4 Things to Know About Raising Pool Alkalinity With Baking Soda

Use baking soda to raise total alkalinity Sodium bicarbonate is the correct chemical for increasing alkalinity in a pool. Do not substitute other household products.

Calculate the dose based on your pool size For a 10,000-gallon pool, 1.5 pounds of baking soda raises alkalinity by about 10 ppm. Target alkalinity is 80–120 ppm, so test your water first and measure the difference.

Add it slowly with the pump running Pour baking soda into the deep end while the pump circulates. Wait at least 6 hours before retesting.

Expect a minor pH increase Baking soda will raise pH slightly, but it is usually negligible unless your starting pH is already high. Do not guess the amount — overshooting causes pH swings that are hard to correct.