Every pool owner needs a pal in the game. Alkalinity, Acidity, Calcium hardness, and so forth make one feel like a degree in chemistry is not far off. Truth be told, there is an ally out there by the name of baking soda – we kid you not. Ask around, everyone’s doing it. 

Why Pool Alkalinity Matters

• Without alkaline, there’s nothing to buffer the acidity and that results in pH bounce, where peaks and valleys will totally confuse your chemistry efforts.
• Stone, grouting, and concrete walls become stained and deteriorate rapidly if alkalinity is too low.
• Fibreglass and vinyl pools become stained by the corrosion from metal items such as pool ladders, light housing, handrails, screws, and more.
• The effectiveness of chlorine, bromine, and other sanitizers are seriously compromised by low alkalinity.
• Pool users will develop swimmer eyes (burn), nasal irritation, and itchy skins

Besides Alkalinity, Baking Soda Plays Other Roles

Isn’t it great when a good thing gets even better? Baking soda extrapolates into many diverse benefits for the condition of your water, the pool, and its users:

• Clarity and sparkle
• Bumps up chlorine’s efficacy 
• Spot-treats algae – green, yellow, and black
• Softens the water, which bathers will love
• Retards all manner of corrosion

Clearly, bulk purchasing in this case makes absolute sense, ask around for a good local source at a bakery supply company in your area. Us pool people, also have alkalinity products but here we are giving you a tip that weighs in your favour, saving you time, saving you money – aren’t we just the nice guys on the block? 

There’s a great ‘How To’ from wikiHow, with pictures. The pH in a pool does not see-saw quickly if you are conscious of alkalinity. Do your testing and adjusting, then be patient. Give it 24 hours to show balance.