The acid/aeration process to lower TA

[kozak]

My TA level is at 100. My ph rises a fair bit and I wanted to see if lowering TA might help.
I understand the process but not sure how long do you maintain the lower ph levels for TA to lower?
Do I lower to ph 7.0-7.2 and instantly aerate to raise the ph back to normal levels or maintain for a day? Or 2, 3…

 

[YippeeSkippy]

What is your pH now? How high does it go?
Is your pool's plaster new?
Do you run any fountains or water features which can raise the pH with use?

Maddie

 

[Mdragger88]

After the ph has risen to 7.8/8.0 You lower ph back to 7.2 until you get the ta where you want it.
The ph will rise on its own- aeration just helps it do so more quickly. It can still take days.

 

[kozak]

Ph now is at 7.8, but it cruises to 8 within a week and then it starts to get that cloudy look if I don’t add acid, guessing it goes beyond 8.
It’s a 10 year old pebblecrete.
No fountains though one of my filtration jets does create slight air bubbling.

 

[Bperry]

Ph now is at 7.8, but it cruises to 8 within a week and then it starts to get that cloudy look if I don’t add acid, guessing it goes beyond 8.
It’s a 10 year old pebblecrete.
No fountains though one of my filtration jets does create slight air bubbling.
View attachment 540404

You can’t do anything to “hold” the pH down other than adding acid. Once you lower pH to 7.2, wait until it goes back up to 8.0. Every time you do that the TA will go down a bit. Aeration just speeds up the process a bit.

 

[mgtfp]

It's the acid addition that lowers TA (together with pH), the change in TA is proportional to the amount of acid added (the pH change is a lot more complex to calculate).

The aeration is just to speed up the pH rise so you can sooner add more acid.

 

[wireform]

The idea is not to fight the PH too much once you got the TA where you want. It's not necessary to bring the TA to the lowest as all those parameters are governed by the CSI number and as long as the CSI is good don't bother.

 

[kozak]

I’ll lower the TA slightly and see how well the ph stabilises. I’m not try to fight ph but wondering if the higher TA is making it rise faster then it should.
I’d prefer adding acid fortnightly rather then weekly.
Thanks for all suggestions and tips.

 

[mgtfp]

Ph now is at 7.8, but it cruises to 8 within a week and then it starts to get that cloudy look if I don’t add acid, guessing it goes beyond 8.

It shouldn't get a cloudy look as long as FC is high enough for your CYA and CSI is not too high.

How are you testing your water? Just wondering if your CYA and/or CH are actually higher than you think.

It would also be wise to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to rule out algae.