SWG and Ph balance

[mwsmith2]

Thanks Michael --
Needing to keep the pH down is just the trouble I'm talking about. So, if I maintained lower FC levels, the cell would produce less chlorine, and thus less "caustic", and the pH drifting up would be minimized???

Yes. But why? I run mine at 40% and drop 1 quart of acid in it a week. I'm not sure what the problem here is? Any time you add Cl in any form, you are going to affect the pH:

• SWC increases pH
• Bleach increases pH
• Di-Chlor/Tri-Chlor decreases pH

Running your pool at lower Cl levels is a sure way to create a problem waiting to happen, either with algae or sanitation. Run 3 - 5 ppm Cl, dump in the acid for the pH and be happy!

Michael

[kjsmom]

Hi Michael --
It's not a "problem", I'm just trying to simplify my life! My, shall we say, "issues" are:

1) I have a new Pacific Pools liner; Pacific says to maintain FC at 1-3ppm. The old liner was temporarily patched last fall - 2 years old - and I was amazed at how much darker the patch was than the rest of the liner. Soooo, to help preserve the color of the new liner, I'd like to maintain the lowest FC possible, without compromising sanitation.

2) Aquarite recommends a FC level of 1-3ppm as "ideal".

3) My drop test kit shows a FC level of 1.0 as "ideal".

3) The first year we had the pool & the Aquarite, I actually did maintain FC at 1-3ppm and my pH was always perfect & I had no other problems. That may well have been dumb luck. The only thing I did differently last year was maintain higher FC levels because I was worried my water was not sanitary; my pH went up and I had to start adding stuff to bring it down.

If soda ash (sodium hydroxide) raises pH, and is a by-product of CL, then it would make sense that maintaining the lowest safe CL level would minimize the soda ash and thus the pH?? I guess the bottom line is, why is the higher CL level recommended here?

I appreciate your comments.
PAT

PAT

[mwsmith2]

The higher Cl level has been developed from heuristic methods by Ben. It's what "works" out in the field. Cl has been scientifically proven to be less effective at higher CYA levels. My other reason for keeping a higher that 1 Cl level is that it gives you some sanitation "reserve" in certain circumstances. I'd prefer to keep it at 3 and give myself some wiggle room, than to be bumping along the lower limit at 1.

However!

If it ain't broke, by all means, don't fix it!

Michael