lowering alkaline

[maryberrye]

Happy Summer Everyone :)

16k gallon IG Vinyl
FC=6
CC=0
TC=6
PH=7.6
TA=200
CYA=39

My PH has been holding very steady between 7.5 and 7.7, but my TA has been creeping up the last month from 160 to the current 200. I've seen a lot of threads that talk about what a pain it is to lower the TA. I think the directions I've seen is use the Muriatic Acid to lower the PH and the TA will lower along with it..then raise the PH back up with Borax. Is this the right procedure?

We have naturally high acid levels in our water and I have accidentally put a lot of new water in twice this month (forgot to turn off the hose and had to backwash for more than 20 minutes each time to get the water level back below the skimmer line) which I believe has helped raise our normally complacent TA level.

Thanks,

Mary

[CarlD]

Mary,
That's not the procedure. That will get you into a see-saw of ph and Alk. I'll bet you've been raising pH with soda ash--pool store's "pH Up" or something similar. Soda ash raises alkalinity, Borax doesn't

HOWEVER, Alk moves with pH so when you lower pH with acid then raise it with Borax, the Alk will move with it. Soda ash is worse, because each time the Alk will be higher.

So go to the Alkalinity forum and read Ben's directions for lower alk.

Aeration is the key--it's the only way to raise pH without the Alk rising too.

[maryberrye]

Actually we don't use any pool store chemicals. I have never had to raise my PH..I use acid to lower it when it gets to the 7.8 mark..about once a month. I keep Borax on hand in case I ever need to raise the PH but for the past year it's ended up going in the laundry.

I also haven't had to lower my Alkaline level in over a year since we put the pool in. The PH gets high, I lower it with acid, the TA stays pretty much the same until for some reason the last 2 weeks or so when it started jumping up. We have been getting ash from a wildfire in the pool since the 30th of June so maybe that is what's raising the TA? Dunno.

[CarlD]

It may well. Ash is known as a source of lye--sodium hydroxide, a VERY strong base.

[sevver]

The wildfire situation is interesting in the change of your Ph. Is that what is causing it? I would not be suprised.