Keeping your pool’s alkalinity in check is one of the most important steps in maintaining healthy, crystal-clear water. If you’ve ever struggled with high alkalinity in a pool or low alkalinity in a pool, this article will walk you through what it means — and exactly how to fix it.
The ideal Total Alkalinity pool range is 80–120 ppm (parts per million)
What Is Pool Total Alkalinity?
Total Alkalinity (TA) in a pool refers to how well your water can resist changes in pH. Think of it as a buffer that keeps your pool pH level stable. Keeping Total Alkalinity in the ideal range helps everything else stay balanced.
Why Total Alkalinity Matters
Total Alkalinity is the first thing you should check before adjusting any other chemicals. Your pool’s Total Alkalinity level plays a big role in water care, it:
- Keeps pH from bouncing up and down
- Helps chlorine work effectively
- Protects pool surfaces and equipment
Low Total Alkalinity in Your Pool
When you have low alkalinity in a pool, your water becomes unstable and often too acidic.
Problems caused by low TA include:
- Rapid pH fluctuations (“pH bounce”)
- Corrosion of pool equipment
- Damage to pool surfaces (cracking, etching)
- Irritated skin and eyes
- Reduced sanitizer effectiveness
How to Raise Your Pool’s Total Alkalinity
There are two ways to raise alkalinity in a pool:
- Use an Alkalinity Increaser: These are typically made from sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and sold as products labeled Raise Alkalinity
- Use Baking Soda after adding any chemicals to your pool, wait at least 6 hours before retesting
High Total Alkalinity in Your Pool
If your alkalinity is too high, it can cause cloudy water and make your pool harder to maintain.
One of the most common problems pool owners experience with high alkalinity is cloudy or murky water. When Total Alkalinity is too high, minerals and other dissolved particles can more easily come out of solution, contributing to cloudy water and scale buildup. High alkalinity can also make pH difficult to adjust, leading to several other pool water and equipment issues, including:
- Water scaling on pool surfaces and equipment
- Reduced water circulation due to clogged pipes
- Clogged filters
- Higher water pressure and pump strain as scale clogs pipes and restricts water flow, potentially shortening equipment life.
- pH lock, where changes to the pool water’s pH are difficult
How to Lower Your Pool’s Total Alkalinity
If your pool’s Total Alkalinity is too high, you can lower it with an alkalinity decreaser. Common options include:
- Muriatic acid
- Sodium bisulfate (dry acid)
- A pool alkalinity decreaser
Always follow the product’s dosing instructions and add chemicals gradually. After lowering alkalinity, retest both TA and pH, as products that lower alkalinity can also lower your pool’s pH.
Why Test Your Pool’s Total Alkalinity?
Balancing TA is one of the easiest ways to prevent bigger water problems. Whether you’re dealing with low or high TA in your pool — a little testing and small adjustments go a long way toward a happier, stress-free pool!
How Often Should You Test Alkalinity?
Regular testing helps you catch issues early—before they affect your pH or water clarity.
Test at least twice per week using a water test kit or your favorite pool test strips.
See, Feel and Smell the Difference
FROG® Sanitizing systems transform your pool by combining proprietary FROG Sanitizing Minerals® with low levels of chlorine to destroy bacteria. The result is Fresh Mineral Water®∞, our signature water quality experience that’s gentler on skin and free from the harsh, over-chlorinated feel of traditional pool care.
- Uses up to 50% less chlorine*
- Less chlorine creates water that is cleaner, clearer and softer
- Easier on skin, swimsuits and pool surfaces
- No harsh odors
* Compared to the minimum EPA recommended chlorine level of 1.0 ppm for a stabilized swimming pool
∞ Cleaner, Clearer and Softer water for pools, hot tubs and swim spas
