Lowering TA with Dry Acid Or Muriatic Acid

[Watermom]

Aeration doesn't lower TA. Aeration raises ph.

Check out this link.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=6746

[aylad]

For CelticDaddio yes, what you have pictured there will help...anything that gets the water moving at or above the surface will work.

For longgrove, glad to see you back. Just FYI, you'll probably get more useful responses to your question if you'll start your own thread instead of adding to another one. In answer to your questions, you can go ahead and lower your pH and begin aeration, just make sure you don't drop it too low. I would not shock the pool while in the TA lowering process--the higher chlorine levels tend to skew the pH readings, making them falsely high. You don't want to take that chance when you're dealing with pH at the bottom of the acceptable range to begin with.

Janet

[CelticDaddio]

I am confused. In this thread http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=7546 you told me my TA was too high and to read the
"HOWTO: Step-by-Step Guide to lowering your alkalinity" sticky. Having read that I thought that aeration did lower the TA, but now re-reading I have a different understanding (or mis-understanding).

Is it the acid you add that lowers the pH that also lowers the TA? Do we then aerate to raise the pH without raising the TA as well? Is it the combination of these two things (aeration and acid) which effectively lowers the TA but keeps the pH at the right level?

Ed

Aeration doesn't lower TA. Aeration raises ph.

Check out this link.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=6746

[CarlD]

Ed,
The original sticky Ben put up is confusing and leads you to think the aeration lowers T/A. It does NOT.

T/A is connected to pH, and when you lower pH it pulls down T/A. When you raise pH, it bounces back up again.


BUT, when you aerate, you gas off carbonic acid as CO2 (like making soda flat) and that allows pH to rise WITHOUT T/A going up with it. Waterbear has a great explanation of the chemistry in The China Shop.

BTW, Ed, that's got to be the absolute A-Number One UGGGLIEEST home-made fountain I've ever seen! Congratulations, guy! (though I think the monstrosity Robert DeNiro gives Billy Crystal in "Analyze This" has it beat hands down!)

But it's clever and practical and should work GREAT to gas off the carbonic acid and raise your pH--and that's really all that's important.

Carl

[CelticDaddio]

Thanks, I'll take clever over pretty any day. And it cost me no additional $... Already had everything from when I moved my filter/pump/etc last fall (That was a pain!)

Ed

Ed,
The original sticky Ben put up is confusing and leads you to think the aeration lowers T/A. It does NOT.

T/A is connected to pH, and when you lower pH it pulls down T/A. When you raise pH, it bounces back up again.


BUT, when you aerate, you gas off carbonic acid as CO2 (like making soda flat) and that allows pH to rise WITHOUT T/A going up with it. Waterbear has a great explanation of the chemistry in The China Shop.

BTW, Ed, that's got to be the absolute A-Number One UGGGLIEEST home-made fountain I've ever seen! Congratulations, guy! (though I think the monstrosity Robert DeNiro gives Billy Crystal in "Analyze This" has it beat hands down!)

But it's clever and practical and should work GREAT to gas off the carbonic acid and raise your pH--and that's really all that's important.

Carl

[Watermom]

Ed,
Just to keep the threads from getting really long, it is best not to always include the whole previous post quoted in your replies. Of course, there are times when you need to quote a part of one and that is fine.

Thanks and enjoy your pool!

[NWMNMom]

Ok, good - so this clarifies the situation for our pool, which is just the opposite - I do NOT want to aerate my pool as it will make my PH rise, its too high already, I want my TA and PH to both go down so acid is the answer for me. It was just explained to me but a bit different route in another thread on TFP and this seals it. Good to know. (BTW, it likely got that high due to 10" plus of rain in the last 2 wks, the salt and the bleach - TA started out on the high end)

[CarlD]

Thanks, I'll take clever over pretty any day. And it cost me no additional $... Already had everything from when I moved my filter/pump/etc last fall (That was a pain!)

Ed

And it is very clever!

[Longgrove]

Update: I added 1/8 gallon of muriatic acid last night... pointed 3 returns upward and increased water flow to the hot tub waterfall (into the pool) to help aerate. Readings were TA 180/PH 7.4 this at 9 AM.
So added another 1/8... in addition to the waterfall and returns adjusted upward, I turned on the blower in the hot tub, and turned on Polaris cleaner pump (without cleaner attached)... lots of water movement. Readings at 2:30 are TA 140/PH 7.4.
Is this to good to be true? Seems to be happening fairly quickly and with far less than the three gallons the pool store told me I'd need. Should I expect a rebound? What do the experts think? What should I do next?

BK

[CarlD]

BK,

It sounds like everything is working EXACTLY the way it should. You are almost done!

Pool stores tell you to put in LOTS of chemicals--they SELL them to you. You put them in, overshoot by a mile your target, they sell you something else, continuing the cycle.

When I got my first pool I bought the book they sell "Taming The Pool Monster". It was useless and worthless. I don't even know where it is.

I test and check my water all the time, and stay ahead of problems--and I do NOT take pool store clerks' advice.