Total alkalinity high and pH drifting up...can someone explain?

[JohnInSoCal]

It looks like your numbers are at least close to the pool store except for alk & hardness which are WAY off. I would be a little suspect of your numbers. Is your hardness really 0 ? In a exposed aggregrate surface that seems unlikely. I would tend to believe the pool store hardness reading of 185 then I would 0. Test your tap water is it 0 ?

And for the TA of 300 vs pool store of 120 I would double check my tests before putting a bunch of stuff in your pool to increase hardness and alk becuase if your numbers are wrong then it will be tough to correct. It seems in your subsequent tests your TA was really bouncing around radically. Is your test kit old ?

-- john

[Henrys514]

I posted in this section of the forum about my Calcium numbers. Turns out, there is interference with my reagent when my TC is higher. I added some more drops of indicator, and got 250ppm CH. Anyway...

My test kit is older. I think the reagents for TA and CH are older than the rest. I need to get a new test kit. My TA readings keep decreasing, while my pH keeps drifting up (even with constant additions of acid). I may go back into the pool store tomorrow and get the water tested again. I need to get my CYA tested because we added last week, but I"m out of reagent.

I just don't know which numbers to trust. Numbers are only as good as the tests used, and the people doing the testing. I trust myself, but not my test kit. The pool store...I'm not sure about either. At least the water looks clear and sparkly.