Questions on pH, FC, TA, and CYA results
- Thread starter KimBee
- Start date
Following…never hear of pH being 5.5 in a pool and am curious how this turns out.
Get that TA and pH up now!!
Get that TA and pH up now!!
Dang. For a 10,550 gal pool, Pool Math says someone would have had to add on the order of three quarts of muriatic acid to drop pH from something reasonable to 5.5, it and would drop TA by more than 30 (yes, with PM disclaimer about accuracy of pH change predictions…). But my point is, 3 quarts of 12.25% liquid chlorine is a much more reasonable addition that might be made in a pool of that size, which makes me wonder if mister pool boy was on the phone with his girlfriend when he whoopsydaisy added 3 quarts of MA instead of LC…not that I know of any PBs that actually use LC.
Anxious to see some progress in this one!
Anxious to see some progress in this one!
As you are doing, STAY FOCUSED on getting pH into the 7's and TA to 50 or so......do it sooner rather than later.
Last night we did add Borax and tested. Since the TA and the pH both went up, we added baking soda and let the filter run all night. At midnight it occurred to me that I hadn’t looked at what the salt cell output had been set at (I figured it wouldn’t be that high given even the pool guy knew the FC has been really high)…it was at 100%.
Anyway, I moved it down to 20% in hopes it would rest while we let the filter go all night. Just finished testing. Good news: the TA is now at 60.
For the pH, the comparator block looks like it swung to the basic side but the pH meter read at 4.6. So I’m not trusting either.
FC is still very high at 13.0. Hopefully sun today will help with that. CC stayed the same at 0.5.
Attachments
I used Taylor test strip for Salt last week and it was at least 5000, which is highest the strip range goes (so high).
Turn the SWG OFFuntil FC drops. Anybody know the highest recommended salt range for that model? Sounds awfully high to me and I wouldn't want it to damage the unit.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Did you get a chance to add the stabilizer yet? That's very important to help buffer the harness of the chlorine for swimmers.
For the pH, we need to nail that down. Let's do this. Use the comparator viewing block not the digital meter. Add your 5 drops of R-0014 reagent to the right side for pH and let us know what you get. Make sure you are using the correct reagent. You can post a pic if needed.
For the pH, we need to nail that down. Let's do this. Use the comparator viewing block not the digital meter. Add your 5 drops of R-0014 reagent to the right side for pH and let us know what you get. Make sure you are using the correct reagent. You can post a pic if needed.
I posted a pic of the comparator block from about 45 mins ago in post #25. I will run it again and post another pic…stay tuned.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Post #25, your pH is high in that pic, not low. That deep/dark purple is over 8.2. The left side (dark orange) if the total chlorine side. If you are using the FAS-DPD for chlorine, you can skip that left side test. The powder & drops are much more accurate.
ManiacalMama
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 18, 2017
- 243
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-30 Plus
Don't forget that with FC > 10 the pH test won't be accurate! Need to wait for that FC level to come down.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Your pH is high. Not sure if you overdosed on the chemical last night or were just reading it wroing, but it's high. No danger of being low (corrosive). So now it's time to slow down and prevent any further yo-yo adjustments. I'll give you a few tips on my next post.
Yes, I had read that about high FC messing with the pH test! So I’m not sure what to think about what the pH really is between the phenol red test and my pH meter as they aren’t in agreement.
It just occurred to me that if a very high FC impacts the phenol red pH test…what if my pool guy has taken the comparator block results as gospel and has been adding acid trying to bring the pH down?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Leave the yellow FC drops alone for now. When it comes to FC testing, just use the FAS-DPD powder & drops. Much more accurate anyway.
Now the pH & TA. You appear to have gotten teh TA up to about 60. That's good. Never let it go below 50.
For the pH, I want you to add a little muriatic acid to try and lower it back to about 7.5-7.8. Use the PoolMath APP (Effects of Adding) to lower the pH from 8.2 to 7.8. In your 10K pool that should be about 5 ounces of MA. Practice with that APP to see if you got the same results. Let the MA mix with the pool water for about 30 minutes and test again. I want to make sure you are good with the dosing and color changes in that viewer.
Now the pH & TA. You appear to have gotten teh TA up to about 60. That's good. Never let it go below 50.
For the pH, I want you to add a little muriatic acid to try and lower it back to about 7.5-7.8. Use the PoolMath APP (Effects of Adding) to lower the pH from 8.2 to 7.8. In your 10K pool that should be about 5 ounces of MA. Practice with that APP to see if you got the same results. Let the MA mix with the pool water for about 30 minutes and test again. I want to make sure you are good with the dosing and color changes in that viewer.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Very high, yes. Your FC of 13 isn't crazy high, but the fact you have next to no stabilizer in the pool does make the chlorine more harsh. It might be influencing the pH a little to make it appear high. Your FC should fall very fast today with no CYA in the water.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,053
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
If you wish to wait a couple hours before adding the acid as I noted above in post 38 that's fine. I just want to make sure you can tell now the pH is actually high, not low. Leaving it too high for an extended period of time leads to scale, especially in your SWG cell.