How a Pool Pro Controls and Adjusts pH in a Swimming Pool

Rising pH can be frustrating for many pool owners and pool pros. You can add Acid, and the pH will be restored next week. You may be trying to lower it, but nothing is happening.
Video Outline:
Controlling pH, specifically rising pH, can be a real challenge.
Water features add to aeration, which raises the pH.
SWG adds to rising pH during their manufacturing process of making chlorine.
pH tends to increase in plaster and PebbleTec Pools. New pool plaster has a very high acid demand, and you will find pH rising in a new plaster pool rapidly for the first six months.
More stable in Fiberglass and Vinyl Pools.
Control the speed of rising pH by using these three buffers:
Lower ALK around 70-80 ppm
CYA level of 50-80 ppm
Borates at 50 ppm
Think of it like this:
Vegetation buffers reduce overland runoff.
New football helmets buffer hits from other players and act as shock absorbers, reducing concussions by at least 75 percent.
In the same way, low ALK, a proper CYA level, and borate buffer pH slow their rise in a pool. Turning off water features. Reduce Salt Cell output to below 50%.
3" Trichlor tablets also help keep pH lower since they have a pH of under three.
For this reason, limit your 3" Trichlor Tablet use in Vinyl and Fiberglass pools as they lower the pH in those pool surface types. pH below 7.2 can damage equipment, corrode liners, and sting eyes.
Use the LSI to see if your pH might be excellent even though it is high. I recommend the Orenda APP for this.
Test the pH in your pool.
Lower pH with Muriatic Acid 31.45%
Dry acid
You can install a Co2 tank to lower pH - more for Commercial Use
Acid Magic is also effective.
To raise pH, add 20 Mule Team Borax.
You can also add Soda Ash
Baking Soda raises a pool ALK and not pH, so don't use that.
Ultimately, "chasing pH" is unnecessary, and shooting for a target pH of 7.5 is a good rule of thumb. But it would help if you also referred to the LSI to see your pool's ideal pH based on ALK, Calcium Hardness, and water Temp, among other factors.
Side note (not in the video) using adjusted alkalinity:
Adjusted alkalinity is calculated by subtracting one-third of the CYA level from the total alkalinity (TA) reading. For example, if the TA is 120 ppm and the CYA is 75 ppm, the adjusted TA would be 95 ppm.
It is also important to note that you may think your pH is high in your pool when it is perfectly fine at 7.8. Based on the LSI, the ideal ranges may not be suitable for your pool. If you haven't studied or used the LSI in pool balancing, there is no more excellent resource than Orenda. Not only can you use their free LSI calculator, but they also offer three free courses that will teach you how pH at a higher level can benefit your pool.
Orenda: www.orendatech...
Many things can cause the pH to rise in your pool. A Saltwater generator produces a byproduct that causes the pH to increase rapidly. Any spa spillway or water feature will cause the pH to rise through aeration. The pool surface in itself can cause the pH to rise. High Alkalinity in the pool can cause the pH to stay high.
pH is the most critical test factor for your swimming pool, and if it gets out of balance, you will encounter many adverse effects.
Low pH will cause:
Corrosive Water
Stains
Etched plaster
Eye & Skin Irritation
Cloudy Water
Increased Chlorine Activity
Destruction of Total Alkalinity
Stretching of Vinyl Liners
Blistering of Fiberglass Pools
High pH will cause:
Scale Formation
Stains
Cloudy Water
Short Filter Cleaning Cycles
Eye & Skin Irritation
Poor Effective Chlorine
Testing for pH:
Testing once a week is ideal. For a new pool, start-up testing daily for the first two weeks is recommended. However, once a week, you will get a good indication of how stable the pH is in the pool water. There are various ways of testing the pH, such as test strips, basic test kits, and Taylor kits, which use reagents. Alternate testing can be done with the ColorQ Pro7 Photometer and Digital pH testers.
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[@BlakeDumas]

Just started cleaning pools starting the first of this year. Really appreciate all your videos🙌🏽 I constantly keep learning as I’m cleaning and listening to your podcast💯
🙋‍♂️Any advice on family business would be great🤙🏽

[@SPL]

80% is customer service. As we say, "anyone can clean a pool." 👍

[@pgong]

Since I don't use trichlor tablets in my pebble-finished pool (except during vacations), I like a TA of 60, along with borate at 50ppm. That helps to slow pH rise while allowing an easily attainable LSI balance during the heat of summer. I don't think I use less acid overall, though, because I need more of it to lower pH and TA due to the borate. But I don't have to deal with it as often. And yes, I remember how often I was adding acid when the plaster was curing (no borates at that time). It took a good year, maybe more, for that to settle down. All in all, adding the borate was a game changer for pH buffering and chlorine enhancing. Thank you, David, for the valuable information for pros and homeowners. 😃

[@user-er1gy2vg8k]

Do I have to get a separate special test kit to test for borates? I'm on the east coast I've never seen a test kit for it from Taylor.

[@SPL]

Test strips. Only one tester does borates and it is over $1,000.