high ph

Problems relating to pH and total alkalinity.
Increase ph, increase TA. Reduce pH, reduce TA.
pH chemistry advice and techniques for the pool.
qhluvr344

high ph

Postby qhluvr344 » Sat 23 Aug, 2008 18:48

I have battled with high ph all summer and have had trouble with low clorine and have had to clean alot for algae. I have crystal clear water though. I am using chemicals like crazy and am looking for alternatives to use


chem geek
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2381
Joined: Thu 21 Jun, 2007 21:27
Location: San Rafael, California

high ph

Postby chem geek » Sun 24 Aug, 2008 18:59

Look at The Pool School at Trouble Free Pool.
JeffyMcc

chemicals

Postby JeffyMcc » Tue 26 Aug, 2008 17:52

What chemicals are you using?

Use liquid chlorine obviously, unless you're comfortable with something else.
To raise your TA and pH, just basically get Food Grade baking soda (Sodium Bicarb) Pick it up in bulk in 50lB bags.

To Lower your TA and pH using Muriatic Acid.
To lower just TA, turn off filters, and pour the acid straight down into a colum of water, since it is heavier than water, it'll collect at the bottom. Wait a few hours than turn the filters back on. To Lower your pH, just walk and pour the Acid, but becareful of splashing. Obviously both will be adjust, but each one more so depending on the method.

Get your TA in a good range of about 90-100 and then slowly add other to drop pH.

Never buy those pH up and pH down chemicals. Stick to chlorine, baking soda, and muratic acid.
chem geek
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2381
Joined: Thu 21 Jun, 2007 21:27
Location: San Rafael, California

high ph

Postby chem geek » Tue 26 Aug, 2008 20:00

Do NOT try and lower the TA using the slug or acid column method just described. Not only is it not very effective (as discussed here), but concentrated acid is damaging to pool surfaces. Instead, you can lower the TA by following the procedure described here which is a combination of aeration and adding acid while keeping the pH low. This drives carbon dioxide out of the pool which is the only way to lower the TA. Aeration at a low pH (near 7.0) accelerates this process tremendously.

As for raising the pH, baking soda is not very effective at doing that as it instead mostly raises the TA. If the TA gets high enough, then outgassing of carbon dioxide will raise the pH, but a more direct way of raising pH without using pH Up (which is sodium carbonate and identical to Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda) is to use 20 Mule Team Borax. You use about twice as much Borax by weight as pH Up for the same effect, but with only half the amount of rise in TA and no extra addition of carbonates. An even more pure way to raise the pH is to use Lye (sodium hydroxide), but Borax is easier, dissolves quickly, and at higher levels provides some inhibition of algae growth.

Richard

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