BioGuard Balance Pak 200 6 lb. | Pool pH Increaser

• 1 x BioGuard Balance Pak 200, 6 lb container
• Full manufacturer label with dosing rate and application directions

At a maximum of 1 lb per 10,000 gallons per application, a 6 lb container delivers six full doses to a 10,000-gallon pool, or three to a 20,000-gallon pool.

Raises pH

Corrects acidic water back into the 7.4–7.6 target range, where sanitizer works efficiently and the water isn't attacking the pool.

Protects Equipment from Corrosion

Low pH corrodes heater elements, metal fittings, ladders, and pump components. Correcting it is dramatically cheaper than replacing any of them.

Prevents Plaster Etching and Liner Wrinkling

Aggressive acidic water dissolves calcium out of plaster and grout, leaving surfaces rough, and contributes to vinyl liner distortion.

Improves Swimmer Comfort

Prevents the eye irritation caused by low pH — a discomfort routinely blamed on chlorine when the actual cause is unbalanced water.

Helps Other Products Work Properly

Many algaecides require balanced pH to perform, and sanitizer efficiency depends on it. Correcting pH protects the money already spent on everything else in the routine.

100% Sodium Carbonate

No fillers. The entire contents is working chemistry, which is why the dose is small and the effect is fast.

Quick Dissolving

Goes into solution readily when broadcast into the deep end with the pump running — no pre-mixing required.

Simple Dosing With a Built-In Safety Margin

One pound per 10,000 gallons maximum per application, with a recheck before repeating. The structure makes overshooting difficult if you follow it.

The active ingredient is sodium carbonate at 100% — commonly known as soda ash. When it dissolves it releases carbonate ions, which are strongly alkaline and raise pH by neutralizing acidity in the water.

The reason low pH matters so much comes down to saturation. Water tends toward equilibrium with calcium carbonate, and acidic water is chemically undersaturated — meaning it actively pulls calcium out of whatever it touches to satisfy that deficit. In a plaster or gunite pool, the finish itself is a calcium carbonate source, so the water etches it. Grout dissolves. Metal components corrode. None of this announces itself; it accumulates across a season until a surface feels rough underfoot or a heater fails.

There's a second effect worth understanding. Free chlorine exists in water as two species — hypochlorous acid, which does the sanitizing, and hypochlorite ion, which is dramatically weaker. The ratio is governed almost entirely by pH. Low pH actually shifts more chlorine into the effective form, which sounds like a benefit until you account for the fact that aggressive water is dissolving your pool while it happens. Correct pH is a compromise between sanitizer efficiency and surface protection, and 7.4–7.6 is where both are acceptable.

An important distinction: sodium carbonate raises pH sharply and total alkalinity somewhat. That's different from sodium bicarbonate — an alkalinity increaser — which raises alkalinity substantially and pH only slightly. The two are frequently confused and are not interchangeable. Using a pH increaser to fix an alkalinity problem overshoots pH badly; using an alkalinity increaser to fix a pH problem barely moves it.

The 1 lb per 10,000 gallons maximum exists because soda ash is potent. Adding too much at once can drive pH well past target and can cloud the water temporarily as calcium precipitates out of solution. Splitting a correction into measured doses with a recheck between is faster overall than overshooting and having to add acid to come back down.

Pro Tip: Do not confuse pH increaser with alkalinity increaser — buying the wrong one is one of the most common and frustrating mistakes in pool care. Balance Pak 200 is sodium carbonate (soda ash): it raises pH hard and alkalinity moderately. An alkalinity increaser is sodium bicarbonate (chemically baking soda): it raises alkalinity substantially and pH barely at all. Test both values before deciding. Low pH with alkalinity in range calls for this product. Low alkalinity, whatever the pH reads, calls for the other one first — and correcting alkalinity usually brings pH up along with it, sometimes eliminating the need for a pH correction entirely.

Dosage Reference

• Maximum 1 lb per 10,000 gallons per application
• Recheck pH after 2 to 3 hours and repeat if necessary

Target Ranges

• pH: 7.4–7.6
• Total alkalinity: 125–150 ppm (80–150 ppm on some salt generator programs)

Always confirm target ranges on your current product label and against your equipment manufacturer's guidance.

Before You Start

1. Confirm the pump and filter are running and circulating normally.
2. Test total alkalinity first. If it's below range, correct alkalinity before adjusting pH — that correction will often raise pH on its own.
3. Test pH and confirm your pool's actual gallon capacity.

Application

1. To raise pH, distribute a maximum of one pound per 10,000 gallons of water, directly into the deep end of the pool.
2. Broadcast with the pump running, walking around the edge for even distribution.
3. Brush any undissolved granules off pool surfaces.
4. Allow water to recirculate for two to three hours.
5. Recheck pH, and repeat the treatment if necessary.
6. Once pH is in range, move on to calcium hardness, then sanitizer.

