Can I use baking soda to raise the alkalinity in my swimming pool?
Well I don’t know much about swimming pools but I know a bit about water chemistry so here goes- Changing the pH of water using baking soda depends on how water is buffered. Buffering is the ability of water to withstand pH changes. For example, if water has a high buffering capacity, you will have to add more baking soda to alter the pH than you would if the water had a low buffering capability. So in theory, yes you can use baking soda to raise the pH in your pool, but the amount will depend on your water’s buffering capability. Fortunately baking soda is non-toxic and is unlikely to raise the pH high enough to cause damage so go ahead and add as much as you like. Try not to raise the pH too high or it will make your skin dry.
Absolutely!!! I just opened my pool and everything was at zero of course, so a friend of mine (who swears by baking soda for her pool) told me not to buy all those expensive chemicals, because they are a waste of money! So, she told me to buy 5 lbs (sold in 4lb boxes at WalMart) of baking soda to initially raise the ph to 7.2 (normal range), wait 2-3 hours, check it, then apply at 1 lb per 2 hours to get the right ppm. I did it and in 2 hours with a $2.52 box of Baking Soda my Ph was PERFECT!!!! Truly Unbelievable, it ALSO raised my alkalinity without adding anything else. It DOES work! Also…instead of buying a 100.00 pail of chlorine, use Clorox Bleach! Initial dose of 4 gallons, then one gallon per week will keep your chlorine level perfect! The ingredients in Clorox are IDENTICAL to that high priced bucket of chlorine from the pool store! The only difference is the concentration of sodium hypochlorite in Clorox is 6% and Chlorine is 30%, which is a big difference, but if you use i
