Help with trying to understand how to get Alkalinity lower

[Rosie700]

I guess I am lost with getting the Alkalinity lower or do I need to do that?? here are my numbers and what I did from the start of setting up the pool.

Date Chlorine PH Alkalinity hardness CYA
6/9/2012 0 7.8 300 400 water stayed clear
6/10/2012 0.5 7.8 330 400 NA Added 9oz of CYA after reading
6/11/2012 3 7.5 300 370 less then 30 Added 9oz of CYA after reading
6/12/2012 3 7.5 280 390 35 12 hours boost over night before readings
6/12/2012 1 7.5 NA NA NA 2 hours after adding 12.0 oz of liquid Muriatic acid
6/13/2012 1 7.2 270 350 NA next moring after adding 18.4 total oz of MA
6/13/2012 5 7.2 NA NA NA added 8oz of shock
6/14/2012 1 7.2 300 370 NA added 6oz of shock after reading
6/15/2012 3 7.2+ 290 360 42 Changed SWGR to 7 hours before reading- no swimmer on 6/14
6/18/2012 1 7.2 230 380 35 No swimming all weekend, 2" of rain over weekend
6/19/2012 5 7.5 280 380? less then 30 added 1 gal liqued bleach before reading- reading 2 hours later
6/20/2012 added 9oz of CYA
6/21/2012 1 7.5 250 370 less then 30 1" of rain before reading- added 9oz of CYA after reading
6/22/2012 0.05 7.5 260 340 75 added 1/2 gal of bleach
6/23/2012 3 7.5 260 380 60 no swimming added 20lb salt. Keeps saying low salt??
6/24/2012 1 7.5 240 NA NA b4 reading added then 64 oz bleach and 13oz acid-& cleaned SWAG with vineger
6/24/2012 5 7.2 230 NA 60 3 hours after doing the above- SWG is running good now.

[Watermom]

Rosie -- that is hard for me to follow with everything close together. Let me ask you to do a little reading of how to lower alk in case you haven't already seen this.

Lowering Alkalinity Step-by-Step

Also, please read the 'using muriatic acid safely' link in my signature below.

Hope this helps.

[Rosie700]

Date Chlorine PH Alkalinity hardness cyanuric acid
6/9/2012 0 7.8 300 400 water stayed clear add shock
6/10/2012 0.5 7.8 330 400 NA Added 9oz of CYA after reading add shock
6/11/2012 3 7.5 300 370 less then 30 Added 9oz of CYA after reading
6/12/2012 3 7.5 280 390 35 12 hours boost over night before readings
6/12/2012 1 7.5 NA NA NA 2 hours after adding 12.0 oz of liquid Muriatic acid
6/13/2012 1 7.2 270 350 NA next moring after adding 18.4 total oz of MA
6/13/2012 5 7.2 NA NA NA added 8oz of shock
6/14/2012 1 7.2 300 370 NA added 6oz of shock after reading
6/15/2012 3 7.2+ 290 360 42 Changed SWGR to 7 hours before reading- no swimmer on 6/14
6/18/2012 1 7.2 230 380 35 No swimming all weekend, 2" of rain over weekend
6/19/2012 5 7.5 280 380? less then 30 added 1 gal liqued bleach before reading- reading 2 hours later
6/20/2012 added 9oz of CYA
6/21/2012 1 7.5 250 370 less then 30 1" of rain before reading- added 9oz of CYA after reading
6/22/2012 0.05 7.5 260 340 75 added 1/2 gal of bleach
6/23/2012 3 7.5 260 380 60 no swimming added 20lb salt. Keeps saying low salt??
6/24/2012 1 7.5 240 NA NA b4 reading added then 64 oz bleach and 13oz acid-& cleaned SWAG with vineger
6/24/2012 5 7.2 230 NA 60 3 hours after doing the above- SWG is running good now.

[Rosie700]

Sorry I am trying to use a spread sheet to post the numbers from.
The last numbers are chlorine 5 PH 7.2 ALK 230 Hardness 380 and CYA 60. I have read you post on using the acid and follow it very closely.
I have a small scale that I use and measure product before and after so I know how much I put in the pool.
I guess my question is just how low do I want the Alk to go? Is 60 - 120 the correct numbers? So as long as I don't let the PH drop below 6.6 I can keep adding the acid till I get to the correct ALK number. Am I thinking correct.
Thanks for you help in advance.
Rosie

[Watermom]

Usually alk between 80-120 is suggested. You don't want pH that low. Drop it down to 7.0 or 6.9 and then aerate it back up and then repeat the cycle with more acid until your alk is where you want it.