Awesome. Sigh of relief. Going to buy that muriatic acid shortly and get my pH down per your recommendation!
Pool company guy screwed up...
- Thread starter Pperc
- Start date
Pool math suggests 55oz of the 34.6%
To drop from 8 to 7.4. My goodness that’s a lot! Is that because my TA is 120?
To drop from 8 to 7.4. My goodness that’s a lot! Is that because my TA is 120?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,749
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
A higher TA requires more acid to lower the pH.
To confirm your testing, do it in two steps. Add 30 oz or so, circulate for 30 minutes, test, then add the required balance to get to 7.4.
To confirm your testing, do it in two steps. Add 30 oz or so, circulate for 30 minutes, test, then add the required balance to get to 7.4.
Kim,I use plastic 2 cup measuring cups. I buy them from the Dollar store.
I don't wear gloves when I work with the m.a. as I can/do just rinse my hands and arms off right in the pool.
I float the cup in the water right over the return and let it flow out with the return.
You might want to pick up a foam knee mat in the garden department since you will have to kneel on the coping to do some of this work. I have an above ground pool so just stand by the side and work from there.
Kim
How do you accurately measure dry things like the CYA before you put it into a sock?
I just picked up a 4lb Clorox chlorine stabilizer while I was at Lowes (100% CYA) and not adding any until next week once my CYA stablizes but just curious.
That powder in the skimmers could be CYA, but it’s in both skimmers and he only put it into one, so I’m thinking it’s either D.E. or salt.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,749
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,451
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I Just eyeball the amount. Add less then what PoolMath says and sneak up on the desired CYA level.
Or you can use a kitchen food scale.
I’ll pick one up.
As an aside, that acid is strong stuff. Do you ever put some pool water in the bucket and add your acid to that before putting in the pool? Pouring straight into bucket and then into pool was a bit harsh.
I used to. I stopped. The less you handle it, the less chance of a spill. Hopefully you have one return that is upwind of the pool. That's where you want to add acid. Just pour it into the cup over the pool, then tilt the cup.
Last edited:
I poured into my cup (32oz) on the deck right next to the pool, then floated bottom of the cup and tilted and slowly let the acid flow out and mix with the pool water at the deep in into the return which is pointed slightly up and to the left.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,749
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Best to pour it in to the cup OVER the pool water. If you spill, it will not ruin your deck. MA will stain concrete, pavers, stone, etc.
Warning! Warning! Danger Will Robinson!
That's a good way to end up with a white spot on the deck that will take a couple years to blend back in. Guess how I know?
Rinse the bottom of the acid jug in the pool first, so there's no chance of leaving a ring when you set it down. Pour over the pool in case of spills. An extra couple ounces in the pool is lots easier to fix than a couple ounces on the deck or on your pants.
Great points. Will do that shortly. Going to retest my pH shortly and will probably need to add the other 29 ounces
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,239
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
If you don't have a kitchen scale, the web version of Pool Math breaks down additions of CYA into weight and volume. Volume allows you to use a measuring cup.
So do you then have and use a dry volume measuring cup instead of a wet volume one?
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,239
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
pH was down to about 7.7-7.8. Just added another ~28oz of MA. Will test pH again in 30 minutes.
I had to jump in here and say once again "Wow".....TFP is an amazing place. I was you this time last year although you have considerably more serious hardware than I do.
I use a cheap digital kitchen scale for my dry and wet measures. The one I have can switch modes quite easily and I find the liquid measures never seem to match the markings on the cheap measuring cups. But they're close enough. The key is to zero the scale with the measuring cup on it.
You're sounding like a pool pro already! Vive la TFPvolution! Hahaha
I use a cheap digital kitchen scale for my dry and wet measures. The one I have can switch modes quite easily and I find the liquid measures never seem to match the markings on the cheap measuring cups. But they're close enough. The key is to zero the scale with the measuring cup on it.
You're sounding like a pool pro already! Vive la TFPvolution! Hahaha
So, pH officially down to 7.4 after adding the MA! I’ll watch for it to go back up to 8 and then bring it back down again until TA comes down in the 60-80 range. I have a small waterfall from spa and one of my returns is pointed at the surface. Should I adjust the return down or sideways?
SWG is on at 100% for 13 hours which is 3.1ppm per day. My FC is around 8 which is probably a bit high with my CYA reading at 50 but given PB dumped into skimmer Saturday morning I’ll give the levels more time to rise before playing with my FC.
More swimmers over today so I’ll plan to test tonight just to check on FC levels. I have liquid chlorine on hand now just in case.