Request help to balance pool water

Problems relating to pH and total alkalinity.
Increase ph, increase TA. Reduce pH, reduce TA.
pH chemistry advice and techniques for the pool.
witters
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My Pool: 32,000 litre in-ground, half outside, half inside. Vinyl liner. Glass bead filter. Kripsol KS-150 pump

Re: Request help to balance pool water

Postby witters » Mon 08 Jul, 2019 17:51

Based on my current, albeit limited, testing regime the water quality seems fine. It's lovely and clear and as far as I know there are no residual nasties in the water. I had a lot of algae last year but very little this year. Free Chlorine levels are stable and I don't believe I have any significant CC. I know phosphate levels are high but my understanding is that this doesn't matter as long as FC is kept up to a decent level. What has confused me recently is that my attempts at reducing TA using 23% Hydrochloric Acid from the Brico has not had any discernible effect on either TA or pH. Could there be anything else in pool chemistry terms going on that stops acid doing what it's supposed to do. As I say, on the face of it the water looks and feels absolutely lovely - I would happily use it to make a cup of tea. Is it possible that I've got a dodgy batch of acid? According to the date on the bidet it was manufactured this year. I am in Cognac.


Teapot
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My Pool: 12 x 24 (45m3) liner pool, Triton TR60 filter with AFM glass media (Activate) and variable speed pump running 0.08HP
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Re: Request help to balance pool water

Postby Teapot » Tue 09 Jul, 2019 01:48

Chlorine ages but acid doesn't. You should keep notes on how much acid you add and the reduction in pH and Alk. The pH scale is logarithmic so each step is 10x the next so not always easy to get it to move initially when Alk is 200+ and hardness is quite high as well. The pH will move up quite easily with small bubble aeration.
Charts etc telling you how much to add are at best just a guide and make assumptions on how much to add. You'll add quite a bit, even double what they recommend to begin with just to get the pH down a bit but as the Alk lowers you need far less to get it move.

With stabiliser CYA in the pool pH is far less important than again you read on line. Read my thread and the paper on the topic.
viewtopic.php?f=65&t=43522
Whilst phosphate can be countered by keeping the chlorine level up, you can bet your life that as soon as you forget, miss or over winter you'll face big expensive issues countering algae. Far easier to lower the phosphate and not have to worry.
My pool closed for 13 months all over last summer in France was still clear when I arrived the other week. Because my filtration is excellent, the phosphate is 0 and the winter cover was on.

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