Needing to add acid every week

[iamtexmax]

Hello,
Following are my readings:
FC - 5 ppm
pH - 8.2
cya - 30
TA - 70

every week I add acid to bring pH down to 7.2 (use pool math) - by the end of the week the pH again drifts back up to 8.2 - what am I doing wrong - how do I get it to stabilize?

PS: we have been getting blazing hot sun the past few weeks - using pool essentials chlorine - I put chlorine in the evening every day to make it 5.5 ppm - for the past couple of weeks when I check the readings in the evening (before putting the chlorine) and it shows 1 ppm - is this normal?

 

[Msch99]

Aeration raises the PH a bit, reduce if you are breaking water line with return or have water falls etc. Pools vary with what TA suites them. Maybe yours will settle down when you get to 60 or 70. Possibly only lower to 7.5 or so, see what happens.

For cya of 30 you don't want your FC below 2 or you are open for algae. Try running closer to 6 when you add.

Maybe do an overnight chlorine loss test to see if you have an impending algae bloom.
OCLT

 

[ajw22]

Try lowering your pH to 7.6-7.8. pH rises about 3X as fast at 7.2 than at 7.8. The higher the pH and lower the TA the slower pH will rise. pH stays at 7.2 for a few seconds.

See this chart -

https://www.troublefreepool.com/~richardfalk/pool/CO2.htm

 

[Jimrahbe]

You are in TEXAS, your CYA should be at least 50 to keep the sun from burning off the FC so quickly..

Most pools use 2 to 4 ppm of FC per day.. In Texas this time of year I would think that 4 ppm would be normal..

Quit trying to force the pH down to 7.2.. Only reduce it to 7.7 and then let it drift up until it hits 8.0 and then knock it down again...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[iamtexmax]

Thank you - will try that for the acid ....just checked FC - was down to 3.5 - will do an OCLT and report

 

[Lilypad]

CYA of 50, definitely in TX, as Jimrahbe mentioned. Otherwise you’re paying for, and sacrificing most of your chlorine to the sun everyday! Protecting it with higher CYA also allows chlorine to do it’s job of keeping your pool clean and clear. Only time 30-ish is preferred is if you have to SLAM.