Opening pool, testing TA

[elainerader]

Hi all,

Before I start my slam, I am testing my pH and TA.

pH tested below 6.5 so I need to raise obviously.

TA test is confusing....I added two drops of R0007, 5 drops of R0008 and its supped to turn green, it never did, it started red and stayed red....adding drops of R0009 obviously no change in color.

My quaetion is: what is my TA??? Too high or too low?

Thanks

 

[Texas Splash]

Add a little baking soda to help get the TA up a bit. Use PoolMath to help you increase the TA in increments of about 10 ppm. No crazy increases, just 10 ppm at a time. Test the water about an hour later to see if the TA starts to respond. Do that until you are sure the TA is at least 50, but 60-70 might be better. That should also help the pH increase too.

 

[duraleigh]

Adding baking soda (which you should do) will have little affect on your pH but it will increase your TA to measurable levels.

After you get TA where it tests correctly, then bring your pH up using 20 Mule Team Borax.

 

[elainerader]

Add a little basking soda to help get the TA up a bit. Use PoolMath to help you increase the TA in increments of about 10 ppm. No crazy increases, just 10 ppm at a time. Test the water about an hour later to see if the TA starts to respond. Do that until you are sure the TA is at least 50, but 60-70 might be better. That should also help the pH increase too.

Thank you!!

 

[elainerader]

Add a little basking soda to help get the TA up a bit. Use PoolMath to help you increase the TA in increments of about 10 ppm. No crazy increases, just 10 ppm at a time. Test the water about an hour later to see if the TA starts to respond. Do that until you are sure the TA is at least 50, but 60-70 might be better. That should also help the pH increase too.

Hi again, I have added 12 lbs of baking soda in the last 6 hours and I am still not getting any reading for TA. Test results are still red after adding 007 and 008, never goes to green after adding 008. Should't I be getting at least some reading after adding 12 lbs of baking soda? The pool math calculator says I should add twice what I have already, to get to 60 ppm, so I'm wondering if I'm having a testing problem?? Thanks again.

 

[Texas Splash]

Should't I be getting at least some reading after adding 12 lbs of baking soda?

You should. So assuming your reagents are still good, let's recap a couple things:
1 - Your TA may be still very low or close to zero. If that's true, that explains why the pH was so low as well. As to WHY they both crashed is another discussion. Anything done differently or added to the water in the past few months? AA treatment? Used chlorine tabs lately? That kind of thing? We can come back to that later.
2- Below is straight from the testing instructions. So first order of business is slowly raising that TA and pH. 12 lbs should have increased the TA by about 30, but if it crashed to zero, it may be struggling to get back up. Do you have some Soda Ash? 1 lb 2 oz should increase both. It should increase pH by about 0.7 points. Again, we're trying to go in stages without any wild increases all at once. If you don't have soda ash, I would get some aeration going if you have a way to do so, and I would add another 12 lbs of baking soda again. Leave pump running and test again in about 1 hour to see if there are any changes. Post back to let us know if you are seeing any results.

Add 5 drops of R-0008 and swirl to mix. The solution should turn green or blue. If the sample turns red, pink, or yellow, you are done, your TA is zero, and your PH is very very low (4.5 or lower).

If you have any doubts about the test itself, please see Total Alkalinity - Trouble Free Pool

 

[poolpop]

What is you PH running now? I think I would bump the PH up to 7.4 or so then work on the TA. TA will be easier tp manage once you get your PH right.

 

[poolpop]

Do you have a full set of Test Results? There are a number of things that could cause interference with you TA and PH testing particularly FC above 10ppm. It is easier to help if you know what you are dealing with.

 

[Texas Splash]

elain, if you didn't already know, this is from the Recommended Pool Chemicals - Trouble Free Pool page under the "Raising pH" section:

Soda ash is available as ARM & HAMMER® Super Washing Soda Detergent Booster. Do not confuse this with ARM & HAMMER® laundry detergent! It is sold in the laundry detergent section of most larger grocery stores and some big box stores. It is also sold by pool stores under various names, including PH Increaser, PH Up, Balance Pak 200, etc. Soda ash is best added by pre-dissolving it in a bucket of water and then pouring that slowly in front of a return.

Aeration can be provided by a SWG, spa jets, waterfall, fountain, return pointed up so it breaks the surface, air compressor, kids splashing, rain, etc. It can take some time for aeration to raise the PH. The higher your TA level, the faster aeration will work.

 

[duraleigh]

Continue to add baking soda until you get a reading......it often takes wa-a-a-y more than you think. (about 10 lbs more, I think)

Once your TA gives you a result of any kind, then test for pH and add enough 20 mule team borax to bring it up into the 7's (unless it is already there.)

It may not seem like it but a test for FC would be helpful as well. Post the results of all three tests.

 

[elainerader]

You should. So assuming your reagents are still good, let's recap a couple things:
1 - Your TA may be still very low or close to zero. If that's true, that explains why the pH was so low as well. As to WHY they both crashed is another discussion. Anything done differently or added to the water in the past few months? AA treatment? Used chlorine tabs lately? That kind of thing? We can come back to that later.
2- Below is straight from the testing instructions. So first order of business is slowly raising that TA and pH. 12 lbs should have increased the TA by about 30, but if it crashed to zero, it may be struggling to get back up. Do you have some Soda Ash? 1 lb 2 oz should increase both. It should increase pH by about 0.7 points. Again, we're trying to go in stages without any wild increases all at once. If you don't have soda ash, I would get some aeration going if you have a way to do so, and I would add another 12 lbs of baking soda again. Leave pump running and test again in about 1 hour to see if there are any changes. Post back to let us know if you are seeing any results.



If you have any doubts about the test itself, please see Total Alkalinity - Trouble Free Pool

Thanks again.....all my chems are new from end of summer 2019 so they should be fine. For the winter, kept chlorine at minimum and circulating 8 hours a day. Do not have soda ash, but just bought more baking soda, no way to aerate. It was low last year when opening too but not like this, it went right up.... I'll try adding another 12 lbs and see what happens. I'll let you know! Thanks again!!!