Intec CV40 Instruction Manual page 15

pH is treated with muriatic acid to bring it lower and baking soda to bring it higher.
The muriatic acid will burn up some of the alkaline material, thus reducing your pH. The baking
soda will neutralize the acidity, increase the alkalinity, and thus increase your pH. Both
chemicals are self-sacrificing and will reach a point of equilibrium, neutralize themselves, and
then no longer exist in your pool water in its original form. Therefore, it can be said that you
have a chemical-free pool. Muriatic acid is available in one-gallon bottles at Lowes, The Home
Depot, and most local hardware stores. Baking soda is available at Wal-Mart, Target, Dollar
General, and your local grocery store.
5.1.2 Recommended Testing and pH Range
The ideal for pH is 7.2 (7.0 to 7.4 is OK). At first, test on Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday. At some point in time, you may find you never have to treat the pH on Wednesday for
example. If this is the case, then you can just test on Monday and Friday.
You have an acid demand test in the Comprehensive Test Kit (blue box) that will
determine for you the exact amount of muriatic acid needed to bring the pH down from when
it is too high. Please see the "Acid Demand Chart" (Table 1) in Chapter 10. You will need to
know your pool size in gallons first (See "Table 3" for calculations).
NOTE: It is important to get your pool's pH in its proper range BEFORE starting to
test for copper.
5.2 Total Alkalinity (TA) and Treatment
If pH, as stated earlier, is the most important aspect of pool water care, then alkalinity
is even more important because it controls the pH. The Total Alkalinity Test is your "crystal
ball" relating to the future rise in your pool water's pH. The higher the alkalinity, the faster
your pH will rise. Example: if your pH is 7.0 and your alkalinity is over 140ppm, then your
pH will twice as fast as it would if the TA were 70ppm.
5.2.1 The ideal for TA is 50 to 80 ppm (parts per million)
Test as needed - You will learn how long to wait between treatments by testing and
finding the TA is still in the proper range. These numbers can vary in some regions.
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