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You would do better in contacting United Chemical in California. I don't have an answer for this one. Never heard of the problem before. Possibly very or extremely high amounts of iron or magnesium. k
Adding 2 oz. of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) per 1000 gallons of water will raise the alkalinity 10 parts per million. Despite raising the alkalinity to the desired level in my vinyl-sided pool the pH was not adversely affected. Increasing the pH of the water without affecting the alkalinity is very easy, but there is a trick. With the pump motor on and water circulating, add the sodium bicarb. in the deep end of the pool and work your way around the perimeter. This will raise the pH with minimal effect on the alkalinity. Keep your pH around 7.6-7.8, not 7.2-7.4. Most "pool experts" tell you 7.2-7.4 but they are using an index that your local water company uses which obviously should not be used for pool. There's a big difference between a water treatment system and your pool. You can't treat them the same. The chart you need is in the link below.
Lye is a very strong base with a pH of 13.
You can use soda ash (sodium carbonate), sold as pH Increaser, pH UP or Arm & Hammer Washing soda. You can also use borax, sold as 20 Mule Team Borax. Sodium bicarbonate, sold as baking soda, Alkalinity Increaser or Alk Up, will raise pool pH levels, but not very efficiently.
Your local pool supply store sells a product called... Chlorine neutralizer! Pool & Spa In order to maintain this type of pool, you need more than just to dump the chlorine there. In addition to the chlorine, you will also need to add a few other chemicals to ensure that the right pH of the pool is maintained. Bear in mind that the pH level is very important. If it is too high, the chlorine will not be able to do its job well. If it is too low on the other hand, it becomes very acidic, which is not ideal for swimming.
Add rain water this has very low alkalinity
Yes. Adding pH minus (Hydrochloric acid) will lower your alkalinity. You should get it down to the 100 range or so, and the aerate the water to raise the pH to acceptable levels again.
make sure chlorine is is at 1-3ppm, if pH is very low raise chlorine slightly higer than average. shock the pool after and run filter for over night. If pool still not stabilize then add PH high chemical.
For most residential pools, this is a trick question. One adds acid to reduce pH and Total Alkalinity. However, as total dissolved solids(TDS) build, say past 2,000ppm, pH of saturation will go towards 6.0. One can measure TDS, or use an estimating rule on when to change water to reduce TDS. To calculate days between complete water change, calculate ( Pool volume in gallons/3)/(bathers per day). For example, you have fifteen swimmers per day. Your pool is about 10,000 gallons. Then (10000/3)/15 yields: 222 days between changes. In a commercial pool, say you may have 100 swimmers per day in 100,000 gallons. Then (100000/3)/1000 yields: 33 days between changes.
Baking Soda from your grocery store works the same as the Bicarb the pool stores sell to raise PH. The local Wal-mart sells 8 lb bags for close to a dollar a pound. Shop for your best price. Be aware that baking soda will raise your alkalinity as well.
With the use of a very small amount of soda ash. Maybe a quarter cup. To be safe use smaller amounts and check the pH frequently until you have stabilized the pH at a level that is satisfactory. A pH of 7.2 is not that far out of bounds if you do not have a heater. You might also want to check the total alkalinity. If it is on the high end of the scale or test I would do nothing to raise the pH. The low pH will buffer the high alkalinity.
pH and Alkalinity/Acidity are functions of each other. pH's above 7.0 are considered alkaline and pH's below 7.0 are considered acidic. So reducing the alkalinity will by it's very nature reduce the pH of the pool.
You would do better in contacting United Chemical in California. I don't have an answer for this one. Never heard of the problem before. Possibly very or extremely high amounts of iron or magnesium. k
Replaster the pool and keep the water chemically balanced (PH, alkalinity level etc..) this will keep the plaster from pitting thus keeping it smooth for a longer life.
You should test your pool weekly at the very least and if there has been lots of rain or after a pool party. Liquid testing kits, strip testers, and digital testing kits are the main ways to test your pool water. You should test for total and free chlorine, pH, alkalinity, cyanuric acid, calcium hardness, phosphates, copper, and salt if you have a saltwater pool.
Adding 2 oz. of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) per 1000 gallons of water will raise the alkalinity 10 parts per million. Despite raising the alkalinity to the desired level in my vinyl-sided pool the pH was not adversely affected. Increasing the pH of the water without affecting the alkalinity is very easy, but there is a trick. With the pump motor on and water circulating, add the sodium bicarb. in the deep end of the pool and work your way around the perimeter. This will raise the pH with minimal effect on the alkalinity. Keep your pH around 7.6-7.8, not 7.2-7.4. Most "pool experts" tell you 7.2-7.4 but they are using an index that your local water company uses which obviously should not be used for pool. There's a big difference between a water treatment system and your pool. You can't treat them the same. The chart you need is in the link below.
In a pool with an alkaline pH level (7.0 to 14) you would use soda ash. If your pH level is acidic (6.0 to 6.9) when you add soda ash (sodium carbonate) to the pool the acidity of the water will convert the sodium carbonate to bicarbonate, which will have the effect of increasing the total alkalinity. There is no way around this reaction when your pH is below 7.0. Just make sure you maintain a pH level above 7.0. For swimmer comfort you should not have your pH below 7.4. Increasing the pH of the water without affecting the alkalinity is very easy, but there is a trick. With the pump motor on and water circulating, add the sodium bicarb. in the deep end of the pool and work your way around the perimeter. This will raise the pH with minimal effect on the alkalinity. Keep your pH around 7.6-7.8, not 7.2-7.4. Most "pool experts" tell you 7.2-7.4 but they are using an index that your local water company uses which obviously is not and should not be used for pool. There's a big difference between a water treatment system and your pool. You can't treat them the same.