Risks with high alkalinity?

[Rangeball]

Richard, thanks.

Initially I'd read Ben's "operate at high ph" article, and planned to do so. However since my OTO kit only reads up to 8.2, I decided not to until I had a proper test kit. I assumed once I got my alk down, PH would be fairly stable, and I'd only have to adjust when I added fill like you said, which is where I am now.

I'll try to get current readings for CL, PH and Alk tonight and add them here tomorrow. I need to get another gallon of acid I'm sure.

Just got a call back from the water plant. They had looked in their records and found an entry from 1975 when the city put 3 new wells in (we're still using them) and the CA reading was 62ppm. Our town sits on top of a huge aquifer, and I don't see much evidence looking around that calcium scaling is a big problem (lot's of ag fields using irrigation rigs, etc.).

I'll look at walmart and pick up their OTO kit if it tests CH.

[waterbear]

I'll look at walmart and pick up their OTO kit if it tests CH.

It does but it has some issues....many people, including myself have found that it doesn't always work correctly...a workaround that I have found is to keep adding drops of the first reagent until you get the pink-violet color instead of a yellowish color. I have done this and cross checked with both Ben's kit and Taylor's and it is in the ballpark.