pH and my Spa spillover

[Pauly B]

Hi all. Wish I could have found an underwater picture but by looking at this can this spillover cause enough aeration to raise my pH? Running pump around 9 hours a day now. Going from 7.4 to 7.7 to 7.8 every day and half. Pool was redone in April with StoneScapes mini pebbles.

While I'm at it, any advice on removing the scale using Muriatic Acid? Me thinks the pool care guy didn't do much water treatment last year before I took over.

Thanks

 

[Richard320]

Yes. And if there's an air inlet to create bubbles in the spa that will do it, too.

If you're talking about the white line at the water line or above, then mix up some 1:3 acid water in a spray bottle. I'd get in myself, and spritz it, let it foam a bit, scrub with brush (Doesn't have to be a pool brush, a nylon kitchen scrub brush will work) and then rinse by sloshing some pool water over it all.

 

[Pauly B]

Yes. And if there's an air inlet to create bubbles in the spa that will do it, too.

If you're talking about the white line at the water line or above, then mix up some 1:3 acid water in a spray bottle. I'd get in myself, and spritz it, let it foam a bit, scrub with brush (Doesn't have to be a pool brush, a nylon kitchen scrub brush will work) and then rinse by sloshing some pool water over it all.

Thanks. Four returns in spa but no bubbles there. So can anyone think of a way to have my spillover water not splash into pool? Racking my brain for ways to get the water to return smoothly back into pool.

 

[Pauly B]

Yes. And if there's an air inlet to create bubbles in the spa that will do it, too.

Would it be feasible to lower the pH to 7.2 just to not deal with this every other day? Let it go from 7.2 up to 7.8 and then add acid? Maybe just for when I'll be gone for 3-4 days, which is quite often.

 

[mknauss]

Do you have automation to operate the spa function?

 

[jblizzle]

Just stop running the spillover all day. Only need maybe two 15 minute periods to keep the chemistry balanced in the spa.

What is your TA? That can drive the pH up quicker if too high.

 

[Pauly B]

I have a bypass to the spa upstream of the 3 way valve.

I just turned my pre pump 3 way to the middle position and it is now returning from the spa and the spill stopped. Level is dropping so I will turn it partially for spa return. Only have one combo skimmer (main drain and skimmer) and don’t want to reduce its efficiency.

Turned 3 way partially to add some return to the spa in addition to the bypass.

Potentially silly question but the 3 way valves don’t need to be full one way or the other. Right? Seems I should be able to balance spa drain and return to keep it full but not spillover?

Thanks

Pauly

 

[Richard320]

For day-to-day I only return a small amount to the spa and draw nothing from it.

Trying to balance intake and return to the spa is flirting with disaster. If anything happens -- say the skimmer basket gets overwhelmed and clogged -- then you will draw more from the spa than you return. Which means eventually you may empty it and start sucking air. Run the pump dry too long and it will overheat and warp and leak.

You have a spa makeup line so the spa always gets a supply of filtered water added to it. Shut off everything else to-and-from the spa unless you're actually using the spa and want it heated and bubbling.

You are correct that those three-way valves can be set anywhere between stops to blend the flow.

 

[Pauly B]

For day-to-day I only return a small amount to the spa and draw nothing from it.

Trying to balance intake and return to the spa is flirting with disaster. If anything happens -- say the skimmer basket gets overwhelmed and clogged -- then you will draw more from the spa than you return. Which means eventually you may empty it and start sucking air.

In my skimmer I have a float valve and a line from the main drain. Would that alleviate risk of running spa dry if skimmer shut down?

 

[Richard320]

In my skimmer I have a float valve and a line from the main drain. Would that alleviate risk of running spa dry if skimmer shut down?

No, that would make it worse.

 

[mknauss]

Set it up as Richard is explaining.
Without automation you can not do what Jason suggested. You will always deal with rising pH due to the equipment you have.

 

[Pauly B]

So I’m about to go away for a few days. So should I drop my pH lower so it’s not overly high when I return? 7.2 so it’s about 7.8 when I get back?

Thanks

 

[mknauss]

How are you going to chlorinate while you are away? If with trichlor tablets, they are acidic and will take care of it for you.

 

[Pauly B]

Was going to bring chlorine up to 12 or so. Add at tonight after sunset and be home mid afternoon Sunday.

I can do tabs in a floater. With CYA at 50 how much would 3 days of tabs add to that?

 

[jblizzle]

Use PoolMath to tell you how much CYA each 8 oz Trichlor tablet will add.

 

[Pauly B]

Use PoolMath to tell you how much CYA each 8 oz Trichlor tablet will add.

Got it thanks. The big question is determining how long the tab takes to fully dissolve and how much chlorine is put out in only 2-3 days. What would 3-4 tabs in a floater do for me?

Thought tabs were simple but not so much.

 

[jblizzle]

Well, that is part the problem with the tablets, you can set the dissolve rate to add a certain ppm of FC in a given day. You have to learn by trial and error.