Pool Alkalinity Calculator

Enter your pool volume, current total alkalinity, and target — get the baking soda dose in pounds and boxes.

Don't know it? Use the pool volume calculator.

80–120 ppm is the standard range.

Baking soda to add
—
TA increase—
In ounces (by weight)—
Add in stages of no more than—

Broadcast over the deep end with the pump running; retest after 6–8 hours. Large corrections are better made over two days.

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The alkalinity dosing formula

lbs of baking soda = 1.5 × (gallons ÷ 10,000) × (TA increase ÷ 10)

The 1.5 lbs per 10 ppm per 10,000 gallons figure is the industry standard for sodium bicarbonate. It's forgiving chemistry — modest overshoot self-corrects over time — but staging large doses keeps pH from spiking while it dissolves.

A worked example

A 15,000-gallon pool at 60 ppm targeting 90 ppm needs a 30 ppm rise: 1.5 × 1.5 × 3 = 6.75 lbs of baking soda. Add 4 lbs the first evening, retest the next day, then add the remainder — TA testing has enough slop that the second reading often moves the plan.

Why TA matters more than it gets credit for

Total alkalinity is the shock absorber for pH. With TA at 40, one rainstorm or a busy pool day sends pH bouncing; at 100, the same events barely register. If you're constantly correcting pH, fix TA first and most of the pH problem usually disappears with it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I raise alkalinity in my pool?

Add sodium bicarbonate — plain baking soda, the same compound sold as 'alkalinity increaser.' About 1.5 lbs raises total alkalinity by 10 ppm in 10,000 gallons.

What should pool total alkalinity be?

80–120 ppm for most pools. TA is the water's pH buffer: too low and pH swings wildly with every rainstorm and swimmer; too high and pH drifts stubbornly upward.

Is baking soda really the same as alkalinity increaser?

Yes — check the label: sodium bicarbonate, typically 100%. Grocery-store baking soda in the big bags is chemically identical and usually cheaper per pound than pool-branded product.

Will baking soda raise pH too?

Slightly — it nudges pH toward ~8.3 but is a weak pH raiser. If TA is fine and only pH is low, soda ash (sodium carbonate) is the right tool instead. Raising both: soda ash. Raising mostly TA: baking soda.

Related calculators

Pool Volume CalculatorHow many gallons your pool holds — the number everything else needs.Pool Chlorine CalculatorExact liquid chlorine dose to hit your target FC level.Pool Salt CalculatorPounds of salt to reach your SWG's target ppm.Pool Shock CalculatorThe right shock dose from your combined chlorine reading.