Pickling lime

[ABC]

I have a calcium reactor and my PH has dropped to an alarming 7.8 . Calcium
and Alk levels are good ( 3.5 and 420) but PH is pretty low. I currently top
off the water using a 20 gallon rubbermaid bin connected to sump with a kent
float switch. I was thinking of mixing pickling lime into the tub and have
it just add it as water tops off. My question is if a majority of the
evaporation occurs during the day is this still going to be an effective way
of raising PH? As well does anyone else do this with a kent float switch,
and get any clogging of the switch with lime water? Would rather not have my
return pump run dry due to a clogged float switch. Any other suggestions
would be great, possibly a kalk reactor ?

[Rod]

Yes, dripping kalk at night will keep your pH more stedy. More than likely, if
your evap is high enough, youll find that dripping kalk alone will keep your CA
and ALK in check as well as keep a stable pH. Then you will wonder why you
purchased all of that expensive Calcium reactor equiptment which supresses pH
when Kalk will do the job. Most people get reactors because they dont want to
drip, but most end up dripping to keep the pH up..

[Billy]

"ABC" > wrote in message
news:z_Zld.226323$%k.118632@pd7tw2no...
|I have a calcium reactor and my PH has dropped to an alarming 7.8 .
Calcium
| and Alk levels are good ( 3.5 and 420) but PH is pretty low. I
currently top
| off the water using a 20 gallon rubbermaid bin connected to sump
with a kent
| float switch. I was thinking of mixing pickling lime into the tub
and have
| it just add it as water tops off. My question is if a majority of
the
| evaporation occurs during the day is this still going to be an
effective way
| of raising PH? As well does anyone else do this with a kent float
switch,
| and get any clogging of the switch with lime water? Would rather
not have my
| return pump run dry due to a clogged float switch. Any other
suggestions
| would be great, possibly a kalk reactor ?
|
|

I have heard that while the pickling lime and the commercial kalk are
the same substance, calcium hydroxide, the lime is somehow not
buffered or some such. I've read of problems with alkalinity as well
as PH. If you're going to start experimenting, and already have such
issues, you may want to start out with the expensive kalkwasser until
you get things stabalized.

just my 2 pennies.

billy