PH/TA levels always on the move

[Aspec]

Any recommendations would be much appreciated regarding PH/TA levels. Some quick background, the pool was completed and filled in July 2021, it's a gunite/plaster/SWG setup.

I've had to add MA just about every 2-4 weeks as my PH likes to creep up to 8.0-8.2 since the pool was opened. I've never seen it higher than 8.2, but then again I've never let it go above. My TA this whole time is ranging between 80-95. When I add MA to drop the PH from 8 to 7 (to lower my TA per pool math) my TA will respond and come down to 80. However, once I aerate to bring the PH back up to around 7.6 the TA rises back to around 90 as well. It never gets much higher but any advice how I can better stabilize these values? Or am I simply chasing these too much? i.e. The TA around 90 is fine and just continue to maintain the PH in the mid 7's with MA as needed and stop worrying about TA?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ajw22]

Stop worrying about the TA and just keep pH in the 7's. 7.6-7.8 is a fine place to keep the pH. The lower you make the pH the quicker it will bounce back.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Measure the pH/TA/CH of your fill water. It will give you an indication of where your water chemistry will like to stay. Typically speaking, the higher the TA, the greater the rate of out gassing of CO2 from the pool water and it is the out gassing of CO2 that causes pH to rise. But, as a counter-point, you can not artificially lower your TA to any value you want as the water does need a certain amount of carbonate alkalinity to keep the pH from swinging wildly. And since your largest daily chemical addition is fill water, the TA of your pool will always trend towards the TA of your fill water.

 

[Aspec]

Will check my source water, however, I don't add much water to my pool, in fact, my autofill has been turned off for the past 6 full months (its connected to a hose bib which is off). We've had enough rain to keep it "too full" and the leveler is usually draining.

 

[mknauss]

If you are not adding fill water, how is your TA rising? It must be added, either via fill water or chemical additions.

 

[Aspec]

The only fill water is coming from rain right now. The only items I add to my pool are as follows:

• Muriatic Acid 31.45% (when the PH is above 8)
• Diamond Crystal Splash Ready Salt (when it tests below 3000)
• Puri Tech Cyanuric Acid (when CYA tests below 55-60)
• Robelle Calcium Plus (when CH tests below 300 ~ not very often)

 

[TexEdmond]

Or am I simply chasing these too much? i.e. The TA around 90 is fine and just continue to maintain the PH in the mid 7's with MA as needed and stop worrying about TA?

Since you have SWG, your CSI number is much more important than any individual TA or pH number. There's a gazillion different ways to get that slightly negative CSI (for SWG longevity), so feel out where your pool wants to stay. If you're only adding acid every couple of weeks, you're probably in a really good spot. Or, you might want to shove real hard on TA and see if you can get down around 50-60 and try for borates... for those with agreeable fill water that's apparently the ticket to really lock things in and have GREAT water.