bicarbonate of soda hot tub

pH is one, if not the most important chemical balance to maintain if you own a hot tub. But with hot tub chemicals being a little pricey, many have wondered can I use baking soda to raise the pH in my hot tub?

Here’s what I know having owned hot tubs for the past 15 years:

You can use baking soda to raise the pH of a hot tub, but, it can take over a pound of baking soda to significantly impact the pH, whereas alternative pH boosters will require a much lower quantity.

Soda Ash or magnesium oxide are much better alternatives for raising the pH in your hot tub. And, it impacts alkalinity more than pH.

But there’s a lot more to know about hot tubs and pH. So let’s keep going!

pH is a scale used to specify how acidic or basic a liquid is. Acidic solutions have a lower pH, while basic solutions have a higher pH.

Plain water is neither acidic nor basic and has a pH of 7. The pH scale ranges from zero to fourteen. But our bodies, oils, perfumes, other chemicals, and contaminants can alter the pH of water.

That’s why we have to continually adjust it.

If you do not correctly maintain your water’s pH, then you are unable to soak in it, because it is unsafe. There are different chemicals, tips, and tricks to maintaining your hot tub’s pH level.

Read on to find out.

Ready to Spend Less Time On Maintenance and More Time Enjoying Your Hot Tub?

Let’s face it. Balancing the water, cleaning filters, dealing with rashes, and trying to figure out which chemicals to buy and add can make you feel more like a chemist than someone who just wants to relax after a long hard day!

That’s exactly why The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course is so valuable!

This is from Matt over at Swim University and he developed it for people looking to save money, time, and frustration. His tips on chemicals can save you $100/year just by making sure you buy only what you need.

So if you’re ready to stop being confused or frustrated with your hot tub and start spending more time in it, check out The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course.

Just click that link to learn more on their website.

Here’s how to balance the pH in your hot tub! https://t.co/jJtYOlwyd2 pic.twitter.com/2qLur9JNQz

— Ultra Modern P & P (@UltraModernPnP) February 23, 2016

Is baking soda the best way to raise the pH in my hot tub?

No is the short answer. Soda ash or magnesium oxide powder, which I get into below, is a better option.

While baking soda can be used to raise the pH of your hot tub’s water, it will only raise the pH slightly.

Remember, the proper level for pH should be between 7.2 and 7.8 parts per million. Baking soda is mostly used to raise the alkalinity of your hot tub’s water.

If your hot tub’s pH level is too high, it can damage some of the equipment of the hot tub, such as the heater or pipes.

If you are still curious about the dangers of bathing in a hot tub with high pH levels, check out this recent article.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Before using baking soda to raise the pH of your hot tub, you will want to first test the pH level of your hot tub’s water.

To do this, take a sample of the water and put a test strip in it. Wait a few minutes and check the color of the test strip with the color guide.

Low or high pH in your hot tub can lead to an increased chance to be exposed to harmful bacteria that can cause hot tub folliculitis or legionnaires disease.

Your hot tub’s water can also become cloudy, scale can grow, and your eyes and skin can become irritated, itchy, and red.

Hot Tub Tip of the Day: Use common baking soda to clean small surface areas. #spas #hottubs #saunas #losangeles pic.twitter.com/NZFhuFFtlW

— Pacific Spas & Sauna (@pacspaandsauna) February 9, 2017

How much baking soda does it take to raise pH in a hot tub?

It would take 1.25 pounds of baking soda to adjust a hot tub’s pH reading of 7.2 to a reading of 7.6 in a 600-gallon hot tub. So the amount needed will vary based on the volume of water and the current reading of the pH.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is near 8.4 on the pH scale, slightly above the neutral area of 7. Before using baking soda to raise your pH, use a test kit and see how high or low your pH is.

However, it is impractical to use baking soda to raise the pH level of your water. While it greatly increases alkalinity, it only raises the pH level by a little bit.

The farther from seven, the neutral area of the pH scale, your pH is, the more baking soda it would take to raise the pH.

One whole number is ten times the amount of baking soda used than the preceding number. The closer your pH is to 8.3, the more sodium bicarbonate you would need.

It’s not a great idea to use baking soda to raise the pH level of your hot tub. It’s better to use it for alkalinity.

How’s your pH? Not sure? Check it! Sometimes cloudy hot tub water is simply the result of improper pH balance. pic.twitter.com/iEiI5Kkiwp

— Cal Spas and Jacuzzi (@calspasjacuzzi) July 31, 2017

Will baking soda also raise the alkalinity in my hot tub?

Baking soda can be incredibly helpful to homeowners who own a hot tub and want to raise your hot tub’s alkalinity levels.

What is total alkalinity?

Total alkalinity refers to how your hot tub’s water resists against sudden changes in the pH level. Your hot tub’s water alkalinity is one of the most important steps in managing your water and keeping it safe to soak.

The alkalinity level of your hot tub you want should be between eighty and one hundred and twenty parts per million.

Still confused about the difference between alkalinity and pH?

