Question about low TA

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SanibelBlue

SanibelBlue

0
May 18, 2018
35
South Louisiana
Hello, I've been lurking/reading/researching through this forum for months. We got in our pool in April and it's been very easy and the water consistently looks great. I use the Taylor K-2005 kit provided by our builder. I do go to the pool store about once or twice a month just to see how their numbers compare to mine. Their numbers generally match up on pH and chlorine. I also use a langelier online calculator. My pH consistently runs high, I bring it down with acid, and it climbs over a couple of days and then I bring it down again. The pool store got 60 for alkalinity today and I got 70, although on drop 6 the sample turned clear and on drop 7 the color changed. I know that the muriatic acid is bringing the TA down, but at what point should I add baking soda to raise it? I was hoping if I got it down to around 60 the pH might start holding. I know that the swg will cause it to want to go up.
Numbers from today are:
TC 7
FC 7
pH 7.8 (I added 2c acid)
TA 60 (mine was 70)
CH 450
Stabilizer 30 (I added about 1/2 gal)
Salt 3200
Thank you for any help you may could give. My mind is just boggled at this point from trying to figure it all out.
 
Welcome to the TFP pool! :splash:

I always run TA at 50. Below 40 is probably problematic.


You pool finish is still curing, it takes a full year to 18 months before the dramatic acid use begins to decline.

Now comes the key question - Whose advice will you follow. Ours is a bit different from most pool stores and builders. I applaud you builder for giving you a great test kit, but it is missing one test. We recommend the K-2006 over the K-2005 because to effectively practice the our "TFPC" methods, the FAS/DPD chlorine test is essential. The FAS/DPD chlorine test is what is included in the K-2006. You can add it to your kit buy buying FAS/DPD Chlorine CC's test

How much Pool School have you read? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

For your SWCG pool we would recommend raising your CYA to at least 70.

So again, welcome to TFP!!
 
Welcome to the forum. Regarding your TA, as long as your CSI is within range, you have nothing to worry about. NJ water is way different than CA and also plaster vs. vinyl liner. Do you have any aeration devices? If so, you may want to shut down when the pool I snot in use as this will also increase the PH. Please do a few things:

1) Stop going to the pool store. Our methods are not compatible.
2) Use our on line calculator, not others.
3) You can bring your TA and keep between 60-70, possibly lower, but I would stay in this range.

Bring your CYA up to around 70. This may also help stabilize your PH. Do not know why, but when I dosed the pool manually at a CYA of 30 and TA of 80-90-100 +, I was constantly having rising PH issues with my circulators (aeration devices) to move water. Only until the TA dropped to 70 did the PH stabilize.

Skip ahead, and switched over to SWG and raised CYA to 70. Now, even at TA of 100 because of fill water, my PH is stable. Not once at 100, which now at 90 have I had to add acid. Hope this helps. Maybe others will chime in to see how long you can go with TA until having to bring back up.

As Tim stated, you can go down to 50 on TA.
 
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Thank you both for your replies. Yes, we do have bubblers, but they stay on low, just to keep the water moving off the tanning ledge. I will add more stabilizer to try and get cya up. I do trust you all fully and appreciate your time. I only started going to the pool store early on because I didn't fully trust myself and my testing. I'm getting more comfortable with it all. Yes, I've read through the links, but quite honestly, I don't understand it all and I end up confusing myself. I was at that point today and decided to just ask for help. I don't add all the other "stuff" that was left with me because I have learned (through tfp) that it isn't needed and as long as I keep my chlorine high enough, alge won't be a problem. I will plan on ordering the other test that is needed. As of now I won't worry about the 60-70 TA. Thank you all again!
 
SanibelBlue said:
Thank you both for your replies. Yes, we do have bubblers, but they stay on low, just to keep the water moving off the tanning ledge. I will add more stabilizer to try and get cya up. I do trust you all fully and appreciate your time. I only started going to the pool store early on because I didn't fully trust myself and my testing. I'm getting more comfortable with it all. Yes, I've read through the links, but quite honestly, I don't understand it all and I end up confusing myself. I was at that point today and decided to just ask for help. I don't add all the other "stuff" that was left with me because I have learned (through tfp) that it isn't needed and as long as I keep my chlorine high enough, alge won't be a problem. I will plan on ordering the other test that is needed. As of now I won't worry about the 60-70 TA. Thank you all again!
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Full understanding comes with time and repetition. We were all there once. Give it a couple of months and we hope you will be answering questions for other folks.
 
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