Why the Recheck Matters

Sodium carbonate is potent, and pH doesn't move instantly — it takes a couple of hours of circulation for the full effect to register. Testing too soon reads low, which tempts a second dose that lands you well above target. Overshooting means adding acid to come back down, which pulls alkalinity down with it and can start a cycle of corrections in both directions. Two or three hours of patience prevents all of it.

When to Test and Treat

• Two to three times per week during swim season, as part of routine testing
• After heavy rain
• After heavy bather loads
• Regularly through the season if you feed chlorine with trichlor tablets or sticks
• After any acid correction, which lowers both pH and alkalinity
• Any time water feels harsh on eyes or skin, or plaster starts feeling rough

Storage and Handling

• Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from moisture
• Keep the container tightly closed and clearly labeled
• Store separately from sanitizers, acids, and oxidizers
• Keep out of reach of children and pets
• Avoid breathing dust; broadcast downwind of yourself on a breezy day
• Read and follow all label precautions and directions before use

Pro Tip: Expect some temporary cloudiness after a larger correction, and don't reach for a clarifier. Raising pH quickly can push calcium past its saturation point, and it precipitates out as a fine milky haze. It's harmless, it's normal, and it usually clears within a day or two as the filter removes it and the water settles. Adding a clarifier on top just loads the filter faster. What actually helps is running the pump continuously and cleaning the filter if pressure climbs. If your calcium hardness is already high, that's another reason to split corrections into smaller doses rather than adding the full amount at once.

• Brand: BioGuard
• Product Type: pH increaser
• Form: Quick-dissolving granular
• Net Weight: 6 lb
• Manufacturer Part Number: 23469BIO
• Active Ingredient: Sodium carbonate, 100%
• Common Name: Soda ash
• Maximum Dose: 1 lb per 10,000 gallons per application
• Recheck Interval: 2–3 hours of recirculation before retesting
• Target pH: 7.4–7.6
• Effect on Total Alkalinity: Raises alkalinity moderately
• Application Method: Distribute into the deep end with the pump running
• Pre-Dissolving: Not required
• Balancing Order: Total alkalinity, then pH, then calcium hardness, then sanitizer
• Suitable Surfaces: Plaster, gunite, vinyl liner, fiberglass, painted
• Sanitizer Compatibility: Chlorine, bromine, salt generator, mineral, and biguanide systems
• Filter Compatibility: Sand, cartridge, and DE
• Not For Use In: Spas or hot tubs
• Shipping Classification: DOT-regulated — ground shipping only

Pool Types and Surfaces

• In-ground and above-ground pools
• Plaster and gunite
• Vinyl liner
• Fiberglass
• Painted surfaces
• Sand, cartridge, and DE filtration

Sanitizer Programs

• Chlorine pools — fully compatible, and frequently needed since trichlor tablets pull pH down continuously
• Bromine pools — fully compatible
• Salt chlorine generator pools — compatible, though salt generators tend to raise pH rather than lower it, so this product is needed less often on those pools
• Mineral system pools — fully compatible
• Biguanide pools — compatible; balance is still required on a biguanide program

The Balancing Sequence

• Total alkalinity first — it controls how stubbornly pH resists change
• pH second — this product, once alkalinity is in range and the water will hold a correction
• Calcium hardness third
• Sanitizer last, in properly balanced water where it can work efficiently

pH Increaser Versus Alkalinity Increaser

• Balance Pak 200 is sodium carbonate (soda ash). Raises pH sharply, alkalinity moderately. Use when pH is low but alkalinity is in range.
• An alkalinity increaser is sodium bicarbonate. Raises alkalinity substantially, pH only slightly. Use when alkalinity is low.
• They are not interchangeable. Test both values before choosing.

What Lowers pH

• Trichlor tablets and sticks — strongly acidic; continuous feeding pulls pH down all season
• pH reducer or dry acid — by design
• Rain, particularly heavy or acidic rainfall
• Heavy bather loads
• Fresh fill water, depending on your source

What It Does Not Do

• Not a sanitizer. Provides no disinfection.
• Not an alkalinity increaser. It moves alkalinity somewhat but isn't the right tool for that correction.
• Not a substitute for fixing low alkalinity. A pool that won't hold pH needs alkalinity corrected first.
• Not for spas or hot tubs. This is a pool product dosed per 10,000 gallons.

Important Handling Cautions

• Do not exceed 1 lb per 10,000 gallons per application.
• Never mix with other chemicals. Add products separately with circulation between additions.
• Keep the product dry in storage — sodium carbonate absorbs moisture and cakes.
• Brush any undissolved granules off pool surfaces.