If it makes you feel any better I have a new 18,000 gal pool, a week old, and I've had to add 2 quarts of muriatic already, and it's still in the 7.8 range so some more is called for. All of this has knocked down my ALK from an original level of 90ppm to 70ppm, so once I get the Ph where I want it I'll have to add a few pounds of baking soda to get the Alk back to 90 or so I suppose, and hopefully in the process not raise the Ph again. I feel like a mad scientist lately, lol.