA being absorbed in the plaster); but it sure made maintenance on the pool easy, and by my records was actually cheaper than adding acid every week. I honestly could go the whole year of never adding acid or anything else but tablets.
I've recently had the pool re-plastered about 2 months ago; so I realize that's going to cause a rising pH issue... and also having simultaneously converted to SWG, (because chlorine prices have quadrupled) I understand that also contributes to raising pH through aeration.
So, I've dumped 50lbs of borate acid (about 52ppm) into the pool. (First time I've used the stuff) I'm thinking of raising that to 70ppm as some sites have suggested it is safe to do. In any case, so far it doesn't seem to help anything more than if I just slipped the skimmer $85 cash.
In 5 days time of monitoring daily my TA went from 50 to 80, while my pH went from 7 to 8.1 I was hoping by lowering my TA to 50 my pH wouldn't shoot up again like a rocket but it still rose at the same rate as usual at 60. I didn't even run my chlorinator (it produces about 16ppm of free chlorine in a 24 hour period at 25% power setting); so I was waiting for the chlorine levels to return to sanity. But I digress...
SWG hasn't run during this time... no water features, no swimming, no adding water from the hose.. only thing that breaks the surface is the polaris which loves to tie itself in knots more than usual lately.
Meanwhile my pH is like a runaway train...
Today's reading:
FC: 6.5
TC: 6.5
CC: 0
pH: 8.1
TA 80
Salt: 4400
CH: 225 (yeah slightly low but that will skyrocket on its own too and I just happily ignore it--at least it did even with the old plaster)
CYA: 50 (after fighting for a decade to limit CYA, I actually bought some for my SWG--felt like I was buying expensive weeds for my garden).
Temp: 60F
Borate: 52ppm (based on pool calculator only: not measured--yet; and those test strips seem impossibly vague anyway).
I had noticed someone had mentioned it was safe to go as low as 40 with TA if you have Borate... in any case the CSI calc thinks that's off the chart at that level, as though my pool plaster would dissolve over night... In any case it didn't stay down at 40 for more than a day when I took it down there last week.
So, (assuming anyone is bored enough to read this far); anyone have tips on how to approach this? I realize I'm in for a year of adding acid--but two gallons of muriatic acid a week is not fun... but if that's what it takes...
1) Get more Borate?
2) Take TA down to 40 again and just add acid as necessary to keep the pH low enough to keep TA from rising? I realize pH is the important factor (TA is more of a reference guide); but the reason I'm framing it this way; is to see if that is the most effecient use of acid? Just keep the pH at 7 to 7.2 so the TA can't escape 40 or 50 like it's always trying to do which in turn is launching my pH to the stars?
3) Ignore CSI for a year since I've got that fancy Borate stuff?
4) All the above?
5) Let my TA go to 90 (where it's making a bee-line for right now), and just add enough acid every night to keep my pH at 8, and hope I don't go broke in the mean time?
6) Keep my TA at 50 and add acid every night so that pH doesn't go above 7.5 so that TA doesn't go up so that pH doesn't go up, so that...?
I guess I'm just wondering what could possibly be the most efficient way to keep the pH under control, and will I ever see a day that I can stop dropping acid?
I actually posted on here years ago with a similar question, and in the end resolved myself to using trichlor tablets (vs bleach) and draining my pool every year to get rid of CYA--yes, I'd have to drain my pool completely as I'd instantly get 30-40PPM upon refilling (probably from CYA being absorbed in the plaster); but it sure made maintenance on the pool easy, and by my records was actually cheaper than adding acid every week. I honestly could go the whole year of never adding acid or anything else but tablets.
I've recently had the pool re-plastered about 2 months ago; so I realize that's going to cause a rising pH issue... and also having simultaneously converted to SWG, (because chlorine prices have quadrupled) I understand that also contributes to raising pH through aeration.
So, I've dumped 50lbs of borate acid (about 52ppm) into the pool. (First time I've used the stuff) I'm thinking of raising that to 70ppm as some sites have suggested it is safe to do. In any case, so far it doesn't seem to help anything more than if I just slipped the skimmer $85 cash.
In 5 days time of monitoring daily my TA went from 50 to 80, while my pH went from 7 to 8.1 I was hoping by lowering my TA to 50 my pH wouldn't shoot up again like a rocket but it still rose at the same rate as usual at 60. I didn't even run my chlorinator (it produces about 16ppm of free chlorine in a 24 hour period at 25% power setting); so I was waiting for the chlorine levels to return to sanity. But I digress...
SWG hasn't run during this time... no water features, no swimming, no adding water from the hose.. only thing that breaks the surface is the polaris which loves to tie itself in knots more than usual lately.
Meanwhile my pH is like a runaway train...
Today's reading:
FC: 6.5
TC: 6.5
CC: 0
pH: 8.1
TA 80
Salt: 4400
CH: 225 (yeah slightly low but that will skyrocket on its own too and I just happily ignore it--at least it did even with the old plaster)
CYA: 50 (after fighting for a decade to limit CYA, I actually bought some for my SWG--felt like I was buying expensive weeds for my garden).
Temp: 60F
Borate: 52ppm (based on pool calculator only: not measured--yet; and those test strips seem impossibly vague anyway).
I had noticed someone had mentioned it was safe to go as low as 40 with TA if you have Borate... in any case the CSI calc thinks that's off the chart at that level, as though my pool plaster would dissolve over night... In any case it didn't stay down at 40 for more than a day when I took it down there last week.
So, (assuming anyone is bored enough to read this far); anyone have tips on how to approach this? I realize I'm in for a year of adding acid--but two gallons of muriatic acid a week is not fun... but if that's what it takes...
1) Get more Borate?
2) Take TA down to 40 again and just add acid as necessary to keep the pH low enough to keep TA from rising? I realize pH is the important factor (TA is more of a reference guide); but the reason I'm framing it this way; is to see if that is the most effecient use of acid? Just keep the pH at 7 to 7.2 so the TA can't escape 40 or 50 like it's always trying to do which in turn is launching my pH to the stars?
3) Ignore CSI for a year since I've got that fancy Borate stuff?
4) All the above?
5) Let my TA go to 90 (where it's making a bee-line for right now), and just add enough acid every night to keep my pH at 8, and hope I don't go broke in the mean time?
6) Keep my TA at 50 and add acid every night so that pH doesn't go above 7.5 so that TA doesn't go up so that pH doesn't go up, so that...?
I guess I'm just wondering what could possibly be the most efficient way to keep the pH under control, and will I ever see a day that I can stop dropping acid?