Results for "baking soda"

Water Chemistry Easy 15 minutes 223 👍 0

Do I Need pH Up and Down for Pool? Essential pH Guide

My husband casually mentioned that we're the only neighbors who stock both pH Up AND pH Down, and now I'm suspicious the pool store is playing us. That's like $40-50 just for pH adjustment chemicals alone!

Is this just upselling, or do I actually need to keep both products on hand? My pool seems to drift one way or the other pH-wise, but rarely both directions. Looking for some honest advice from people who aren't trying to empty my wallet every time I walk in for supplies.…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 15 minutes 213 👍 0

Can I Use Pool Chlorine Tablets in My Toilet? Safety Guide

Standing in my garage with a bucket of leftover trichlor tablets from last season and wondering if these can pull double duty as toilet bowl cleaners. My thinking is that chlorine is chlorine, right? I've seen those blue toilet bowl tablets that slowly dissolve and keep things clean, so I figured maybe I could just drop one of my 3-inch pool tablets in the tank to do the same thing.

Before I try this, I want to make sure it's actually safe for my plumbing and won't cause any problems. Are pool chlorine tablets too strong for toilet use? I don't want to damage my pipes or create any health hazards, but it seems like it could be a good way to use up these extra tablets instead of letting them go to waste.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 45 minutes 184 👍 0

Can Pool Chlorine Clean Concrete? Safe Methods & Alternatives

Between the humidity and recent rain, my concrete pool deck started showing these nasty green algae stains last week and now I'm wondering if pool chlorine can clean them off. My concrete pool deck is absolutely filthy with algae stains and dirt buildup, and nothing seems to work. I've scrubbed until my arms hurt and tried different cleaners, but these green stains just won't budge.

I have tons of pool chlorine sitting around and I'm wondering if I can use that to blast these concrete stains away? I don't want to damage the surface or create some kind of chemical disaster, but I'm running out of options. If chlorine works, what's the right way to dilute it? And honestly, are there better alternatives that might actually get this mess clean without all the guesswork?…more

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Best Pool Water Test Kits

4.6 (45,200 reviews)

Water Chemistry Easy 15 minutes 182 👍 0

Can I Use Pool pH Increaser in My Spa? Safe Chemical Guide

Noticed I'm always running low on spa pH increaser and wondering if this is a dumb question, but can I just use my pool's pH increaser instead? I have both a pool and a hot tub, and I noticed my spa's pH is running low. I have some pH increaser that I bought for my pool - can I use the same product in my hot tub, or do I need to buy separate chemicals?

The pool store didn't really explain if there's a difference between pool and spa chemicals, and I don't want to mess anything up. If I can use the same pH increaser, do I need to adjust how much I add since the hot tub is obviously much smaller than my pool?…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 30 minutes 170 👍 0

How to Raise Pool pH: Complete Guide to pH Increaser

Before I dump chemicals into my pool, I'm trying to decide between adding baking soda or actual pH increaser to bring it up from 7.0. The pool store told me I need to raise it, but they mentioned a couple different chemicals and I'm honestly a bit confused about which one to use.

I've heard about soda ash and baking soda, but I'm not sure what the difference is or how much I should add to my 20,000 gallon pool. I really don't want to mess this up and swing it too far the other way. Should I be adding the chemicals slowly, and do I need to have my pump running when I do it? Any guidance would be really appreciated!…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 30 minutes 170 👍 0

How Long to Wait Before Swimming After Pool Chemicals

Apparently I'm standing in my garage staring at three different pool chemicals I added this morning with no clue how long I actually need to wait before diving in. Yesterday I added liquid chlorine to bring my levels up from 1.2 ppm to around 3.0 ppm, and I wasn't sure if we could swim that evening or needed to wait until the next day.

I'm planning to shock the pool this weekend with calcium hypochlorite since we've had some cloudy water issues, and I also need to adjust the pH which has been running high at 7.8. The kids are eager to get back in the pool, but I want to make sure I'm following proper safety guidelines. Do different chemicals have different waiting periods, and should I always test the water first regardless of how much time has passed?…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 30-60 minutes 168 👍 0

Can You Vacuum Pool After Adding Chemicals? Safety Guide

Despite adding chlorine shock and algaecide yesterday, is it dangerous to vacuum my pool with my kids swimming here regularly? Can I start vacuuming immediately or do I need to wait? Don't want to mess up the chemical distribution or damage my equipment.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 4-6 hours 167 👍 0

Can I Shock Pool After Adding Baking Soda? Complete Guide

Noticed my neighbor's pool stays crystal clear when he adds baking soda then shocks immediately, but mine turns cloudy every time — what's his secret? I added baking soda to raise my alkalinity this morning, but now I'm wondering about timing.

