Total alkalinity is the chemical buffer that keeps your hot tub pH from swinging all over the place. Getting it into the 80-120 ppm range is usually the first step to stable, comfortable water. This guide walks through testing, raising, lowering, and maintaining alkalinity without chasing numbers in circles.
If your hot tub pH keeps creeping up no matter how much pH decreaser you add, the problem is almost never the pH itself. High total alkalinity and aeration are the real culprits. This guide explains why it happens and what to actually do about it.
Total alkalinity is the most overlooked number in hot tub chemistry, but it controls almost everything else. Get it wrong and your pH will swing constantly, your sanitizer won’t work properly, and you’ll be chasing problems for weeks. Here’s how to dial it in correctly from the start.