Low PH in Pool - Please Help!

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Yvain
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Low PH in Pool - Please Help!

Post by Yvain »

We are having a nightmare opening up this year with problems with caretakers, gardeners, weasels (see next post!) etc etc.

The latest problem is that the pool was allowed to go green and having scrubbed it and manually "hoovered" it the PH level refuses to rise above very abnormally low levels almost regardless of how much PH+ we chuck in. The pool is also having to be cleaned daily to get rid of deposits which keep appearing on the bottom regardless of the fact it was spotless the day before.

I can't find any recommended solutions other than PH+ (perhaps more?) and the possibility that we may have a problem with Total Dissolved solids (TDS).

Does anyone have any experience of this, useful advice or any pool experts local to the Charente Maritime? All our current pool guy says is that it's more usual to have high PH problems!

Many thanks
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enid
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Post by enid »

there is a treatment - chlore shoc - that'll do the trick. My husband says a dirty pool is the perfect opportunity for finding the prettiest girl at Gamme Vert and askingher advice - that's how he learned about pool care :)
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Yvain,

From what you say you actually have two problems.

The first is total alkalinity (TA). This is allied to pH but it is not the same. TA is the total amount of all alkali compounds in the water and includes bicarbonates, carbonates, hydroxides and others. It sounds as though you have a low TA and that is remedied by the use of sodium bicarbonate. You can get a water test kit for TA.

Having dealt with your TA level and subsequently your pH level you should turn to the second problem, that of discolouration and deposits on the floor of the pool.

The green discolouration is almost certainly a build up of algae and Enid is right, deal with it by the liberal use of chlore choc. Assuming that you have two skimmers, put at least 20 chlore choc pastilles in each and run your pump continuously for a minimum of 24 hours and then vacuum the pool. If, on the following day, you still have fine deposits on the bottom of the pool (and I’m sure you will) they are particles which are too small to be captured by your filter.

The treatment for those deposits is floculante. This is a coagulant which captures the tiny deposits. Add the approved amount of floculante and run your pump continuously for a further 24 hours at the end of which you should find the floculante lying on the bottom of the pool in clumps. Vacuum the clumps to waste. You will loose a lot of water in the process but don’t be in too much of a hurry otherwise you will just stir it all up again. After vacuuming to waste, top up your pool.

Some little tips.

1. Getting the TA correct means that your pool is stabilised and maintaining the pH is then very easy. Deal with TA first, pH second and chlorine third.

2. Use multi-function tablets as your normal chemical treatment. They introduce a small but constant dose of everything required. In times of hot weather and/or heavy use of the pool the occasional chlore choc treatment will remain necessary.

3. Don’t backwash your filter too often; to an extent the filter’s efficiency increases as it collects dirt. Wait until the filter pressure has increased to between 5 and 8 psi above the normal reading.

4. Keep the skimmer filters and the leaf filter on the pump clean at all times. If you don’t the system will not work properly and your pressure readings will be wrong.

All I have said above assumes that you are running a chlorine pool and a conventional sand filter. Salt pools and cartridge filters require a different approach.

Failing all else your local pool specialist will be delighted to fix your problems, at a price.

Alan
Yvain
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Post by Yvain »

Many thanks for your detailed response Alan. Feeling guilty now as we have just had it converted to a salt water pool. However, the problems started beforehand.

I thought Chlore Shock increased the acidity, which is part of the problem isn't it? We did use it to get rid of the algae in the first place, which was successful. Looks like I've got the wrong end of the stick.

Yvain
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Yvain,

I don't think you have the wrong end of the stick at all. TA and pH are always the most important water quality considerations.

If you have a sand filter my basic advice remains the same. Stabilising the water and getting rid of tiny dust deposits remains the same.

The difference is that a salt pool does not require the constant addition of small amounts of chlorine for its maintenance.

Alan
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mpprh
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Post by mpprh »

Hi

just to say that pumping to waste is probably a good thing.

It sounds as if the present water is "loaded " with chemicals, and topping up with clean water will help.

Also, the very fine dust that passes through the filter probably includes the yellow sand that arrives with a Southerly wind. Floculant, then pumping to waste is the only way I've found to get this out.

Peter
The Languedoc Page
www.the-languedoc-page.com
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