When my pool builder built my pool last year, he left me with a few pails of "pool store" chemicals. On testing my pool when I opened it last week, the TA is around 50-60 and would like to raise it to the recommended levels here at TFP to about 70 (or should I just leave it as is?).

The pail from the pool builder is called "Buffer", and it says it's used "to increase TA of pools", and it's made by Mursatt Chemicals. It doesn't mention if it also raises the PH as well.

So my two questions are;

1. Should I try and raise the TA or is it OK at 50-60 (my PH seems stable enough, usually around 7.5)

2. Do you think I should be careful when adding it, in case it increases the PH as well?

Does it say what the active ingredient is? Its probably soda ash which will raise both.

It's baking soda. If your pH is stable, I wouldn't worry about your TA.

I looked all over the container, but it doesn't mention the ingredients...

I'll follow John's advice and keep an eye on my PH levels, and if they don't change much, I won't bother playing with the TA.

Our local dealer also sells Mursatt. Buffer is definitely baking soda/sodium bicarbonate.
Here is the MSDS for Mursatt "Buffer":
http://www.mursattchemicals.com/pdf/buffer.pdf
The MSDS notes that it is also useful as a "Leavening agent, cleaner ingredient, bath salt ingredient, water softener, diaper rinse ingredient, feed additive."!

For final proof, here is an identical MSDS, for baking soda:
http://www.hillbrothers.com/msds/pdf/n/sodium-bicarb-pool.pdf

I've just stumbled on this thread.. after buying two pails of "Buffer" from the pool store to get my pool going. At $27 for 8kg of the stuff (and I needed 2 x 8kg), I guess it would have been cheaper to buy baking soda directly in bulk?

But if you bought it at Costco or somewhere cheap like that, you wouldn't get those swell pails.