In recent times, a viral article and accompanying TikTok video shared a Pool maintenance “hack” that caught the attention of pool owners worldwide. In this supposed hack, a pool owner claimed that the secret to maintaining perfectly balanced water was as simple as adding a cup of baking soda to the pool every other day. But is this unconventional method truly effective, or is it a risky endeavor that could potentially harm your pool? To get to the bottom of this, we spoke with pool care expert, CPO instructor, and best-selling author, Rudy Stankowitz.
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Just How Real Is This Pool Hack?
The viral Pool Maintenance video might have garnered attention, but, as Rudy Stankowitz aptly puts it, “It was a fantastic piece of clickbait. As with most clickbait, there’s a grain of truth buried in it, but the risks and pitfalls of this method are significant. Stankowitz elaborates, “There was some truth in it, but then there was a lot that wasn’t, and a lot that can actually put a homeowner in a bad position if they just followed through with what this woman was recommending.”
The Importance of Proper Pool Care
Before diving into the specifics of the baking soda “hack,” it’s essential to understand the fundamentals of pool care. Stankowitz emphasizes that adding any chemical to your pool should never be a haphazard act. “Nothing should go in without first having tested the water and then determining the need for what it is that you’re going to add,” he asserts. This rule is foundational to responsible pool maintenance. Randomly adding chemicals can lead to imbalances, problems, and potential damage to your pool.
The Role of pH in Pool Maintenance
A crucial factor in pool care is the pH level, which measures the acidity or base of the water. Rudy Stankowitz breaks down the significance of pH: “It’s the measurement of acidity or base. It’s the measurement of hydrogen ion activity.” Maintaining the correct pH level is vital for various reasons:
- Pool Protection: pH plays a role in protecting the pool structure itself, preventing damage over time.
- Chlorine Effectiveness: The effectiveness of chlorine in the water is pH-dependent, with lower pH levels leading to more efficient chlorine action.
- Algae Prevention: The type of algae we see in swimming pools prefer a pH of >7.6
Stankowitz recommends maintaining a pH level between 7.2 and 7.5 to ensure proper water quality and bather safety. Proper pH control is essential for an enjoyable and safe swimming experience.
The Role of Baking Soda in Pool Maintenance
In the viral video, the pool owner claimed to use a cup of baking soda every other day as a natural pH balancer. While baking soda can indeed raise total alkalinity, Stankowitz points out that blindly adding it without testing the water can lead to issues. “She’s going to get to a point where her total alkalinity is too high in trying to maintain her pH,” Stankowitz warned. Constantly adding baking soda could lead to excessive total alkalinity, necessitating the addition of acid to lower it, which in turn would drop the pH. This creates a yoyo effect and a cycle of imbalances and problems.
The Problem with pH Bounce
Stankowitz also highlights the issue of pH bounce or pH lock, a term used to describe drastic pH fluctuations. Adding chemicals without understanding their impact can cause pH to swing unpredictably. Baking soda’s natural pH of around 8.4 means it’s not the ideal choice for raising pH efficiently. A better alternative is soda ash, which is more cost-effective and effective in increasing pH.
Copper Ionization Hack: Fact or Fiction?
In the same viral video, the pool owner used a copper pipe with holes drilled in a plastic bottle to create a copper ionization system. Stankowitz acknowledges that copper does have bactericidal properties and is used for algae control in pools. However, the effectiveness of this DIY method is questionable. The contact kill effect of copper relies on specific conditions, and and enclosing the copper pipe in a plastic bottle reduces the contact time even further than the flowrate. This pretty much ensures contact occurs only when the pump is off and for maybe the 2 – 3 gallons of water in the skimmer at that time, if at all. Moreover, the lack of testing and control over the copper levels poses a risk of potential staining and other issues in the pool.
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The Importance of Proper Testing
Stankowitz underlines the significance of proper water testing in pool maintenance. “If she had a test kit and used every bottle in the test kit and then had some basic chemistry knowledge and then used the sodium bicarbonate every time that she needed to actually increase the total alkalinity, I would say that’s great,” he comments. Pool owners should rely on accurate testing methods and sound chemical knowledge rather than adopting unverified hacks.
Managing External Factors
For pool owners dealing with external factors such as storms, Rudy Stankowitz advises focusing on maintaining the ideal total alkalinity, which serves as a buffer for pH fluctuations. Understanding how cyanuric acid affects total alkalinity is crucial. By adjusting for the contribution of cyanuric acid in water, pool owners can achieve a more accurate measure of carbonate alkalinity. This knowledge helps maintain a stable pH and prevents it from becoming too corrosive or scale-forming.
In the world of pool care, shortcuts and DIY hacks can often do more harm than good. Rudy Stankowitz’s expert insights reveal the importance of using proper testing methods and understanding the chemistry of pool water. While there’s some truth to the viral baking soda “hack,” it’s vital to recognize that pool maintenance is a precise science that requires careful attention and knowledge to achieve consistently safe and enjoyable swimming experiences.
Listen to our entire interview with Rudy Stankowitz on the Pool Magazine podcast.
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