Using Baking soda to increase TA

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Brian T

0
Apr 7, 2015
76
Katy, TX
Hello,

This is my first post. I am trying to get clarification on the correct method to use baking soda to increase my TA. A video on youtube states to add the baking soda to the skimmer, all while leaving the pumps running. Another website stated that I should turn the pumps off before adding the baking soda and turn the pumps back on after 2 hrs. Can anyone tell me the proper way? Thank you!
 
I sprinkle it in the deep end while the pump is running. If it's clumpy, I premix it in a bucket with pool water and dump it in the deep end while the pump is running.
 
Azgirl71 said:
This page will help you. It needs to be dissolved in a bucket of pool water.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/139-recommended-pool-chemicals
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Huh? The link you provided says;

"...Baking soda can be added by spreading it across the surface of the deep end of the pool...."

I've always just broadcasted it across the pool, breaking up any clumps that make to the bottom of the pool (pump on, btw).

Off the top of my head I can't think of anything you would normally add to a pool that requires you turn the pump off. Quite the opposite, you want the water circulating so whatever you're adding gets thoroughly mixed in.
 
The pump should always be running for any chemistry additions. Baking soda dissolves quite easily so it is one of the few things I put in the skimmer. Slowly pour it in, where it then goes to the filter and is quickly dissolved and returned to the pool.
Huh? The link you provided says;

"...Baking soda can be added by spreading it across the surface of the deep end of the pool...."

I've always just broadcasted it across the pool, breaking up any clumps that make to the bottom of the pool (pump on, btw).
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I'm not quite sure how these two methods are different....broadcasting across the pool or the deep end, either one. As I indicated, Baking Soda is probably the most benign chemical to add so very few problems.
 
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Thank you! You guys are great! My TA was 70ppm. I have owned the pool for a year and I had it balanced pretty good, in my opinion. Last week, I got lazy and put (5) 3" chlorine tabs in the dispenser (I usually only put 3-4 tabs). Anyway, this week I was checking the chemical balance and I found the TA to be 70ppm. It hasn't been that way ever. I guess the extra chlorine lowered my TA
 
There is one more difference that I read online. It was regarding sodium bicarbonate, which I believe is the same as baking soda. They used the term sodium bicarbonate. The site stated that you should only add 2.2lbs of sodium bicarbonate per 11K gal every 4 days. This is the same site that stated I should add the sodium bicarbonate while the pump is off. When they stated that the pump should be off, that's what threw me off and got me on this forum.

Is there a max amount of NaCO3 or baking soda that you guys use per application or do you dump the entire amount needed at one time?
 
If you are actively managing very high CH levels you don't want to raise TA by too much at once. For that matter, you probably don't want to raise TA at all.

But most people can add as much baking soda at a time as they want.

Never add any chemical with the pump off unless you don't have any choice in the matter (i.e. pump broken or no electricity).
 

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Never add any chemical with the pump turned off. You can damage your pool.

You need the rapid mixing you get with the pump turned on. Otherwise you will get extreme chemical swings at the location where you add the chemical, swings that can frequently be extreme enough to damage the pool.
 
duraleigh said:
The pump should always be running for any chemistry additions. Baking soda dissolves quite easily so it is one of the few things I put in the skimmer. Slowly pour it in, where it then goes to the filter and is quickly dissolved and returned to the pool. I'm not quite sure how these two methods are different....broadcasting across the pool or the deep end, either one. As I indicated, Baking Soda is probably the most benign chemical to add so very few problems.
Click to expand...

I was just pointing out that the link provided doesn't indicate that bicarb needs to be predisolved in a bucket.

I agree that what the link says and what I've always done is essentially the same thing.

Sorry for the confusion.
 
Brian T said:
My TA was 70ppm. I have owned the pool for a year and I had it balanced pretty good, in my opinion. Last week, I got lazy and put (5) 3" chlorine tabs in the dispenser (I usually only put 3-4 tabs). Anyway, this week I was checking the chemical balance and I found the TA to be 70ppm. It hasn't been that way ever. I guess the extra chlorine lowered my TA
Click to expand...




Ok I may be missing something, but if your TA was 70 & you added tabs & your TA is still 70 why are you trying to raise your TA?
 
Brian T said:
Here's the second reference I came across where someone states that you should have the pumps turned off when adding baking soda. Sorry, I can't remember the first one but this second one is from a guy who I see often on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k33qPS50mU
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That's a great video. Almost as good as the fail compilations. I don't know if he said a single thing that was accurate. Also, clean-pool-and-spa.com? Did you see the pool? If mine looked like that I'd put koi in it. Follow the recommendations of this great site, and your pool will never look like his example pool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Ok, thanks for taking time out to look at the video. I have been looking over this forum for the last 2hrs. A lot of good info. I thought that my pool looked good but after seeing some of the pools here, I'm getting jealous. I have always kept my pool balanced to what the levels should be but I don't get that "clear light blue" look. I wonder if it's the shade of my Pebble Tec stones.
 
The pool finish will determine what the water color looks like. If it is balanced correctly, it should almost look empty in the evening with the pump off, and shimmer in the daylight with the pump running.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Brian T said:
Because TA should be between 80-120ppm. At least that is what I have been told by pool school. Also, the manual that came with the test kit says the same thing
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This is what I see when I look at the ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry in pool school

"TA - Total Alkalinity - Appropriate levels help keep the PH in balance. High levels can cause PH to rise. (60 to 120, sometimes higher)"

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/123-abc-of-pool-water-chemistry



I'm with the less is more approach, especially in regards to TA, CH & CYA, I can always go up if I need to but those 3 are a pain to lower, if I'm not having problems & the numbers are in range I do not mess with them.
 
Bob_Funk said:
This is what I see when I look at the ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry in pool school

"TA - Total Alkalinity - Appropriate levels help keep the PH in balance. High levels can cause PH to rise. (60 to 120, sometimes higher)"

http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/123-abc-of-pool-water-chemistry



I'm with the less is more approach, especially in regards to TA, CH & CYA, I can always go up if I need to but those 3 are a pain to lower, if I'm not having problems & the numbers are in range I do not mess with them.
Click to expand...

I guess I should have been more specific when I said pool school. I meant the pool school that my pool builder assigned to my project. I'm not saying that he's correct and the forum is incorrect. My test kit is the Pentair Rainbow. The manual states that TA levels depend on your sanitizer:

Liquid chlorine, Calcium Hypochlorite, Lithium Hypochlorite: 80-100ppm
Dichlor Granules, Two-part Bromine: 100-120ppm
Gas Chlorine, Trichor Tablets, Bromine Tablets: 120-140ppm
 

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