Can I go ahead and shock the pool right away, or do I need to wait? I don't want to waste the shock treatment or mess up my water chemistry. The pool store guy mentioned something about waiting but then tried to upsell me on their "premium" shock system. Just looking for straight answers on proper timing and whether I should test anything specific before shocking.…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 30 minutes 166 👍 0

How to Increase Pool Alkalinity Fast - Complete Guide 2024

So there's this pool guy telling me to drain and refill my entire pool just because my alkalinity hit zero, but that sounds like expensive overkill for some cloudy water. Every time I try to balance the pH, it just crashes back down within a day or two.

I've got a 20,000 gallon pool and honestly I'm tired of throwing random chemicals at this problem. What's the RIGHT way to get my alkalinity back up to where it should be? I need specific amounts and steps because clearly what I've been doing isn't working.…more

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Above Ground Medium 30-45 minutes 161 👍 0

Can You Clean Pool Liner with Bleach? Safe Methods & Tips

Halfway through cleaning my new vinyl liner with the same bleach method that worked perfectly on my old above-ground pool, I'm wondering if I'm damaging it. They always push these expensive chemicals and act like regular household products will destroy my pool. I've got some stains and algae buildup on my vinyl liner that need attention, and I'm wondering if I can just use regular bleach to clean it.

I know bleach is basically chlorine, which is already in my pool, but I want to make sure I won't damage the liner if I use it directly. Has anyone successfully cleaned their pool liner with household bleach? If so, do I need to dilute it or can I use it straight from the bottle? Looking for some honest DIY advice from people who aren't trying to upsell me!…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2-3 hours for water correction 158 👍 0

Can Pool Chemicals Cause a Rash? Complete Guide & Solutions

Last week my kids broke out in red, itchy rashes after swimming, and I'm worried the pool chemicals might be dangerous - should I keep them out? Red, itchy patches on my arms and chest after getting out. Is this from the chlorine or other chemicals? Water looks clear but maybe something's off with the balance. What should I test for and how do I fix this?…more

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Best Pool Chemical Starter Kits

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Water Chemistry Easy 30 minutes 154 👍 0

Why Pool Alkalinity Gets Low: 7 Common Causes & Solutions

Opened my pool this morning and the alkalinity had crashed again — only happens when it's above 85 degrees but stays perfectly normal during cooler weather. My kids swim in it almost daily during summer, so I'm really concerned about whether this is safe for them.

I'm trying to figure out what's causing this so I can fix it properly. We've had a lot of rain lately, and I've been shocking the pool more often because of increased usage. Could these things be making the alkalinity drop? What are the main reasons pool alkalinity gets low, and should I keep the kids out until I get it balanced again?…more

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Water Chemistry Easy 5 minutes 152 👍 0

Can You Use Pool Chlorine in Washing Machine? Safety Guide

Despite my pool chlorine testing at 12.5% sodium hypochlorite, my laundry bleach bottle says 6% - can I actually use the stronger pool stuff in my washing machine? My understanding is that both pool chlorine and household bleach contain sodium hypochlorite as the active ingredient, but I need to verify the concentration differences and potential compatibility issues.

Specifically, I'm concerned about whether the higher concentration levels in pool chemicals could cause damage to washing machine components, fabric degradation, or create hazardous chemical reactions when mixed with detergents. What are the technical considerations and safety protocols I should evaluate before attempting this substitution?…more

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Salt Water Medium 30 minutes 146 👍 0

Do Salt Water Pools Need Chemicals? Complete Guide

Our saltwater pool area reeks of that sharp chlorine smell every morning, which seems impossible since we were told these systems are basically chemical-free.

But now I'm reading conflicting information online. The pool store told me I'd still need to buy some chemicals, but I'm confused about what exactly. I thought the salt system was supposed to handle everything? What chemicals do salt water pools actually need, and why? I want to make sure I'm taking proper care of the pool and keeping the water safe for my family.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2-4 hours setup 145 👍 0

Can You Store Pool Chemicals in an Outdoor Shed? Safety Guide

Around summer my backyard shed gets scorching hot, has terrible ventilation, AND I'm panicking about whether my pool chemicals are safe out there. Is this safe or asking for trouble?

Mainly have chlorine tablets, shock, pH adjusters, and algaecide. Shed gets pretty hot in summer and doesn't have great ventilation. What are the main things I need to worry about for safe storage?…more

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