pH question... which is better?

[shingles]

I was curious, all else being equal, is it better to have water that is higher in pH or lower in pH as far as pool longevity goes?

My pool is new (water in November) and it tends to like to settle in around 8 ish for the pH. I add acid to bring it back down each week. I probably should do it more often, but the challenge is this time of year, I leave home when it's dark and get home when it's fairly dark. So I tend to do the bulk of my testing weekly, on Saturdays. So I bring it down to 7.6/7.8 on Saturday and it drifts back up the rest of the week. So it just got me thinking, is high(er) pH bad? or should I bring it down further on Saturdays?

Thanks.

 

[Texas Splash]

is it better to have water that is higher in pH or lower in pH as far as pool longevity goes?

The best place for your pH is typically in the range noted on the TFP Pool School - Recommended Levels. Sometimes we flex a bit depending on your pool's current CH and TA because the 3 of them together impact your CSI level which dictates how prone your pool is to etching or scale. Some SWG pools seem to settle better at the 7.8 pH range, but once you go over that you increase the potential for scale. You didn't post your TA which is a large contributor to pH movement. So if the TA if elevated right now, that, along with any potential water aeration, could be increasing your pH as well. If your TA is elevated, take a look at the TFP Pool School - Lower Total Alkalinity page.

All that being said, I would consider bringing the pH down to about 7.4-7.5 early in the week so that if pH does rise, it will hopefully settle around 7.8 and not any higher. Hope that helps.

PS ~ I failed to mention one of the most important factors in your pH rise right now - new plaster. The curing process will take a few months, so you can expect the pH to rise faster than normal until the curing is complete. Do your best to keep it under control. Congrats on the new pool!