Alkalinity?

[savdoc2]

I am torn on what to do.

I don't have a fountain, but I have the sup pump running with a sprayer head back toward the pool like a fountain. I also have the return pointed toward the surface bubbling the surface.

I don't want the pH to remain too low. I am going to test the water again this evening and decide then. I have some borax, so I might add a little.

Thanks again for all the help!!

[waterbear]

test your tap water for chlorine. If it shows 0 ppm then you can use it instead of distilled water for the dilution. If it shows ANY chlorine at all you will need to get distilled water.

Your pump and fountain sound ideal for airating. It is a slow process so it takes some time.....

Stop adding any chlorine to the pool until the levels drop and then test the pH. You said your pH is now reading 6.8. That means that your Cl levels have dropped enought to not interfere with the pH test. If there was interference you would be seeing red to purple most likely. I would just let the Cl drop to about 3 ppm now since your CYA is at 40 ppm

You have been putting dry acid in which is milder than muriatic acid. It won't lower your pH as quickly or as much so I don't think there is any immediate danger. Someone with more experience with vinyl pools might know better.

Carl, Your take on this?

[Watermom]

Go ahead and add some Borax and get that ph up to at least above 7.0.

[savdoc2]

I got the distilled water and used the shot glass method and Cl is 6. Not as high as I expected, but today was sunny and warm, plus the trees are dropping a ton of seeds in the pool. I haven't added any chlorine sine the first day.

I didn't add any borax tonight but will in the am, just to get it up to a measurable amount. I am thinking about 1/4 box at a time? Do I dissolve it first or just broadcast it?

I am excited that the Alk is down to 140. So once the pH comes back up I will repeat the process to get it down further. I am thing in the range of 80-100.

[Watermom]

A quarter box at a time is fine - don't have to dissolve it or broadcast it. Just dump it in the skimmer while the pump is running, breaking up any clumps. Let the water circulate a few hours, retest and redose til you get to the desired level.

[savdoc2]

Hopefully this thread isn't too long, just wanted to update where I am.

Added approx 1/4 box borax and it didn't seem to make much difference. pH is still reading 6.8, alk is 140. Cl has dropped to 5. Because I was curious, I decided to check the pH of my well water (after 2 filters, a softener and a RO system) and the pH color was exactly the same as the pool. I thought that was interesting, but have no idea what to make of it.

Also, because I was curious, I used a leftover strip test. Those numbers were interesting: TC=1, FC=5, pH=6.8 and Alk=40 (not 140 as the drop test says). I just want to see how inaccurate they are I suppose.

I am going to the city tomorrow so I will take some water to have tested to see what they come up with. I did add another 1/4 box borax this evening.

[Watermom]

When I agreed that 1/4 a box at a time was OK, I had missed how low your ph was. You need to get it up to at least 7.0 ASAP. Since it is still reading so low, add a half box of Borax at a time until it starts moving. Then, you may want to switch to 1/4 box at a time. Sorry I missed that. Aim for target of 7.4-7.6.

[savdoc2]

I thought according to the procedures for reducing alk that I want to keep my pH just above the lowest reading on my test kit and allow the aeration to bring up the pH without raising the alk at the same time??

6.8 is the lowest on the test kit I have and I am trying to bring it back up so that I know I am not below it. I thought I understood the procedure, but maybe I misunderstood.

[Watermom]

Ok. I just reread through this thread. You are correct about allowing aeration to bring the ph without raising the alk at the same time. Your alk at 140 is fine. I wouldn't worry about lowering it. Go ahead and retest ph. If it is below 7.0, I'd bring it up with some more Borax as you have been doing. If it is at least 7.0, you can just continue aerating and it should come back up. If it does not, then you can add a little Borax.

[jenmenke]

I had forgotten to mention that pH must be at or below 7.2 for aeration to work.

So, how do you raise Ph above 7.2 without raising alkalinity? I have been doing the same process as savdoc2. I am now down to Ph of 7.1 or 7.2 with alk at 110 (down from 300+ a week ago). My fill water has a Ph of 7.2 and I can't seem to get my water any higher than that with aeration. Then I saw your note (quoted above). Is that all the higher I can get it with aeration? Which would be good to know since my fountains have been running for a week and I'm sick to death of them.
thanks
jennie