Big mistake in trying to raise pH... please help!

[aylad]

I don't think that your equipment is at risk as much as your liner is, and whatever damage it's going to sustain has been done already. As far as the sodium carbonate, you can try brushing the pool several times daily in an effort to help dissolve it faster or help the filter catch it, or you might want to consider vacuuming it to waste and starting over with borax dissolved in water and then poured in through the skimmer.

As JohnT said, your pH result is usually false when the chlorine level is above 10 ppm, but it's usually falsely HIGH--so don't ignore the problem, because your pH may be much lower than you think it is. What made it drop like that? Was it something you added, or has it been awhile since you checked it?

Janet

[CarlD]

Jan's right: if your FC is high, it give false HIGH pH readings, not false lows.

You can add a couple of drops of chlorine neutralized to the sample before you test it, or use the Taylor 0014 pH test, rather than the 0004, because it has neutralizer.

If your pH is UP to 6.8, you need to raise your pH asap. Try using Borax instead of Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate). I'd add a box, SLOWLY, into the skimmer. Wait an hour and check pH. iF it's not over 7.0, add another box and repeat.

Good luck!

[JWB]

I don't think that your equipment is at risk as much as your liner is, and whatever damage it's going to sustain has been done already. As far as the sodium carbonate, you can try brushing the pool several times daily in an effort to help dissolve it faster or help the filter catch it, or you might want to consider vacuuming it to waste and starting over with borax dissolved in water and then poured in through the skimmer.

As JohnT said, your pH result is usually false when the chlorine level is above 10 ppm, but it's usually falsely HIGH--so don't ignore the problem, because your pH may be much lower than you think it is. What made it drop like that? Was it something you added, or has it been awhile since you checked it?

Janet

Thanks for the help everyone.. I'm not really sure what made it drop. I assume now that all the chlorine I added gave me a false reading. Could the chlorine boost have damaged the liner at the waterline, or something else? It's a nasty brown color.. kinda rough too. Fortunately it doesn't look bad further down towards the bottom.

I'll check and clean the filter tomorrow and attempt to vacuum out the silt. I may not have added enough DE this past cleaning. Hopefully it'll catch it. Thanks again...

[CarlD]

JWB:

Let's make it very clear: Too high chlorine can make your pH look HIGHER than it is, not lower.

Your pH was a very LOW 6.8--therefore if the chlorine had given it a false high reading, I SHUDDER to think how low it really is--probably around 6 or the high 5's.

In either case I'd be adding Borax--at least a full box at a time to raise that pH.