Ph falling , very strange.

[wmarq]

good morning,

just trying to get some insight from the members here on why my Ph has started slowly dropping. It's not serious or anything just strange to me. I have made a project of this pool this year to handle It myself and get it right this year so I am testing very frequently so that I can learn how my chemistry changes with changing conditions on my pool. I have learned that my Ph will slowly rise over time ( even rising faster as the alkalinity from my fill water (200) raises the alkalinity in the pool. All normal. What is strange is that with the turn (finally) in the season to cooler weather and 60 degrees water now (also with fill water still going in , I can hear the automatic filler running) my ph is slowly dropping. Can't see how that is possible, anyone know? seems to go against the physics but I must be missing something. Maybe cooler water lowers the Ph?

 

[Mdragger88]

Are you using a cover?

 

[wmarq]

Are you using a cover?

no cover , pool always open and filled with automatic filler

 

[wmarq]

Are you using a cover?

kind of a stumper huh? the lack of response to this post pretty much tells me that ....ph should rise not fall with cooler water. not a big deal , just curious as to what I might be missing. I will just let it settle to where its going to go and if Its outside of csi -.30/0.00 csi then I will just put some calcium in to correct it. just didn't think that I was going to have to do that. the plan was to leave all alone and let the ph rise some to control the csi but a falling ph level didn't figure in my thinking lol......

 

[PoolStored]

ph should rise not fall with cooler water. not a big deal

pH will rise with colder water.

I will just let it settle to where its going to go and if Its outside of csi -.30/0.00 csi then I will just put some calcium in to correct it.

Don't add calcium. A negative CSI during the winter is typical and will not cause damage. Adding more CH will make your CSI higher when water temps come back. The only way to lower CH is to replace water.
Don't chase CSI in the winter. It will be fine.

 

[wmarq]

pH will rise with colder water.
View attachment 619546


Don't add calcium. A negative CSI during the winter is typical and will not cause damage. Adding more CH will make your CSI higher when water temps come back. The only way to lower CH is to replace water.
Don't chase CSI in the winter. It will be fine.

ok thank you , btw I agree with your chart , that's why I was stumped. ph shouldn't be dropping with cooler water

 

[ajw22]

Looking to your PM logs I see pH readings of 7.8, 7.9, and 8.0. I don't see pH wildly dropping.

If your pH is dropping what pH value is it stabilizing at?

Test results between 7.8 and 8.0 are within normal testing variation.

 

[wmarq]

Looking to your PM logs I see pH readings of 7.8, 7.9, and 8.0. I don't see pH wildly dropping.

If your pH is dropping what pH value is it stabilizing at?

Test results between 7.8 and 8.0 are within normal testing variation.

11/20 tested 8 , has fallen since then to 7.8, nothing crazy , just a curious anomaly that I cannot explain (should be slowing rising not falling) I have a digital reader as well as the drop test .. I do both everyday (they both show same trend.)

 

[ajw22]

I would not be concerned with a minor variation like that. Your pH seems very stable in that range.

 

[jmastron]

Has it rained much? The rainwater can be on the acidic side; I usually notice a heavy rain lowers pH somewhat here.

 

[wmarq]

Has it rained much? The rainwater can be on the acidic side; I usually notice a heavy rain lowers pH somewhat here.

not really maybe half inch about a week ago , winds are putting some grass in it that I take out but other than that.......

 

[wmarq]

I would not be concerned with a minor variation like that. Your pH seems very stable in that range.

I agree as long as it stops going down. I did reduce pump run time a couple of weeks ago , along with swg run time obviously , guess ill found out over this next week or so

 

[wmarq]

update on this thread just for kicks.....ph still not rising at all ...kinda weird lol but it did stop falling. I know my ph ceiling should be higher than where ph is sitting at , strange its not rising to it especially with colder water

 

[generessler]

Are you by chance using trichlor tabs (as I do for winter during swg shutdown)? If so, you are adding acid. (My pool behaves just as you're describing: stays at 7.8 all winter while the tab floater is in,though with the swg it goes from 7.4 to 8.0 in a week to 10 days.)

 

[wmarq]

Are you by chance using trichlor tabs (as I do for winter during swg shutdown)? If so, you are adding acid. (My pool behaves just as you're describing: stays at 7.8 all winter while the tab floater is in,though with the swg it goes from 7.4 to 8.0 in a week to 10 days.)

no not at all , haven't used them since I started following folks advice on here. swg not running now (cold water) , but still should get a slow rise I would think. just a curious mind I have, always asking why lol

 

[Newdude]

btw I agree with your chart

Look closely at the chart. You'd be lucky to see either extreme as a 7 with a comparator block with test variance on top of human eyesight limitations.

Between them, any 2 tests may be 0.2 off and still more or less correct. .

Or your TA dropped a skootch within its own test variance and that's pulling you down a little. (Possibly helped further with less pump run time)

Anywho, just be cool and act like it's normal. Never look a stable Ph in the mouth.