Swimming Pool pH, Alkalinity, & Chlorine Levels
by Laurie
How To Lower Pool pH & Alkalinity Level..How To Raise Pool Chlorine LevelI tested the pH level and it was too high, so I added 24 oz of liquid muriatic acid with pump running (15,000 gallon above ground pool that was drained, scrubbed, and refilled over the weekend). After 24hrs of continuous running of the pump, the pH & alkalinity are still unchanged. I also added stabilizer a few days ago and the chlorine still won't last more than 24 hrs. Help... Thanks Thanks for the questions Laurie To first address the pH level, I'm not sure what is meant by "too high". What was the pH level before you added acid and after? Same for the alkalinity and low chlorine level? I would encourage you to get a Taylor FAS-DPD K-2006 test kit. It's the best on the market. Water Testing Kit Pool Water Testing There are many pool sites on the internet, but rarely, that I know, they tell you to first test your fill water after a fresh refill and BEFORE you add any chemicals. You must do this because you must have a starting point. You'll know exactly what the pH, alkalinity, and hardness are so you can make the right adjustments. There's no guess work involved. For every 10,000 gallons of water, to decrease the pH by 0.1ppm, you need to add 12oz. of acid. Swimming Pool pH Levels Pool pH Muriatic Acid Information on how to lower your alkalinity can be found here: Pool Alkalinity Total Alkalinity To lower alkalinity per 10,000 gallons you'll use a little less than 1/2 a qt., or 0.8qts. How much stabilizer did you put in? You can find a good CYA acid chart at this link: Swimming Pool Chlorine You want the CYA to be between 30 - 50ppm, or around 7.5% of your chlorine. If you keep your chlorine at 2.5ppm, then the CYA will fall around 33ppm. 2.5 divided by 7.5 = .33 You can shock the pool using Di-Chlor. This is a fast dissolving form of chlorine which will give you a good boost to your CYA level. But be careful that the CYA doesn't get out of hand. Use Tri-Chlor chlorine tabs to keep the level consistent. You can go through the pages above. Everything you need to make the right adjustments is here. You should keep a daily log during this time. Keep track of everything you do to the pool and what time of the day you do it. This way you can have a good record that you can refer to again. Muriatic acid always decreases the pH level when broadcast around the perimeter of the pool while the pump is on. It may take a few applications, but the pH will come down. Same with the alkalinity, although you want the pump off for this. Once again, go through the pages above. They will give you everything you need. Hope this helps and have a great swimming season. Robert |
