adding kalk to control ph with apex?

[coralbeauties]

I was just wondering if there was anyone who is dosing kalk to maintain a consistent ph level having a controller add kalk when the ph level drops to a preset level and shut off at the upper preset level? I fight chronic low ph, I think due to my ca reactor and excess co2 in my home. My night time levels will go as low as 7.6 and without adding kalk my daytime levels might reach 7.9. I thought about having my apex add kalk at say 7.9 and shut off at 8.0 and let my daily swings due the rest.
I do have my skimmer intake plumbed outside and leave a window cracked open when I can.
thanks
Jeff

 

[Ty Hamatake]

Have you thought about using a CO2 scrubber? I imagine dosing kalk off of pH would be fairly simple, but can also see problems (such as alk spikes) occurring. I know the two are closely related, but think of what happens to your pH when you have a lot of people over... now you're adding alk and ca just to balance out the increased CO2 instead of an increased demand for the two.

 

[Breadman03]

I've added a bit of kalk in the evening and it seemed to give my system a boost for an entire day or so. You might think about using it at certain times, such as the evening, to minimize the swing and to bring up the overall trend.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

Here are 2 different codes that are effective when using a KALK reactor in Apex fusion:

Fallback OFF
OSC 000:00/002:00/027:00 Then ON
If Switch4 OPEN Then OFF
If Power EB8_4 Off 001 Then OFF

OR

You can use a Float switch and set up an outlet for the switch, so it would read the following:

Fallback OFF
If pH > 8.29 Then OFF
If Sw2 OPEN Then ON
If Sw1 OPEN Then OFF .. This switch is just in case your KALK reactor somehow gets stuck on.

 

[coralbeauties]

Here are 2 different codes that are effective when using a KALK reactor in Apex fusion:

Fallback OFF
OSC 000:00/002:00/027:00 Then ON
If Switch4 OPEN Then OFF
If Power EB8_4 Off 001 Then OFF

OR

You can use a Float switch and set up an outlet for the switch, so it would read the following:

Fallback OFF
If pH > 8.29 Then OFF
If Sw2 OPEN Then ON
If Sw1 OPEN Then OFF .. This switch is just in case your KALK reactor somehow gets stuck on.

What I am planning on doing is adding 1 switch to act as a normal ato and have my ato water run through the kalk reactor until tank reaches my preset ph and once it is reached the ato would switch over to the regular ro/di water. The second switch would be the safety switch. I plan on using 2 solenoids, one for the kalk and the other for the regular water. I will need to use 2 different eb8 outlets and 2 set of codes.
thanks
Jeff

 

[mjt82]

I'm interested in how this would work! Following along!

 

[cmcoker]

If you want to use kalk to help offset the pH, I think it would be better to make it a part of your alk/ca dosing scheme.

Dial back your calcium reactor a small amount and dose a set amount of kalk every day to make up the difference. Using your controller as a safety switch.
Otherwise you will be swinging around the alkalinity, all additives that effect pH also effect alkalinity.

 

[rushbattle]

If you want to use kalk to help offset the pH, I think it would be better to make it a part of your alk/ca dosing scheme.

Dial back your calcium reactor a small amount and dose a set amount of kalk every day to make up the difference. Using your controller as a safety switch.
Otherwise you will be swinging around the alkalinity, all additives that effect pH also effect alkalinity.

What this guy said is the advice you need. Kalk adds alkalinity and Ca in equal portions, while lowering CO2. Low CO2 is why you have low pH. If you control pH (CO2 levels) with a pH rule you will swing your alkalinity and Ca all over the place. Dose a fixed amount each day, then make up the rest of evap with water.