sodium bicarbonate=baking soda

[bsheffer]

This is a hot tub question....I get 50 lb bags of sodium bicarbonate which as I understand is basically baking soda from the company who supplies my water treatment systems for my well. The material is in a white powder form. In this case, the sodium bicarbonate gets injected into my water supply at a very specific rate with the intention of increasing the PH of my water supply in my house.

On the other hand, I have a hot tub and when I fill the hot-tub, the PH level is still a bit low for hot-tub standards so I go to the hot-tub store and buy their version of a product called "PH-UP" for some ridiculous price. ON this container, the ingredients are stated as 95% sodium bicarbonate and 5%-Other ingredients.

I am trying to figure out if I can use the baking soda from my well supplier in the hot-tub. I am sure if I go to the hot tub store, they will say I need their expensive little container of material so I doubt I'd get an honest answer from these them.

[Curlycherry]

The pool supply place is ripping you off. Heck you could buy Arm and Hammer baking soda at Costco and it would be the same thing. The 5% other stuff is what you want to avoid and I bet the stuff you use to increase the pH of the house water is pure stuff.

[Woodjets]

That other 5% is likely sodium carbonate or sodium borate or soda ash or a mix of the three.
It'll basically do the same thing but will reduce the total alkalinity more than the pure baking soda will.

[Mandrake]

For our pool we use the Kroger version of Arm & Hammer. Same thing, 1/4th the price. Works fine.

[theeviltwinn]

www.troublefreepool.com

Twinn