Need help with TA and PH due to SWG build up

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BabsNMK

Well-known member
May 19, 2018
90
Cranbury, NJ
Rather than using the calculator and screwing up again, I figured I’d post here. Historically our CSI has been very wrong so our last Circupool lasted only a few years sadly.

This year I opened the pool, balanced the water kind of (CYA is a work in progress) and then added a bunch of Calcium to get the pool’s CSI in check. In the process however my PH and TA went super high and my SWG has a ton of scale within a matter of days.

Here are my numbers. What’s the best way to approach? Lower PH first then test and see if TA comes down? Do both at the same time?

Also I need a reminder on how to clean the cell when it’s this clogged up. I used water but it’s not getting the deep build up down in the cell and I don’t want to make the mistake and use MA again and shorten the cell lifespan.

21,000 Vinyl Sand Filter with Circupool RJ-45+
SALT-3800

pH-8.0

TA-130

CH-410

CYA-50

FC- Currently 2 because it was clogged overnight and just noticed this morning
 
BabsNMK said:
added a bunch of Calcium to get the pool’s CSI in check
Click to expand...
What was your CSI? I now have your CSI at about .44 All that calcium is causing your issue. There is no need for calcium in a vinyl pool.

You likely need to replace about 50-60% of your water to get calcium down to 180-200, which will bring down csi to .09.

See "no drain water exchange" here:

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

For now, just reduce you pH to 7.6. Manage pH, ignore TA, it will come down.

Here is how to clean a cell...

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
PoolStored said:
What was your CSI? I now have your CSI at about .44 All that calcium is causing your issue. There is no need for calcium in a vinyl pool.

You likely need to replace about 50-60% of your water to get calcium down to 180-200, which will bring down csi to .09.

See "no drain water exchange" here:

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

For now, just reduce you pH to 7.6. Manage pH, ignore TA, it will come down.

Here is how to clean a cell...

SWG How It Works - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...
My calcium was -.5 or something in that realm. Based on my previous measurements pool math said to add 88lbs of calcium. For fear of it backfiring I did 50lbs.

I previously never worried about Calcium but my SWG life was very short and we only operate it at 40% for 3 months of the year. That’s when Circupool customer service mentioned the CSI and I’ve been chasing my tail ever since.
 
I think I shared correctly although I typically don’t save the logs in the app. I did today’s.

pH is back down to 7.4 today. Still not producing enough chlorine so I’m doing the vinegar rinse now on the cell. I can certainly drain the pool but when I run calculations on Pool Math it says now that my CSI is right at -0.12 which is good.
 
Ok, now I'm square, I must have poolmathed something wrong on the CSI, my apologies. Looks like you are good to go!

Leave it at 3800...the RJ will work just fine.
 
PoolStored said:
Ok, now I'm square, I must have poolmathed something wrong on the CSI, my apologies. Looks like you are good to go!

Leave it at 3800...the RJ will work just fine.
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No you didn’t do anything wrong! When the pH was higher yesterday it did show CSI off the charts. That’s what I don’t understand. It changes so easily and I didn’t touch the pH. I’ll stay for now and hope this is the answer.
 

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I didn't catch the pH and misdirected on the CH. The easy solution is to keep your pH lower. The long term solution is to replace water and lower the CH. You don't need CH in a vinyl pool.

There are no previous tests in your logs, so I can't look at history to help.
 
PoolStored said:
I didn't catch the pH and misdirected on the CH. The easy solution is to keep your pH lower. The long term solution is to replace water and lower the CH. You don't need CH in a vinyl pool.

There are no previous tests in your logs, so I can't look at history to help.
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Ok great. I’ll watch the pH and not touch the CH going forward. And I’ll keep logs to share from here on out.

Thanks!
 
High TA causing pH rise is source of your SWCG scaling. You need to fight the TA down to 50-60 quickly to avoid more scaling as your pH will drift up quickly. It's quite easy to lower TA; once pH hits 8.0, dose to 7.0 using muriatic acid. TA is reduced, pH then rises until you reach equilibrium around 50-60. CSI Tracking will be the evidence to know you're good - you want to be 0 to -6.
 
reggiehammond said:
High TA causing pH rise is source of your SWCG scaling. You need to fight the TA down to 50-60 quickly to avoid more scaling as your pH will drift up quickly. It's quite easy to lower TA; once pH hits 8.0, dose to 7.0 using muriatic acid. TA is reduced, pH then rises until you reach equilibrium around 50-60. CSI Tracking will be the evidence to know you're good - you want to be 0 to -6.
Click to expand...
Ok great. So if the pH goes up again, then use the acid to get down and let the TA balance?
 
Just as an update. My water is almost perfectly balanced. Numbers below. I don’t see any real scale on the cell but I’m attaching an image since there is a minor bit that I haven’t been able to clear despite my best efforts. The cell is still going to low salt, cell maintenance needed. I’m calling Circupool now but I’m not sure how else to fix this. Do we think the cell was ruined from the calcium? I’m not even sure what else could’ve done this.

FC: 2 (cell is not producing because it’s reading low salt)
pH 7.6
TA 90
CH 450 (this is even after I replaced 1/3 of the water…it went up maybe after the MA addition)
CYA 60
Salt 3800
81 degrees
CSI -.02
 

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Just spoke to Circupool. They are having me send the cell back. Huge PITA considering this is less than a year old and I balanced the water according to their specifications of LSI. When it used to run without worrying I never had a build up issue but then the cell life was so short. I’m really upset right now. And they said they only recommend cleaning with muriatic acid. I told them I’d never do that again considering my previous cell only lasted 3 years.
 
Last edited:
Last question. Before I send it to them and they just charge me (which they will), should I try cleaning with MA first? I’ve attempted the other ways to clean and it hasn’t work. I don’t want to void my warranty but I also don’t want them to charge me for a cleaning. I’m really scared to use MA after the age of my last cell was so short.
 
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