1st time pool owner

[Watermom]

is there a household remedy to bring up the alkalinity?
Yes. You can use baking soda to raise alk. Add a little at a time slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running. After a few hours, retest and redose until you get it where you want it; somewhere between 80-120 is ok. Sneak up on the number instead of dumping in too much at once and overshooting your target. You're already at 60, so go slow with additions.

and the best news of all!!!!!!!! the pool is getting clearer and clearer by the day
See? We told you this would work!

Good job, Mike. Keep up the diligence and you're soon gonna be swimming in that clear pool!

[CarlD]

Yup. "Alkalinity Adjuster" is nothing but a fancy expensive package for BAKING SODA! That's right, Sodium Bicarbonate. I've seen it as high as $4/lb from %!0&@rd--and $3.50/12 lbs at Costco.

That's why we call it the B-B-B method--buy your chemicals at the grocery store---Bleach, Borax and Baking Soda. And if you want pHUp!, you buy Arm&Hammer Washing Soda--usually next to the Borax!

Ben even has an article on it on the sister site, PoolSolutions.com!

[hamiltonmike]

well i knew it wouldn't hurt to buy all three while i was at the grocery store. considering they told me to put 6kg in, does that mean i am to put 6kg of baking soda in?? i added 1 kg right after making my post today, then brushed and vacuumed the entire pool again. i just retested and the alk seems to of risen to 100 from 60 , does this sound about right? after testing i then added about 2 litres of bleach to boost it up again.am i ever glad i bought those skimmer socks! almost instantly the thing turnes black with particulate dirt


i looked for WASHING soda at walmart and sobeys and couldn't find it but i have quite a bit of store bought PH^ left from last season but i thought the borax was used to bring the ph^ while not affecting the alkalinity :|



hmmm better go and reat the thread a few more times

[Watermom]

Your alk is good right where it is at 100. No more baking soda needed. Also, no PH Up or washing soda. Both of those will raise your ph AND your alk. You don't want your alk any higher. And, you're right about the Borax. It is used when you need to raise the PH but don't want to increase the alk.

It is a lot of information to learn at the beginning -- a pretty steep learning curve. You'll get it. You're doing great on clearing this pool!

[CarlD]

For those who didn't know this:

Borax also works GREAT in the laundry!

[hamiltonmike]

steep learning curve is right! but im getting it slowly but surely.

i never was a great science student so its all new to me. i read somewhere that muriatic acid is used for something pool related, but i use it all the time to solder galvanized steel . it is nasty stuff and its amazing that you put it in the water you swim in.

and its funny you mention that carld because i caught my girlfriend in the garage filling a measuring cup to try out :P

[Watermom]

Muriatic acid is used to lower ph. Nasty stuff. You have to be really careful when you use it. (Be upwind so you won't get a bunch of fumes, eye protection is recommended, don't splash it on yourself or on your equipment, liner, etc.) Some pools never need it. My pool's ph is very stable and I never need to lower it. Every once in awhile I need a little Borax -- especially if we get a lot of rain (acid rain) but even then it isn't very often.