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I have been been chasing my tail. Start to get ph in than ak low. Add ak increaser than ph high. Done this 3 times now. When I get the ph in the ak is pretty low. I have my ak at around 100 now and ph is high. Will just let set for a week and see where it ends up. Is it worst to have high ph or low ak?
.... First thing you need to do is, STOP adding Alk Increaser (Baking Soda). There is no reason to use it, unless your TA is very low < 50, and/or your pH won't rise above 7.2 from continued aeration (i.e. running your Jets/Air). In your case this should not happen, unless you add too much acid. Also, there is no reason to use Soda Ash. You should only raise pH by aeration.....To lower TA follow these directions exactly.1. Add enough acid to lower your pH to 7.0.2. Run all your jets and air features for 30 mins.3. Check TA and pH...
Nitro, I agree with most of your post, but I find that trying to test pH/TA after adding chems any sooner than a couple of hours, may give false reading. It sometimes takes longer than that, for the base/acid reaction to finish. I believe that some of the "chasing the tail" occurs as a result of testing too soon. I personally wait until the next day to test, and add more acid/base if necessary.
I also question the reliance on aeration to raise pH. Tubs without air systems, do not get as much aeration, and in my experience once the water is balanced, aeration has little impact. Carbonates are often needed to raise pH to manage MPS and bromine. Even dichlor users need to grab the baking soda or ash, as the water ages.
I am always leary of recommendations that tell people that they have to do "these directions exactly", and "this will never happpen, if you did the above procedure correctly". Notice the wide differences between your approach and Ndbunka. I used to visit another spa forum that had a couple of regulars who always thought they had the only approach, and fail to realize that we don't always know all the variables of a situation. Don't fall into that trap.
Thanks for replies. I will do as suggested.
Nitro, I find your confidence interesting, with you having admitted that your experience is limited to your tub, and some friends, and what you have seen on-line. There are members on this and other boards, with experience with hundreds, some thousands of customers... who might have valid you should consider points. My own experiences both on-line, and real world chemical applications, is that the makeup of the source water, has a major impact on the strategy for water management. For example, water from deep wells, vs rivers, vs lake sources can all create unexpected challenges. Add in metals, organics, and municipal water treatment in issues... and in my opinion, things are not always as clear-cut as "follow my procedure".
One of the reasons I had dropped off these boards for a while, was because I tired of mis-information, and others who thought they had all the answers. In this thread, I only saw one post that trying to help was on the wrong track and which admitted that "chem experts" were needed... and one that was "mis-information" who was sure the rest of us were wrong. Most everyone was clarifying similar suggestions.
The good news is that brian got good info, if it took too many posts to weed through. Given your question twice of what sanitizer brian uses, has to got me curious what type you use? I'll go first... I have used dichlor, bleach, and bromine, with/without supplemental sources of metals and ozone at different times in the past. I now use dichlor/bleach and N2 when the seasons the tub gets alot of use, and bromine when it is not.
Added ph down earlier today and just checked water and ph is 7.5 and alk is 120. Hardness is 190. I have had tub for 7yrs and dont remember this much trouble. I used to add about 3 cups muraitic acid all at once and then check it in about a week and it was right on. I have since learned it is not a good idea to do all at once so this time I spaced it out. I use dichlor for sanitizer. Thanks for all the help.
My confidence not only comes from my own experience, it comes from others who do deal with hundreds of tubs....I use the Dichlor/Bleach method with 30 ppm CYA. I learned it from the creator himself.... Bleach is the only thing I add to my tub on a regular basis.
I figured. Nothing like a true believer, with most of their experience off the internet, would be so sure.
Funny, because the method you're using (Dichlor/Bleach) came from the Internet.
I don't think so, my first pool/spa dealer was using bleach, many years ago. He predates the Internet, and I would take his advice over any one who claims to have invented it.
Pretty much everyone in this thread but two, had the same aproach on helping brian. Some of us have enough real experience to know that cookbook directions, are less helpful than helping one identify the tools needed, and allow them to make it work in their situation.