A rule of thumb is 1.5 lbs. of baking soda per 10,000 gallons of water will raise alkalinity by about 10 ppm. If your pool's pH tested below 7.2, add 3-4 pounds of baking soda. If you're new to adding pool chemicals, start by adding only one-half or three-fourths of the recommended amount.
Bromine — considered a safe substitute for chlorine. Looks for BCDMH tablets, which are typically 66% bromine and 27% chlorine. If unable to find, you can use just bromine but it may leave the water a dull green color. PHMB — Chemical compound named polyhexamthylene biguanide.
Baking Soda is used for raising the total alkalinity of the pool, which is the key to keeping the ph in balance. It's not a stabilizer. That's cyanuric acid.
When you add baking soda to your pool water, you will raise both the pH and the alkalinity, improving stability and clarity. Many commercial pool products for raising alkalinity utilize baking soda as their main active ingredient.
Baking soda is used to raise the total alkalinity of the pool. It isn't a stabilizer.
Even from a health standpoint, it is simply not safe to operate a pool without some added “chemicals” to combat bacteria and contaminants in the water. A pool without chemicals is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Common unscented household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) works well to shock a pool.
One option is Bromine. Bromine is from the same 'family' as chlorine however it is slightly slower reacting, slighty softer on your skin and works better at higher temperatures so it has a lot of appeal for many hot tub users. Bromine comes in tablet form and is available as infused granules too.
What you really need is hot tub salt. It's more often labeled as “pool salt,” which is perfectly fine to use in your hot tub. It's chemically the same thing as table salt, but it's a coarser grind to work better in a chlorine or bromine generator. And you can buy it in bulk, which will save you a lot of money.
If you're looking into chemical-free hot tubs then you're likely worried about the effects of chlorine and maybe—to a lesser extent—bromine. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to get rid of water-sanitizing chemicals completely and still have a spa you can enjoy without some concerns.
Regular household bleach (non-scented and without additives) can be used in a spa, but the pH level may rise as bleach has a very high pH of 13. For this reason many spa owners may find it easier to use dichlor (chlorine granules) or non-chlorine shock (MPS), which are more pH neutral.
To mix chlorine bleach combine 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite and 94.75 percent water. To mix non-chlorine bleach, combine equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water. Pour mixture into the plastic container, and secure tightly. Shake to mix ingredients.
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it depends on the formulation. The label on every bleach bottle should tell you the ratio of sodium hypochlorite (and available chlorine) in the bottle to everything else. A higher percentage is generally better, as you'll need to use less bleach to treat your pool.
The benefits of swimming pool salt
Using swimming pool salt instead of chlorine delivers greater swimming comfort: Swimming pool salt does not give off an unpleasant odour as chlorine does. It is much less harsh on hair and skin. It does not cause your eyes to sting.
The Bottom Line about Pools and Chlorine
As mentioned above, you could probably swim in a pool without chlorine without any major health issues. However, long-term use of a pool lacking chlorinated H2O could make you sick or, at the very least, contribute to rashes and other types of skin irritation.
If you need to mildly shock a 30,000-gallon pool by raising the free chlorine concentration to 5 ppm, you need 2.5 gallons of bleach. To raise it to 10 ppm, you need 5 gallons.
The solution to maintaining a clear pool is to use readily available liquid bleach as your chlorine source. Chlorine bleach, as discussed above, is not bound to a stabilizer, so when you add chlorine bleach to the pool, it will go right to work killing microbes and sanitizing.
6 reasons why you should avoid disinfecting your pool with bleach instead of chlorine. Finally, if it is not properly dosed, bleach can become dangerous for bathers! Pool water that is too concentrated in bleach can become toxic, irritating the eyes, skin and respiratory tract of swimmers.
Liquid chlorine is made by bubbling the gas form of chlorine through caustic soda. It has a high pH of around 13. Liquid chlorine is used mainly in large commercial or high traffic pools because it can added in bulk. For this purpose, it's even available in 55-gallon drums.
Natural chlorine is a mixture of two stable isotopes: chlorine-35 (75.53 percent) and chlorine-37 (24.47 percent). The most common compound of chlorine is sodium chloride, which is found in nature as crystalline rock salt, often discoloured by impurities.
Salt systems are actually chlorine generators, using a process called electrolysis. Electrolysis happens by sending electricity through saltwater (sodium chloride, or NaCl), which interacts with the chloride ion in the salt. This creates chlorine in the water, and a very high-pH byproduct called sodium Hydroxide.
You can use baking soda in your hot tub if its pH is too low. Baking soda can raise both the alkalinity and the pH of your hot tub and help it achieve the right chemical balance and stability. Its presence can also keep your tub from being cloudy.
What is this? Baking soda is a great household alternative to use because it is safe for your hot tub shell and safe for you without having to use harsh chemical cleaning agents. The hot tub filters have likely built up a nice layer of algae, bacteria, oils, and organic compounds.