Can't Raise PH levels / soft water

[Guest]

I can't seem to get my ph increased. Current readings are TA=160, PH=6.8, CH=250, Cy.Acid=95. Vinyl Liner pool in Minnesota. I did fill it with 50% soft water last fall to close it. PH increaser seems to increase my TA but I haven't got the PH to move off 6.8 in 3 weeks. TA started at 125. Can anyone offer some advice Please!

[Pool Help]

You may be using the wrong product to increase the pH.

Sodium carbonate will increase the pH with little effect on the total alk.
Sodium bicarbonate will increase the total alk with little effect on the pH.

Try to avoid chlorine tabs/sticks as these will reduce your pH and push the cyanurice acid level, which is already too high, even higher.

[Eric]

Lower your total alkilinty to 80-90ppm with Muriatic acid.

[dynamictiger]

I can't seem to get my ph increased. Current readings are TA=160, PH=6.8, CH=250, Cy.Acid=95. Vinyl Liner pool in Minnesota. I did fill it with 50% soft water last fall to close it. PH increaser seems to increase my TA but I haven't got the PH to move off 6.8 in 3 weeks. TA started at 125. Can anyone offer some advice Please!

Stop adding pH increaser please. This is sodium carbonate and will increase the TA.

I want you to do some simple stuff first.

Go down to the pool store and buy all new reagents for your test kit and repeat your test to be sure your results are correct.

Assuming your results are correct, turn your return jets to a position that they are constantly disturbing the surface of the pool. If you have a waterfall or any other device I would like the pipe work configured to enable this to run.

Now run the pool non - stop for about 3 -5 days. Test the pH and let us know what it is. If it is still low we can drive the pH up very quickly, but the above is a better approach.

HTH

[gandl2123]

Is there any alternative that will raise the PH level in my pool besides using soda ash?

Mr Tripp
Augusta, GA

[chem geek]

Yes, you can use 20 Mule Team Borax in a quantity that is roughly twice the weight of pH Up / Soda Ash products (which, by the way, are identical to Arm & Hammer Washing Soda; careful: not the laundry detergent). This will raise the pH with only a small effect on TA.

Another alternative is to aerate the water which will drive carbon dioxide out of the water (pools are intentionally over-carboanted). This will raise the pH with no change in TA.

Richard

[steve haigh]

Assuming your results are correct, turn your return jets to a position that they are constantly disturbing the surface of the pool. If you have a waterfall or any other device I would like the pipe work configured to enable this to run.

Now run the pool non - stop for about 3 -5 days. Test the pH and let us know what it is. If it is still low we can drive the pH up very quickly, but the above is a better approach.

HTH

dude, you saved my pool!!!

i've had the same problem for days. i added so much soda ash, it was just floating around as a white cloud without raising the ph at all.

so i got a couple of pieces of 1 1/4" pvc pipe, bent them about 45degress and flattened the end to make a water spray. then it pushed the pipe into the returns and use string to hold them up to create 2 nice waterfalls. i ran the pump for about 8 hours yesterday and let it sit overnight.

this morning, the pool is clear, the ph is stop on, i assume all that floating soda ash desolved and raised ph.

i wonder if constantly airrateing the pool is generally a good thing or if i so go back to the standard setup?

thanks for the idea, steve

[Chrispl36]

Ok it seems like the advice here is to aerate the water. I have added 16 lbs. of ph plus and one box of borax over the last week and my ph is 3.74 I cannot get it to go up. I double checked the ph with multiple ph meters so I'm sure it is correct. Is there anything else I can do to prevent this from happening?

[chem geek]

Yikes! If the pH is that low, then you do need to just add more pH Up and/or Borax to raise it (the former will raise TA which if it gets high enough can also help with raising the pH if you aerate the water).

How did the pH get so low? Was it continued use of Trichlor pucks/tabs? Are you absolutely sure it is that low? You can verify it by doing a TA test. If the sample immediately turns red from the indicator drops (instead of turning green that you then add titrant to have turn red), then the pH is indeed below 4.5.

If the pH is that low, you may have equipment damage -- stripped copper from heat exchangers, other metal corrosion, and pump seals degraded.

[Chrispl36]

Not sure how it got there? I've been trying to get the alge out all spring. Its getting clearer but, still having problems. I've checked the ph with two different ph meters It was so low I could not get the pool tools to work correctly. I have added already 16 lbs of ph plus and one box of mules and did not get much of a change in ph. I started aerating 4 hours ago and It is up to 4.24 ph already. I've used a small sump pump, hose, and nozzle spraying across the top of the water. I'll check it in the morning and see were i'm at. So far I have got more reaction from the aeration than the chemicals.

[Chrispl36]

Ok I added ph plus around 6 lbs and the ph is up to approx 6.25. where did all the stuff in the pool come from I cann't hardly see the bottem of the pool now. I'm going to shock it now and test again in the morning.

[chem geek]

If your TA is high, then just aerate to get the pH higher or you can use 20 Mule Team Borax, but don't add any more pH Up as that will increase TA too much. Yes, shock using chlorinating liquid or bleach as these do not increase Cyanuric Acid (CYA) nor Calcium Hardness (CH).

[Mcguiver]

Been also having trouble getting and keeping my ph up. I'll give this a try. Just happened to have a spare piece of PVC pipe and 2 elbows. The elbow od just fit inside the jet nozzle and the pipe is held to a weighted bucket of water via bungees. Hey, now I have a waterfall

[Denniswiseman]

Hi

I use a powerful pond aerator to increase my PH

[Serenna]

I've been having the same problem water is cloudy and oh low have been a aerating 3 hours and I'm already starting to see bottom of my pool, love this tip. Thanks