I recently got a Cal Spa for free and after rebuilding, testing, and fixing some more it has been to say the least a very educational experience. However, I am not able to figure this issue out. Both times I have filled the tub up and tried to balance the chemicals I am fighting high PH (off the chart high). I am using test strips and had tried two different kinds the first time I filled it. It doesn't seem to matter when I test it as I had read the jets can cause and artificial high. Also the bromine levels can be anywhere and it still reads high so I don't think that is causing a false reading. I noticed the first time after adding PH decreaser every night for about a month (two or three times a night with a 30 minute wait between adding and it woudl still read high but I had to go to bed) it seemed to finally balance out. I started again about two weeks ago and seeing the same thing. I can see the way the test strip is reacting it appears to be coming down from when I started but it is still high. We are on a city well with no treatment of water and I know we have slightly hard water and a higher iron content. Does anyone know if something in the water could cause this as I am starting to get a bit nervous adding this much PH Decreaser. Thanks for the help.

Shower before use, Don't use soaps or detergents on your bathing suits (or do the fun thing, go nude ) no perfumes, lotions, etc. All soaps and detergents are alkali, and will bring your PH up, and fast. I had the same problem until I started following these suggestions...it still goes high, but is a lot easier to manage. It is a common problem in the Midwest, where I'm at, to have high PH readings... there is a lot of calcium in the water from the limestone in the substrata. Other parts of the country have the opposite problem, always going acidic (down). I like our problem better, as Muratic Acid is a great, inexpensive way to bring down the PH. It costs a lot more to raise PH.

Thanks, it is good to know that Calium can raise the levels. I am going to talk with a local well driller I know and see if calcium is common to this area. It wouldn't surprise me. I will keep and eye on the soaps but we haven't used it since I started it this time so I knew that was not the issue yet. Thanks for the help. Tim

Calcium isn't the number one cause, but it does have an effect. Soaps are still the number one cause for high PH levels... but it's surely a place to investigate.

Are you using liquid chlorine to shock?

No I have been using a non-chlorinated powder shock

I am on a city water system in michigan. Our water comes out of the tap with a PH of around 10.5.

10.5 is pretty high right out of the tap... pure water is 7