Is it normal for pH to swing every week?

Lucas said:
No matter what I do the pH creeps up within days.
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Yeah, totally normal in some pools, especially if you’ve got a lot of water movement like waterfalls or jets. Aeration drives pH up over time. I keep some muriatic acid on hand and adjust as needed, usually once a week. Also check your alkalinity if that’s too high or low, it can make pH swing more.
 
pH creeping up weekly happens a lot, especially in newer plaster pools or ones with lots of aeration. It’s part of the chemistry balance. Keep your alkalinity stable around 80-100 ppm and dose with acid when needed. Some fluctuation is normal, but big swings might mean your alkalinity is off.
 
Mine does the same I check it twice a week and end up adding acid pretty regularly. I read that aeration plus warm temps makes pH rise faster. Just part of pool life I guess 😅. As long as you keep it in range, it’s not a huge deal.
 
Yeah, that happens to a lot of us. Mine tends to drift up, too, especially during hot weeks or if I’ve been running the jets a lot. Aeration can push the pH up faster than you’d think. I usually check it twice a week now and make small adjustments instead of letting it get way off. What kind of sanitiser are you using? That can play a role, too.
 
Interesting tips from everyone! I’ve also noticed that when I use certain sanitizers, the pH tends to creep up faster. I started testing the water more frequently and adjusting just a little, which seems to help. Has anyone found a specific sanitizer that keeps pH more stable?
 
Yeah, it’s pretty common for pH to drift even if you’re diligent. A lot of it comes down to the chemistry of your water itself, things like how much calcium is in there, the type of sanitizer, and even environmental factors like wind or sun can push it up. I’ve found that keeping an eye on both alkalinity and pH, and making small, frequent tweaks rather than big corrections, keeps things more stable. Also, if your pool has a lot of bubbling jets or waterfalls, that constant aeration will naturally raise pH over time, so it’s basically normal chemistry doing its thing.
 
Short answer, yeah, a slow weekly creep is pretty normal, but it shouldn’t feel like you’re fighting it nonstop.

I went through the same thing and thought I was failing at pool care. In reality it was just chemistry plus how the pool runs day to day. Any kind of aeration, returns angled up, spillovers, lots of swimmers, even warm water, all push CO2 out and that naturally nudges pH upward. If alkalinity isn’t in a comfortable range, that drift turns into a regular swing instead of a gentle climb.

What helped me was stopping the big corrections. I used to let pH climb, dump in acid, overshoot, then repeat the cycle. Once I focused on getting the alkalinity floor steady first and made smaller acid additions, the swings calmed down. I also noticed my filter pressure and circulation mattered more than I expected, dirty filter meant weird chemistry responses. Now I just keep an eye on trends with quick checks using the aquadoc eagle ray during the week and only adjust when it actually needs it.

So yeah, a weekly rise by itself isn’t a red flag. Big jumps or constant yo yo swings usually mean something else is off. Once things are dialed in, it turns into routine maintenance instead of a chemistry battle. What kind of circulation or water features are you running most days?
 
What Mark Davis mentioned matches what I’ve dealt with too. When there’s a lot of water movement or hot weather, pH just tends to creep up. Once I accepted that small, regular adjustments are normal, it stopped feeling like something was “wrong” every time the number climbed.
 
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