BioGuard Balance Pak 100 | Alkalinity Increaser

• 1 x BioGuard Balance Pak 100 container, in your selected size
• Full manufacturer label with dosing rates and application directions

Available in 5 lb and 12 lb. Because 1.5 lbs raises 10,000 gallons by about 10 ppm, a 5 lb container delivers roughly 33 ppm of correction to a 10,000-gallon pool, and a 12 lb container roughly 80 ppm.

Raises Total Alkalinity

Corrects the buffering capacity that determines whether your pH stays where you put it — the first and most important step in balancing pool water.

Prevents pH Bounce

Keeps pH stable through rain, heavy bather loads, and other chemical applications, so you stop correcting the same value week after week.

Prevents Corrosion from Improper pH

Stops the acidic swings that attack the metal and plastic components your pool depends on — heater elements, fittings, ladders, and pump parts.

Protects Vinyl Liners from Wrinkling

Proper alkalinity supports the stable balance that keeps a liner from distorting, along with helping prevent staining and plaster etching.

Improves Swimmer Comfort

Stable, balanced water is far easier on eyes and skin than water swinging between acidic and alkaline through the week.

Dissolves Quickly

Goes into solution rapidly when added directly to the water, with no pre-mixing required.

Simple, Linear Dosing

1.5 lbs per 10,000 gallons raises total alkalinity approximately 10 ppm. The math scales cleanly, making a specific correction easy to calculate.

Two Container Sizes

Available in 5 lb and 12 lb, so you can match your purchase to pool size and how much correction you actually need.

The active ingredient is sodium bicarbonate at 100% — chemically identical to baking soda, in a pool-grade form. When it dissolves, it releases bicarbonate ions, and those ions are exactly what a total alkalinity test measures.

Bicarbonate works as a buffer, which is the whole point. A buffer is a substance that neutralizes both acids and bases, absorbing them before they can shift pH. Add acid to buffered water and the bicarbonate consumes it. Add a base and the bicarbonate consumes that too. The pH barely moves until enough buffer has been used up.

That's why alkalinity has to be corrected first. Total alkalinity controls how much effort it takes to change pH. Correct pH in water with no buffer and it drifts right back — you've moved a number without changing what governs it. Correct alkalinity first and pH becomes both easier to adjust and far more likely to stay adjusted.

The relationship runs in the other direction too. Anything that lowers pH also lowers alkalinity, because the acid is consumed by the buffer on its way to changing pH. That's why a pool fed by trichlor tablets — which are strongly acidic — needs alkalinity topped up through the season, and why a heavy acid correction can leave alkalinity below range afterward.

Low alkalinity causes damage through instability rather than through any single value. Water that swings acidic, even briefly and repeatedly, becomes aggressive: it corrodes metal, etches plaster, dissolves grout, and contributes to liner distortion. Because those swings are transient, a test reading taken at the right moment can look fine while the damage accumulates. Stable buffered water simply doesn't do this.

One useful property: sodium bicarbonate raises alkalinity substantially while raising pH only slightly. It's a targeted correction rather than a blunt one, which is why it's the right product when alkalinity is low but pH is already acceptable. Soda ash, by contrast, drives pH up hard — a different tool for a different problem.

Pro Tip: Split large corrections across several days rather than dumping the whole amount at once. A big single dose can cloud the water temporarily and tends to overshoot, and alkalinity is far easier to raise than to lower — bringing it back down means adding acid, which pulls pH down with it and starts the whole cycle over. Add no more than a few pounds per 10,000 gallons at a time, let the pool circulate several hours, then retest before adding more. Broadcast it over the deep end with the pump running and brush any granules that settle. Two or three smaller doses land on target far more reliably than one large one.

Dosage Reference

• 1.5 lbs per 10,000 gallons raises total alkalinity approximately 10 ppm
• 3 lbs per 10,000 gallons raises total alkalinity approximately 20 ppm
• 7.5 lbs per 10,000 gallons raises total alkalinity approximately 50 ppm

Target Range

• Total alkalinity: 125–150 ppm for most pools
• 80–150 ppm for pools with a salt chlorine generator

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

Before You Start

1. Confirm all pool equipment is operating properly and the pump is running.
2. Test total alkalinity and confirm your pool's actual gallon capacity.
3. Calculate your correction: subtract your current reading from your target, divide by 10, then multiply by 1.5 lbs per 10,000 gallons.

Application

1. Add directly to the pool with the pump and filter running.
2. Broadcast over the deep end, walking around the pool for even distribution.
3. Use 1.5 lbs per 10,000 gallons for each 10 ppm of increase needed.
4. For large corrections, split the total across several doses with a few hours of circulation between each.
5. Brush any undissolved granules off pool surfaces.
6. Allow the water to circulate fully, then retest before adding more.
7. Once alkalinity is in range, move on to adjusting pH.

When to Test and Treat

• At opening, and after any significant refill
• Weekly through the season as part of routine testing
• After heavy rain, which dilutes alkalinity
• Through the season if you feed chlorine with trichlor tablets or sticks, which pull alkalinity down continuously
• After any substantial acid correction
• Any time pH refuses to hold where you set it

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: Fix alkalinity before you spend money on anything else. Sanitizer added to badly balanced water is partially wasted the moment it hits the pool, and most people who feel like their pool "eats chlorine" are watching unstable alkalinity and pH sabotage every dose. The correct order is alkalinity, then pH, then calcium hardness, then sanitizer — and it's the order for a reason: each step affects the next, so working backwards means doing the job twice. At roughly the cost of a bag of baking soda, this is the least expensive product in your pool routine and the one that determines how well everything else performs.

• Brand: BioGuard
• Product Type: Total alkalinity increaser
• Form: Quick-dissolving granular
• Available Sizes: 5 lb and 12 lb
• Active Ingredient: Sodium hydrogen carbonate (sodium bicarbonate), 100%
• Common Name: Baking soda, pool grade
• Dosage: 1.5 lbs per 10,000 gallons raises total alkalinity approximately 10 ppm
• Target Range: 125–150 ppm; 80–150 ppm with a salt chlorine generator
• Effect on pH: Raises pH slightly
• Application Method: Add directly to the pool with the pump and filter running
• Pre-Dissolving: Not required
• Reversibility: Alkalinity is lowered with acid, which also lowers pH
• 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
• 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
• Bromine pools — fully compatible
• Salt chlorine generator pools — fully compatible; note that some salt programs target a lower alkalinity range of 80–150 ppm
• Mineral system pools — fully compatible
• Biguanide pools — compatible; balance is still required on a biguanide program

The Balancing Sequence

• Total alkalinity first — this product. It controls how stubbornly pH resists change.
• pH second, 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.

Alkalinity Increaser Versus pH Increaser

• Balance Pak 100 is sodium bicarbonate. It raises alkalinity substantially and pH only slightly. Use it when alkalinity is low.
• A pH increaser is typically sodium carbonate (soda ash). It raises pH sharply and alkalinity somewhat. Use it when pH is low but alkalinity is fine.
• These are not interchangeable, and using the wrong one is a common and expensive mistake. Test both values before deciding.

What Lowers Alkalinity

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

Important Handling Cautions

• Never mix with other chemicals. Add products separately with circulation between additions.
• Do not overshoot. Lowering alkalinity requires acid, which also drives pH down.
• Keep the product dry in storage — sodium bicarbonate absorbs moisture and cakes.
• Brush any undissolved granules off pool surfaces after application.