Spa Trouble with pH and TA

[Will J]

Hi All,

Hope someone can offer some advice.
I am fairly new to my hot tub. I did our first water change recently.

I have done lots of reading in here regarding the bromine system.

I am having trouble with my TA and pH. My TA is always low about 90 and my pH always goes high - 8+.

What is the interaction between the two. This didn't happen the last time.

I thought the process was to raise TA first to around 120 then adjust pH into normal range.

I am able to do this but it just happens every week it seems. It was stable for my first fill after it was new.

As a result of adding balance to adjust TA all the time my TDS are rising fast and will have to change the water again.

It hasn't been used much as of lately as we were away for couple weeks and it has been bit too cold. (-30C at times in middle of Canada)

Can anyone offer some insight?

Bromine levels I can manage.

Thanks in advance, Will J.

 

[JamesW]

High TA causes pH rise. Try a TA of about 60 and a pH of about 7.8.

 

[Will J]

Ty for response. Funny how my local hot tub company keeps telling me to have TA around 120. I will let it stay lower and see how my pH does. TY

Will

 

[JamesW]

Many people don't understand that high TA causes pH rise.

 

[presse55]

Hello Will,

I struggled with TA & pH the whole first season we had our spa.
Long story short, through info gleaned on this site, I finally found that lowering TA (from usual recommended levels) helps in keeping pH in check and prevent it from rising so quickly.

I lower my TA all the way down to 25-30 ppm.
(Note of caution: this is lower than usually recommended on this site; but works for me).
And target pH 7.2 to 7.4.

As of today, I have not had to adjust my pH in 17 days.
It now stands at 7.7 after drifting up ever so slowly over that period.

Oh yes, my local pool store always tells me to raise my TA, which brings on a chuckle, of course, because I never do!

FWIW!

The best of luck to you!

Ron
Montreal