Safely getting TA and PH down to add Boric Acid with SWG

[calisoldier]

I have a 22000 gal pool and have been dealing with some serious Ph drift. I have a waterfall from the spa to the pool that's basically on 12 hours a day when my pump is running so that's always aerating the water. On top of that I have the SWG, if that even makes a difference. I wanted find out how to get my TA/Ph down properly before adding boric acid. It seems whenever people link to other threads on here it goes to generic blog post for some reason (Home), so it's hard to do any research on here.

I thought there was a step-by-step thread on it, but I also wanted to make sure to account for my waterfall so that doesn't throw off the Ph during the process.

 

[mknauss]

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.

www.troublefreepool.com

Check your browser cache. Clearing it typically solves the link issue.

 

[calisoldier]

How long can I have TA < 100 before boric acid needs to be added? According to TPC I need to add about 50lbs of boric acid to reach 50ppm. Should I add that all at once? What happens if TA gets to 60ppm and my Ph drifts again before I add the boric acid then I can't use MA to drop Ph anymore?

 

[Donldson]

then I can't use MA to drop Ph anymore?

What do you mean by this? What is stopping you from using MA when you have borates in the water?

 

[calisoldier]

What do you mean by this? What is stopping you from using MA when you have borates in the water?

Before putting in borates (boric acid), it will take perhaps a couple weeks to get my TA down from 120ppm to 60ppm. What happens when I get to TA of ~ 60 ppm and if I haven't added boric acid yet and Ph rises again? At this point, if I had to reduce Ph again my TA would be less than the 60ppm target.

 

[Donldson]

So your TA drops below 60 ppm. Not a big deal.

Your pH is not going to get locked in permanently by adding borates. It's going to slow the changes in pH, both up or down, but it does not stop it. You are still probably going to need to add MA occasionally.

 

[mknauss]

In reality, there is no need to lower the TA before adding borates. Just use the TA in Poolmath when you need to lower the pH. It will adjust how much acid will be needed.

 

[wireform]

You need to limit the waterfall as that's causing ph rise more then anything esle.

 

[calisoldier]

You need to limit the waterfall as that's causing ph rise more then anything esle.

I can’t figure out a way to do that since when the pump is on, it falls so I think the borates will help.

 

[wireform]

I can’t figure out a way to do that since when the pump is on, it falls so I think the borates will help.

Equipment pad pictures are in order then maybe someone can help you out with a valve setting....

 

[calisoldier]

Equipment pad pictures are in order then maybe someone can help you out with a valve setting....

There is a valve to switch the spa spillover to a baja bath but that’s even worse. I’ll try to get pictures.

 

[mknauss]

No automation? All manual valves?

 

[calisoldier]

No automation? All manual valves?

Valve with red circle switches the spillover to the Baja. There’s an automation valve on the right circled in blue. Would that do it and how do I use with iAquaLink?

 

[wireform]

Valve with red circle switches the spillover to the Baja. There’s an automation valve on the right circled in blue. Would that do it and how do I use with iAquaLink?

Zoom out with a few more pictures from different angles.

 

[mknauss]

Review Jandy Aqualink RS - Further Reading

 

[JamesW]

In my opinion, it's actually better and easier to add the boric acid before you lower the TA.

 

[calisoldier]

Zoom out with a few more pictures from different angles.

Here you go.

 

[calisoldier]

Zoom out with a few more pictures from different angles.

Here are the suction lines. I turned on the SPA mode and both the jandy valves turned 180 degrees, heater turns on, no change with spillover so I don't think those will help. There is another valve on the suction end that I haven't seen in action, circled it in purple.