Can I use baking soda from the grocery store to raise alkalinity in my Ottawa pool?

Yes, grocery store baking soda works perfectly well for raising total alkalinity in your pool — it is chemically identical to the "alkalinity increaser" products sold at pool supply stores, which are simply sodium bicarbonate with a significant markup.

The practical difference comes down to cost and convenience. A 500-gram box of baking soda at the grocery store costs roughly $1.50 to $2.00, while the equivalent amount of branded pool alkalinity increaser can run $8 to $15 for the same quantity. For Ottawa pool owners working with a tight chemical budget over a short 3.5 to 4 month season, buying baking soda in bulk bags (available at warehouse stores like Costco in 5 to 10 kilogram bags) is a genuinely smart approach that saves real money without any compromise in water quality.

The dosing math is straightforward. To raise total alkalinity by 10 ppm in a typical 50,000-litre inground pool, you need approximately 1.5 kilograms of sodium bicarbonate. Always add it by broadcasting it across the surface of the pool with the pump running, rather than dumping it in one spot. Test your water 4 to 6 hours after adding chemicals before testing again and adjusting further.

One important distinction worth knowing: baking soda raises total alkalinity primarily, with a modest effect on pH. If you need to raise pH specifically without significantly affecting alkalinity, you want soda ash (sodium carbonate), which is a different product. Confusing the two is a common mistake that throws water chemistry off balance and can lead to cloudy water or scaling on your pool surfaces — a particular nuisance on vinyl liners.

For Ottawa pools, keeping total alkalinity in the 80 to 120 ppm range is especially important because our water chemistry can fluctuate more dramatically with heavy spring rainfall and the intense UV exposure during our short, sunny summers. Testing weekly during peak season keeps you ahead of any imbalances before they become problems.