If baking soda is the same thing chemically as alkalinity up would it be safe to use it as regular baking soda in cakes or is there an industrial difference?
pool grade baking soda
- Thread starter SHADEZ
- Start date
I wouldn't, and mainly because one cannot attest to what else is included in the industrial grade version. As I can recall, plain ol Arm and Hammer is a good deal cheaper than the alk up stuff that you get at the pool store and that's why we recommend it.
My aunt was in disagreement with the pool store suggestion of useing soda ash instead of alk up she said don't add baking soda and that we need alk up because it has other chemicals that we need and then the ph wil fall into place when y our TA is ok. .. she didn't sound right to me .. are there other chemicals in alk up that make it different from baking soda? would the PH adjust itself if the TA is in the right zone?
Alkalinity up is baking soda with some extra fillers. The only thing that one would "need" from alk up is the sodium bicarbonate. The rest of the formulation is irrelevant.
Soda ash (washing soda) will raise pH and TA. Borax will raise pH with a minimal effect on TA.
When your TA is is good, the pH rise tends to be much slower than it would if the TA is high. My pool likes the TA right around 70 and when it is there, I only need to add a little acid once a week. Generally, the TA will fall over time from acid additions to lower pH and it will come to rest at a spot that it likes. Of course, if your fill water has a high TA, then this can hamper that process. I just know that I never have to adjust the TA in my pool. It stays at 70 as long as I keep my pH under control.
Soda ash (washing soda) will raise pH and TA. Borax will raise pH with a minimal effect on TA.
When your TA is is good, the pH rise tends to be much slower than it would if the TA is high. My pool likes the TA right around 70 and when it is there, I only need to add a little acid once a week. Generally, the TA will fall over time from acid additions to lower pH and it will come to rest at a spot that it likes. Of course, if your fill water has a high TA, then this can hamper that process. I just know that I never have to adjust the TA in my pool. It stays at 70 as long as I keep my pH under control.
