______________________________
Balancing
pH, The Short Course
Understanding
pH does not require a chemical engineering degree. Simply
put, pH is a measurement of acidity (low pH) and causticity
or alkali (high pH). A body of water considered to be pH balanced
will have a pH of 7.0, lower than 7.0 means the water is acetic
and higher means the water is caustic.
Next
you must understand that a pH scale is not flat, it’s an exponential
curve that represents the amount of acidity or causticity
from neutral.
Running
acid into alkali

As
you can see by the curve the further from neutral you stray
the more drastic the pH swing becomes.
Many
things can affect the pH of your water, chemicals introduced,
and the formation of the water holding system, heat, light
and even animal life.
By
adding acid to a high pH you bring it down, by adding caustic
(alkali) to a low pH you raise it up the scale.
In
the balancing (titration) of pH you must be careful to add
the opposite chemical value in small doses to keep from overshooting
your target pH. There are many titration curves available
to chemists that allow them to compute the exact amount of
acid or alkali that will accomplish their goal.
In
most non-chemical applications such as balancing pH in pond
water or a wastewater treatment system exact calculations
are not needed. Patience and fortitude are more important.
Experience can be obtained easily by testing pH, adding acid
or caustic as required and retesting. Over a short period
of time you will see the results and learn how much it takes.
Don’t add too much at first and then allow the pH to stabilize
before adding more remembering that the closer to 7.0 you
get the less you will need to add.
What
chemical to use?
Acid
and alkali come in many forms, you can use over the counter
chemicals found in Spa and Pool stores know as pH up and pH
down. For small bodies of water this is simple and cost effective
(300 gallons or less). For larger bodies of water see your
local chemical company and get their recommendations.
You
may contact us for advise and additional balancing information
on your specific application.
|