Sodium Bicarbonate

- chemical formula NaHCO³ - AKA Bicarbonate of Soda, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate and/or Baking Soda - is an inexpensive chemical used to increase the Total Alkalinity (TA) of the water and is the only chemical that can perform this vital task without affecting the pH to any great degree 

  • Sodium Bicarbonate is supplied as a free-flowing white powder
  • It is identical to the baking soda available in grocery outlets and that's the place to buy it because it is far cheaper at a supermarket than at a pool-shop; and often of a higher purity
  • Remember that Total Alkalinity is a measure of the bicarbonates in the water, so clearly adding more bicarbonates will raise TA, which ideally should be in the range of 80-120ppm
  • Aim to raise the TA to just inside this range as it will rise over time due to the small quantities of bicarbonates in make-up water
  • Dosage to raise TA is 1Kg per 50m³ of water, or 1½ pounds per 10,000 US Gals, to raise TA by 10ppm
  • Add the Sodium Bicarbonate pre-dissolved in pool-water and distribute it around the pool with the pump on - then wait for 4 hours before re-testing the pH and TA 
  • Adjust pH as required but if TA has not yet reached the optimum level you should wait for 4 days before adding more to give the chemistry time to 'catch-up'
  • It may take some time to get the correct level of TA with Sodium Bicarbonate but the final results are worth the wait as it will help you to control pH
  • No special precautions are need to transport, handle or store this inoffensive compound but avoid breathing the dust or fumes of any pool chemical

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