Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo / BVDC
Have you ever added a particular chemical to a pool and wondered why it didn’t have the effect you expected? You calculated carefully, weighed the amount with the pump room scale, and spread it carefully around the perimeter, yet the result was not what it should have been. What gives? This article is intended to help increase your understanding of how the various chemicals work together (and against each other), so you don’t waste time and money.
The Scenario
You did a CSI test (Calcium Saturation Index) and found the Total Alkalinity (TA) was too low, only about 70 PPM. Your target is 100 PPM because you also try to keep the Calcium Hardness (CH) at 300 PPM to establish the magical triple that seems to stabilize both values. The pool is 300,000 gallons, so you carefully calculated the baking soda dosage as follows:
18 lbs = x lbs 120,000 gals 300,000 gals Proportion #1 compares your pool to the million-pound pool.