calcs.homes
calcs.homes
Enter your current and target total alkalinity and we'll tell you whether to add baking soda or muriatic acid, and how much.
Estimate only — adjust alkalinity before fine-tuning pH, and retest after 6 hours of circulation.
Total alkalinity is pH's buffer — it keeps pH from swinging wildly every time you add chlorine or acid. The target range is 80-120 ppm. To raise it, add baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) at about 1.5 lb per 10,000 gallons per 10 ppm. To lower it, add muriatic acid at about 26 fl oz per 10,000 gallons per 10 ppm, then aerate to let pH recover.
Alkalinity first — it acts as pH's buffer, so getting it into range makes your pH adjustments more stable and predictable.
Yes — most "alkalinity increaser" or "pH increaser" pool products are pure sodium bicarbonate, the same compound as household baking soda, just sold at pool-store purity and pricing.