Pool Alkalinity (TA)

Pool alkalinity and swimming pool chemistry. Swimming pool maintenance rips, spa chemistry for your inground and above ground pool maintenance.

Swimming Pool Care and Maintenance

Remember to take small steps that when making adjustments to your (TA). You can always add more but it's a little harder to get it out.

Fiberglass Inground Pools

How To Raise Your Pool Alkalinity

To raise the TA I recommend Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda).

With the pool pump OFF and the water motionless:

Sprinkle the Bicarbonate at you would use a salt shaker.

Make another adjustment if necessary using the above technique. Remember, patience is a virtue when adjusting pool chemicals.

This will raise the total alkalinity but take care in monitoring your swimming pool pH because Sodium Bicarbonate affects both the pool alkalinity and your pool pH level.

Remember, this may take a few applications but you should reach the proper level. Refer to the chart to see how much Sodium Bicarbonate your pool needs.

When filling a pool, first test the total alkalinity of the fill water so you can have a good starting point. You can use pool test strips but I recommend an FAS-DPD K-2006 Taylor swimming pool test kit.

You can purchase your at the swimming pool supply store

How To Lower Your Pool Alkalinity

To lower pool alkalinity, either use muriatic acid (pool acid) or dry acid. Lowering the pool alkalinity may take a few applications, so patience is a virtue.

1. Add your pool acid standing in one spot using small circular motions, liquid or dry, to the deepest part of the pool with the filter off and the water motionless.
2. Muriatic acid should be added a little at a time, diluting it (if using liquid) prior to adding to the pool.
3. Allow the pool acid to do its job in lowering the alkalinity by keeping the pump motor off for at least 2-3 hours for pools and 1 hour for Hot Tubs.
4. Turn the pump motor back on and allow 4-6 hours for filtration, then re-test. Make another adjustment if you need by simply following this technique.

If you're thinking about lowering the total alkalinity by partially draining the pool and diluting your swimming pool water, you may want to think this through.

I would say only under extreme conditions should you do this. Not only will it take longer than using muriatic acid, but you'll waste alot of water. And if it doesn't work, you'll have to start all over again and probably use more pool chlorine than necessary.

CAUTION: ALWAYS ADD ACID TO WATER, NEVER WATER TO ACID

If your pool is in need of a large dose of pool acid due to an extremely high alkalinity level, 180ppm or above, I recommend doing this in stages, maybe 4-6 hours in between applications.

You can always add more but it’s a real bugger to get it out. You can re-test your swimming pool's total alkalinity after the pool water has had a chance to circulate completely.

Always take the proper precaution by wearing heavy duty rubber gloves and goggles. Or if you prefer, you may use dry acid. This is much easier and safer than liquid acid.

Contact your pool professional if your pool alkalinity problem persists.

Remember when using pool acid and pool chlorine, safety should be your highest concern. Wearing heavy rubber gloves and goggles will minimize risk of injury.

Keep in mind, proper balance of your pool’s chlorine, swimming pool pH, pool alkalinity, and calcium hardness increaser is of the utmost importance in having a safe body of water.

You’ll also get less headaches, spend less money and time worrying, and not want to drain the pool water. This will work even with a direct source of contaminated well water, your salt water pool system and salt cells.

500 Gallon Hot Tub

and

Chart - Lowering Total Alkalinity Using Muriatic Acid

and

Chart - Raising Total Alkalinity Using Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

If you have a large commercial swimming pool, 80,000 - 125,000 gallons, I would recommend to not use more than 1 - 1.5 gallons gallons at a time because if you go too low in one shot, you're going to have another swimming pool problem on your hands. This will help reduce your weekly pool maintenance and pool maintenance cost.

To Recap:

1. What is total alkalinity?
Pool alkalinity is the buffer of your pool water maintenance. Keeping your alkalinity between 80ppm-100ppm will stabilize the chlorine, pool pH, and calcium hardness.
2. When do I test the pool alkalinity?
Test your alkalinity in the late afternoon or early evening when the temperature is a bit cooler.
3. Where do I test the alkalinity?
Test your alkalinity in the deep end of the pool or the furthest away from the filter.
4. Why do I test the alkalinity?
Testing your pool alkalinity and keeping it at the proper range will help lock in the rest of the chemicals; i.e. chlorine, pool pH, and hardness. It will lessen pH “bounce”, corrosion of metal parts, scaling in your pool, and skin and eye irritation for your swimmers.
5. How do I test the pool alkalinity?
Follow the manufacturer’s directions if you’re using either pool test strips or an FAS-DPD K-2006 Taylor swimming pool test kit Many times it’s just adding an alkalinity indicator that turns the sample water green. Then simply count the drops until the sample turns red. If you can count, you can do this test with machine-like precision. With Test Strips, simply dip the strip in the sample water and match the test square to the corresponding chart.

Remember to turn the pump motor be off when increasing or decreasing your alkalinity.

Happy Swimming

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