The latest recommendations call for 7.6-7.8 pH, and yet calcium scaling is avoided at lower pH. Given pH’s tend to trend up over time anyway, what’s the downside of keeping things at 7.2-7.5?
pH trends
- Thread starter TishTash
- Start date
The downside is constantly having to add acid. There have been many posts by people who are constantly fighting pH. Once they leave it at 7.8ish, they discover it can often go a week or more without any fussing. Constant acid additions will drive down TA and then you'll get to start adding baking soda.... which will tend to push pH up. Enjoy your merry-go-round ride.
You may also discover that low pH and low TA combined with low CH from naturally soft water will drive the CSI negative. You don't care with your vinyl pool, but the guy with the fancy pebbletec pool who is shedding expensive pebbles every time he brushes because the plaster is dissolving will care a lot.
You may also discover that low pH and low TA combined with low CH from naturally soft water will drive the CSI negative. You don't care with your vinyl pool, but the guy with the fancy pebbletec pool who is shedding expensive pebbles every time he brushes because the plaster is dissolving will care a lot.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 54,308
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Calcium scaling is rarely a problem in a vinyl pool.
Turn on CSI tracking and your water temperature to know where you are.
Turn on CSI tracking and your water temperature to know where you are.
Thanks guys. I suppose I’m looking more in regards to calcium scaling on SWG cells than anything. The reason I ask is with an alkalinity of 70-80 and borates of 50, my pH hasn’t budged from 7.4-7.5, either from added CYA or persistent aeration (via a pretty substantial fountain). I was just wondering how aggressive I should be in trying to raise the pH, given the vinyl lining & soft water (~200 CH). Since I’m not actively trying to go down, and it isn’t trending up, I suppose the answer is to just let it sit, and enjoy the mysterious stability.
You shouldn't be aggressively messing with pH if it's in the acceptable range. That goes for any parameter actually. If you're outside acceptable, you need to pick a target, so it might as well be an ideal target and not just good enough. Constantly fiddling with the chemistry to reach some ideal number that will change as more water is added or lost is an exercise in futility. That kind of behavior drives sales at the pool store, but it doesn't make the water any clearer. If you're in the acceptable range, just leave it alone.
I figured I was overthinking it. I’m viewing the 7.6-7.8 as being a holy grail when I should be thinking of it as a “don’t sweat the small stuff if it stays there” thing, especially with whatever benefits lower pH gives one. Thanks again.
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