If so, check out this recent article to understand it better. What really surprised me was how one affects the other despite being totally different.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

If you want to raise the alkalinity of your hot tub’s water, use one tablespoon of baking soda per every one hundred gallons of water in your hot tub. For example, if your hot tub holds six hundred gallons of water, add six tablespoons.

Here is what to do to raise your water’s alkalinity with baking soda.

First, turn off the jets of your hot tub. Make sure you know the pH level of your hot tub by using a testing strip.

Add the amount of baking soda you need. This depends on the number of gallons of water in your hot tub or spa. Next, turn on the jets of your hot tub,  allowing the water to circulate. Keep the jets on for two to four hours.

Finally, test both the pH and alkalinity of your hot tub’s water.

Ensure they are at proper levels: between 7.2 and 7.8 parts per million for pH and alkalinity is between eighty and one hundred and twenty parts per million.

#DYK Hot tub maintenance is as important as pool maintenance, if not more. Balancing your chemistry, including sanitizer, pH, and total alkalinity, is critical to healthy hot tub usage. #floridaleisurepoolandspa #hottub #healthyliving pic.twitter.com/MBWWOjo4Dq

— Florida Leisure Pool & Spa (@flpoolspa) July 20, 2021

How do I raise the pH in my hot tub without raising alkalinity?

Magnesium oxide powder is the best way to significantly raise the pH in a hot tub while only having a minimum impact on alkalinity. Additionally, running the jets and water features will also raise pH and have no impact on alkalinity.

But you can’t really raise the pH in your hot tub without also raising the alkalinity at least a little.

It’s impossible not to raise both, but you can still raise one significantly and only raise the other by a little, depending on what chemical you use.

Both before and after raising your alkalinity, check both your pH and alkalinity levels.

If your pH is out of balance, scale can form, and the water can hurt you by creating itchy eyes and skin.

♻️ Did you know: #glass is made from natural ingredients like sand, soda ash and limestone, making it endlessly recyclable. Pretty great, right? pic.twitter.com/fEBST2BxTZ

— Friends of Glass (@FriendsofGlass) August 21, 2019

Is soda ash better than baking soda to raise pH?

Simply put, soda ash is much better at raising your hot tub’s pH level than baking soda.

Soda ash has a pH level of 11.4, while baking soda has a pH of 8.3. If you were to add baking soda to your hot tub, and the pH was higher than 8.3, it would actually lower the pH level.

Soda Ash is sodium carbonate compared to baking soda being sodium bicarbonate.

Soda ash will drastically raise your pH level, but it also raises your water’s alkalinity. Baking soda is the exact opposite.

So that is the biggest downside to soda ash – it also tends to raise total alkalinity a lot.

The only thing I know of that raises total pH without significantly impacting total alkalinity is called magnesium oxide powder.

Now to be sure, it does raise alkalinity a little, but not to the same degree as soda ash.

Magnesium oxide powder is concentrated too. So if you buy it, just know you won’t need to use as much of it as you would soda ash. Use about 2/3 as much magnesium oxide as you would soda ash.

So for the average size hot tub, that means starting with about 1/4 cup of magnesium oxide powder. You can always add more, but if you overdo it, you’ll have to add something to drop it back down.

Also, remember that turning the jets on will also raise your pH a little bit too due to the aeration.

So if you need to raise pH without significantly impacting alkalinity, check out the Bulk Supplements brand of Magnesium Oxide powder on Amazon Prime.

It has excellent reviews, a great price, and 1 bag will last hot tub owners quite a while. 2 lbs for about 20 bucks, and it comes with free Prime shipping.

Just click that link to see it on Amazon.

Did I cover all you wanted to know about using baking soda to raise the pH in your hot tub?

Baking soda is a home item that can be used to affect both the pH and alkalinity of your hot tub’s water.

Baking soda will mildly increase pH while substantially increasing alkalinity. There is no way to not raise both, but you can raise one more than the other depending on what you use.

However, baking soda is better used to raise your hot tub’s alkalinity level and not the pH. Soda ash is better suited to raise your hot tub’s pH level.

If your hot tub has low total alkalinity and good pH, use baking soda. But if you have low pH and good total alkalinity, use soda ash or magnesium oxide powder.

If you want to raise the alkalinity of your hot tub’s water, use one tablespoon of baking soda per every one hundred gallons of water in your hot tub (about 6 tablespoons for most regular-sized hot tubs).

These include damage to your spa’s equipment, itchy eyes and skin, cloudy water, scale, and an increase in the chance of unwanted bacteria and disease surviving in your hot tub.

Ready to Spend Less Time On Maintenance and More Time Enjoying Your Hot Tub?

Let’s face it. Balancing the water, cleaning filters, dealing with rashes, and trying to figure out which chemicals to buy and add can make you feel more like a chemist than someone who just wants to relax after a long hard day!

That’s exactly why The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course is so valuable!

This is from Matt over at Swim University and he developed it for people looking to save money, time, and frustration. His tips on chemicals can save you $100/year just by making sure you buy only what you need.

So if you’re ready to stop being confused or frustrated with your hot tub and start spending more time in it, check out The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Course.

Just click that link to learn more on their website.


Photos which require attribution:

Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda (15 lbs.) by Lucille Martinez is licensed under Public Domain

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