Question about Alkalinity increasers

[Sjde]

I bought Alkalinity Increaser thinking it would raise alkalinity without raising pH and then I see the ingredient is 100% sodium bicarbonate -same as the Spa Up I had been using which raises both!

Our cleaner picked up something called pH Increaser. That one I see is sodium carbonate? Anyone have experience with this?

 

[mknauss]

Sodium Bicarbonate - Baking Soda = big TA change, small pH change
Borax = Big pH change, small TA change
Sodium Carbonate - Washing Soda = big pH change, big TA change. Probably more TA change than you want.

 

[Sjde]

Thank you! That makes it all very clear.

 

[JamesW]

What TA are you targeting?

If the pH is good, you probably should not raise the TA.

 

[Sjde]

I am often at 40 (which I think is what our tap water is) and I’d like it to be 80 (or at least 50). Is 40 OK if the pH is good?

 

[JamesW]

As long as the pH is good, the TA is good.

I would try to keep the pH at about 7.8.

 

[abycat]

all my spas have liked 40 ta and all pools have liked 50 ta. that's where i get the least ph creep. you need to find out what ta your spa likes. my fill water is 80-90 ta and i can't go a day without seeing over 8 ph. with 40 i add the least amount of acid and by my next purge and drain i don't need to raise the ta and my acid use is very low. my outdoor pool last year needed next to no acid all year. thats with 50 ta.

 

[Sjde]

The pH is usually 7.4- to 7.6 , sometime 7.8 .
Are you saying that if your alkalinity is low at 40 you should keep the pH on the higher end?

 

[Sjde]

I thought 40 TA would be bad for the plumbing.

 

[JamesW]

40 TA is fine. Don't keep lowering the pH below 7.8.

 

[Sjde]

I read this-Sodium bicarbonate delivers about pH 7; sodium carbonate delivers about pH 10.
Sodium bicarbonate is typically used in spas.

• 
  
• So that explains why I found our spa levels at 8.4 pH and 190 alkalinity. The cleaner at our vacation rental, who balances the spa ( we have tried to teach her what we know and sent her to the class ) thought we were out of Spa Up and bought pH Increaser/ sodium carbonate.
• 
  
• But why was the bromine also high(10+)? The sodium carbonate wouldn’t affect bromine, would it? And the bigger question is, why didn’t she notice???

 

[Sjde]

I read this-Sodium bicarbonate delivers about pH 7; sodium carbonate delivers about pH 10.
Sodium bicarbonate is typically used in spas.

• 
  
• So that explains why I found our spa levels at 8.4 pH and 190 alkalinity. The cleaner at our vacation rental, who balances the spa ( we have tried to teach her what we know and sent her to the class ) thought we were out of Spa Up and bought pH Increaser/ sodium carbonate.
• 
  
• But why was the bromine also high(10+)? The sodium carbonate wouldn’t affect bromine, would it? And the bigger question is, why didn’t she notice???

I think I know the answer.

I think I have to get rid of the test strips and tell her not to buy any -that she hast to use the Taylor drop kit and this is why. When I compared it to the test strips it was hard to get a good color match reading on them, except for the bromine, but even that looked half as high as it did with the Taylor drop kit.