Question about raising pH with aeration

[Meghanfoss]

Hello TFP!! I’m back again with more questions.

I brought my TA down from 110 to 90 with MA which pulled down my pH to 7.2. I do have a sheer descent which would help with aeration to raise pH but I do not turn that thing on because the last time I did I lost 2 inches of water in 45 minutes! That’s another problem for another day.

So, cut to me buying this 0.5 HP submersible pump. How often should I measure pH level to check progress? How long would you anticipate it needing to run? Current FC is between 8-9ppm.

Picture attached of how much air my water stream is getting.

Thanks!

 

[PoolGate]

That looks pretty good. When I was lowering my TA, I ran two waterfalls and it still took several days to see pH increase from aeration. Keep at it maybe check twice a day.

 

[Meghanfoss]

That looks pretty good. When I was lowering my TA, I ran two waterfalls and it still took several days to see pH increase from aeration. Keep at it maybe check twice a day.

Thanks! And hey there local pool person! We are only about 30 minutes apart.

 

[ajw22]

PH 7.2 is perfectly fine. With TA 90 it will rise naturally.

Why do you want to spend anytime raising it?

pH of eyes is 7.2-7.4

 

[Meghanfoss]

PH 7.2 is perfectly fine. With TA 90 it will rise naturally.

Why do you want to spend anytime raising it?

Because I don’t know any better and still learning about the relationship between these two lol. So…would you suggest letting pH do it’s thing naturally? The PoolMath recommendations based on my CSI scare me a bit sometimes. It’s currently -0.57 and I’m like “ah! Corrosion!!!”

Perhaps a touch dramatic on my end?

 

[Newdude]

Perhaps a touch dramatic on my end?

Not. At. All. You are mesmerized by what you *could* do. And Bravo for seeing the need and the cure. But TA between 60 to 100 will fix itself. Heck, most TAs will fix themselves. Manage the PH and the TA will follow suit.

 

[ajw22]

A few things…

Your CSI will swing widely. Don’t whipsaw your water chemistry based on the CSI. A day ago your CSI was +0.17. Average it out in your head and as long as long term it is between 0.6 to -0.6 it is ok and preferably between 0.3 to -0.3. Short term excursions past that are meaningless.

Water with CSI less then -0.6 is aggressive to plaster, not corrosive. Aggressive to plaster means it will etch the plaster, pull calcium out of it, and erode the plaster. Any damage from low CSI and aggressive water takes MONTHS to develop, not days or weeks. Short term low CSI is not a problem. Continuous low CSI can erode plaster over years.

Your CSI will increase as your water temperature increases as we get into July and August even if nothing else changes.

Keep your CSI moving in the right direction and you will be fine.

 

[Newdude]

And let's nip the rest of this conversation in the bud. The 'ideal levels' in pool math are the overall average for how your style pool typically responds. But it's as unique as you and me. So never chase an ideal level without reason. Look at the 'ok range' as equally ok. There is no 'more ok', than ok. You'll probably land in the ideal range but if not, and your CSI agrees, be done and do something fun with the little one instead.

 

[Meghanfoss]

And let's nip the rest of this conversation in the bud. The 'ideal levels' in pool math are the overall average for how your style pool typically responds. But it's as unique as you and me. So never chase an ideal level without reason. Look at the 'ok range' as equally ok. There is no 'more ok', than ok. You'll probably land in the ideal range but if not, and your CSI agrees, be done and do something fun with the little one instead.

I like this advice

 

[arvil]

I don’t even have that. Just the eyeball pointing slightly up to agitate the surface a bit, my pH goes 7.2 to 7.8 in a couple of weeks, TA goes down. No need to hurry it. Both are in nominal.

 

[jedigrover]

Don't sweat the small stuff. I'm running 7.2 - 7.3 pH right now and occasionally land in the -0.4'ish on CSI. Not worried. It will move. In my case it is because I dropped TA to 70 before adding Borates. My TA settled about 80 and pH will slowly rise, but I don't worry. I just check it and if it gets too high I will work on it. The lower TA & borates theoretically help slow the changes (and in my practical experience, they do--running TA around 100 and no borates my pH could move very quickly...now it remains relatively locked for days on end). At 7.3, it helps keep my FC a bit more effective.

I like to tell my fellow pool-owners that every pool is as unique as its owner. Sure, there are targets for blood pressure, BMI, what-have-you that are considered ideal, but what works for you depends greatly upon your own body & lifestyle. Same for the pool. The plaster mix, age & state of plaster, fill water chemistry, sun exposure, specific microclimate, wind, organics falling in, visits by wildlife, usage by people, etc. vary from pool to pool. That makes each body of water unique in some aspects. I like to think that each pool has its own "happy spot" and it should land inside the "Recommended" ranges, but everything may not fall into the "ideal" ranges. Find what works for your pool to keep it clean, safe, and happy. Happy to me means I can develop a pretty basic care routine and not have to constantly babysit it. Chasing numbers = babysitting. I have a 1yr and 4yr old...that takes enough of my time.

Just get your pool to a happy spot and ENJOY it.

 

[Meghanfoss]

Don't sweat the small stuff. I'm running 7.2 - 7.3 pH right now and occasionally land in the -0.4'ish on CSI. Not worried. It will move. In my case it is because I dropped TA to 70 before adding Borates. My TA settled about 80 and pH will slowly rise, but I don't worry. I just check it and if it gets too high I will work on it. The lower TA & borates theoretically help slow the changes (and in my practical experience, they do--running TA around 100 and no borates my pH could move very quickly...now it remains relatively locked for days on end). At 7.3, it helps keep my FC a bit more effective.

I like to tell my fellow pool-owners that every pool is as unique as its owner. Sure, there are targets for blood pressure, BMI, what-have-you that are considered ideal, but what works for you depends greatly upon your own body & lifestyle. Same for the pool. The plaster mix, age & state of plaster, fill water chemistry, sun exposure, specific microclimate, wind, organics falling in, visits by wildlife, usage by people, etc. vary from pool to pool. That makes each body of water unique in some aspects. I like to think that each pool has its own "happy spot" and it should land inside the "Recommended" ranges, but everything may not fall into the "ideal" ranges. Find what works for your pool to keep it clean, safe, and happy. Happy to me means I can develop a pretty basic care routine and not have to constantly babysit it. Chasing numbers = babysitting. I have a 1yr and 4yr old...that takes enough of my time.

Just get your pool to a happy spot and ENJOY it.

This right here. This is great perspective. The point of my pool is to ENJOY and make memories.

Thanks everyone! Gonna go float right now…

 

[jedigrover]

My happiness: