soda ash

ok, I have finally run out of my pool store chems and will be switching over to the BBB method. For the most part I think I have it figured out. I have one last question. To raise ph you can add Borax or soda ash. It apears to take much less soda ash than borax, which seems the way to go. Only what the heck is soda ash. where and under what name do i get it???

I have several skeptical coworkers watching me go through this process so i dont want to screw up. If this works for me, they will go BBB next season.

Great Forum!!

roy

I believe that soda ash is the same as the 20 Mule Team Washing soda, where Borax is simply 20 mule team Borax.

The biggest difference is that Borax will raise your pH without raising your alk. Soda ash raises both.

Janet

Soda Ash is Sodium Carbonate so using it will not only raise your pH, but will also raise your alkalinity much more than Borax (since Soda Ash contains carbonate -- the same stuff that's in sodium bicarbonate or baking soda that you use to raise alkalinity). If that's what you want, then fine, otherwise use Borax, which does not add carbonate. Another way to raise pH without adding carbonate is to use Caustic Soda, aka Lye or Sodium Hydroxide, but that's a nastier chemcial (in the same sense that Muriatic Acid is nasty to handle).

Though it takes more weight of Borax to raise pH than it does with Soda Ash or Caustic Soda, did you analysis of net cost come out against Borax? That is, for the same pH rise does it cost more to use Borax than Soda Ash or Caustic Soda?

BTW, Janet is correct that 20 Mule Team Washing Soda is the same as soda ash which is sodium carbonate and will raise alkalinity (TA) more than Borax or Caustic Soda (lye) will.

Richard

Washing soda is sold as Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda Detertent Booster (In a yellow box manufactured by Arm and Hammer), it is NOT 20 mule team (trademark of Dial Corp, they sell borax in the green box) !

Yeah, it's interesting because on the web there quite a few references to 20 Mule Team Borax AND 20 Mule Team Washing Soda, but when I try to find a specific Washing Soda product to buy I can't find the 20 Mule Team and instead find the Arm & Hammer. Either the 20 Mule Team Washing Soda never existed or it did, but no longer does. Thanks for clearing this up.

It never existed. Church and Dwight (Arm and Hammer) make washing soda.