Kalk Q?

[Chin_Lee]

Brad - are you aware of any calculations on how much more kalk can be dissolved to raise the saturation level by decreasing the pH (by adding vinegar/muriatic acid)?

I have been adding muriatic acid into my kalk reactor in hoping to maximize the saturation levels of ca/alk on the output. I usually put about 1" of kalk powder at the bottom of the reactor. At one time, I added some acid and it definitely dissolved more kalk (I know this because all the whitish buildup on the walls dissolved and cleared up). The pH in the reactor was down to 3.5 but at a certain point, no more kalk was being dissolved and the ph stayed at 3.5. Obviously in this instance I had added too much acid. Essentially what I would like to know is how much more beneficial am I in doing this? Does the saturation level increase dramatically?

[Aquattro]

Chin, I used to add vinegar to my slurry, and I can't say that it gave me any noticeable advantage. I suspect that the acetic acid may have had secondary effects, such as a food source for bacteria, but my kalk experiences were pretty much the same with or with out. I used 5g jugs though, not a reactor. Also, I added enough kalk to the jug to have excess, even with the vinegar, so I'm not sure how much more actually dissolved. I believe Craing Bingman has the calculations somewhere, but it was years ago that I read about it.