If you’re more concerned with lowering your pH than your alkalinity levels, here’s a chart to help you calculate how much muriatic acid to use. If your total alkalinity is too low, there’s not enough of this helpful buffering chemical in the water to help stabilize your pH. When your total alkalinity is too high, the elevated alkalinity may cause your pH level to rise. And that can reduce the effectiveness of the chlorine in your water.

Let’s cover two of the most common acids for lowering alkalinity in a pool, the pros and cons of each, and how to use them step-by-step. Method 1. Use Muriatic Acid (Recommended) If safety and handling are more of a concern, sodium bisulfate (dry acid) is another popular option. Unlike muriatic acid, dry acid comes in granular form and doesn’t give off harsh fumes. How Do You Maintain Total Alkalinity? Muriatic acid typically comes with instructions on how to measure it out, but some pool owners find it easier to use an online calculator for more precise measurement.That’s why it’s so important to routinely test your pool water chemistry with test strips or a liquid test kit to ensure your levels remain properly balanced. Low Sanitizer Levels It’s not uncommon for either your alkalinity or pH to remain unbalanced after adding pH decreaser or muriatic acid. You could have added enough muriatic acid to bring the pH into range, but your alkalinity is still too high. Or you’ve added enough acid to bring down your total alkalinity to the proper level, but now you have low pH. However, it is a very strong acid that can be dangerous if not handled or stored properly, so extra care is required. This isn’t unlike many other chemicals you use for regular maintenance, but it’s worth highlighting. Your total alkalinity and pH levels go hand in hand. And it’s your alkalinity that helps keep your pH level stable. Without this buffer, the pH would wildly fluctuate. When your total alkalinity is too low, the pH becomes unstable. And when it’s too high, it can bring up your pH levels with it. Keep reading for a complete guide on what affects your pH and how to lower pH in a pool with pH decreaser or muriatic acid. How Do pH and Total Alkalinity Affect Each Other?

You replastered your pool. New plaster releases calcium hydroxide for up to a month. This substance has a pH level of 12, naturally pushing your pH up when absorbed by the water. Then, add the reagents into the water. After adding the reagents, make sure to add a small amount of chlorine neutralizer. This is one way to get the correct reading of the total alkalinity in your pool. Dry acid ( sodium bisulfate) is a granular acid and a popular alternative for those who aren’t comfortable handling muriatic acid. The most likely cause is adding too much pH or alkalinity increaser such as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or soda ash (sodium carbonate).So this notion of pH controlling chlorine strength is at least half true. The other half is that pH is not driving the strength of chlorine in pools with CYA in them (which is virtually every outdoor pool in America). Bather comfort (myth) Another pH lowering product, muriatic acid, is sometimes used for pools with a high pH. Muriatic acid needs to be handled with caution, as it's a powerful corrosive that could plummet your pool's pH if you add too much. 5. Retest Note: Baking soda will increase pH by a very, very small amount. Too small to make any noticeable difference in this case. Why High pH is Bad News

Other things are more indirect, such as when chlorine interacts with organic contaminants in the water (sweat, urine, sunscreen, leaves, insects, etc.), creating an acid byproduct that will also lower your total alkalinity. Our chlorine tablets for pools are 3 inch in size, individually wrapped in easy-open bags, and work great in chlorine floaters and automatic chlorine feeders. Important: Regardless of which acid you’re using, be sure to use protective equipment such as gloves and goggles before handling. 5. Retest Your Water (After 15 Mins) Keeping your pH level within this range is extremely difficult without total alkalinity keeping guard, as it provides a buffer to counteract small changes in the water chemistry.The only way to do this without also raising alkalinity is to use a process called “aeration” — which basically just means exposing more of your water to the surrounding air by forcefully disrupting the surface of the water. The same is true in reverse. When your total alkalinity is very low, any acid introduced to your water will significantly lower your pH because it doesn’t have the buffer it needs to resist that change. We just need one more number before you start measuring out the acid dosage, and that’s your pool volume. Need more help bringing your alkalinity into range? Here are some common questions and answers. How do I bring the alkalinity down in my pool? No, baking soda will not lower your alkalinity levels. When you add baking soda or sodium bicarbonate to your pool water, it will raise both your alkalinity and pH. Baking soda is great for pool owners to have on hand as a substitute for alkalinity increaser. And soda ash, a.k.a. sodium carbonate, is another option for raising your alkalinity and pH. But again, neither will lower high alkalinity levels. Need More Pool Maintenance Help?

To make your summer swims enjoyable and ensure chlorine in your pool can work effectively, there's an optimal range you'll want to keep your pool's pH in. Occasionally, this number can get a little high. Learn how to lower pH levels in your pool in under four hours. Why Should I Lower My Pool's pH? While these products are very effective at raising the pH level of your water, they also contain alkaline substances that will raise your total alkalinity. In the case of baking soda, this increase is substantial. Now, re-test the water. If the pH is above 7.6, add 1.5 lbs per 10,000 gallons. Measure out the suggested product amount per water volume. Add pH reducer to a chemical-safe container and mix with at least 1 gallon of water to dissolve. Pour the mixture around the perimeter of the pool. The circulation system should be running during this process. Saltwater pools also require a slightly lower level, often somewhere between 50-80 ppm, because you have to account for conditions inside the salt cell where scale formation is more likely to occur. What Causes Total Alkalinity to Change? Your pool pump should also be left running to help circulate the acid and prevent it from concentrating in one area of your pool and potentially damaging your plaster or liner. 3. Allow Time for the Acid to Circulate

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It is crucial to know how to lower alkalinity levels, but you should always start by understanding the optimal level to target and how to measure alkalinity. So because it’s an acid, always wear the appropriate safety equipment (including a mask to protect yourself from fumes) and follow the manufacturer’s directions on adding the acid to your pool. Even though muriatic acid is somewhat diluted, certain brands require you to dilute it further before adding it to your pool. Lowering your total alkalinity is simply a process of “using up” the buffer it provides in the form of acid absorption. In other words, you just need to give it some acid to chew on.