Having a more balanced Alkalinity in your hot tub / spa / swimming pool ensures that your pH is more easily balanced,ensuring your spa water is less irritating and a more enjoyable experience. How do I know when Alkalinity needs to be increased? Total Alkalinity should be maintained at between 80-150mg/l (ppm). Test this using test strips,if your TA is below 80mg/l (ppm) use TA plus to bring the level up to the recommended levels. Pool water may cloud over temporarily when adding the product. Are Total Alkalinity and pH the same thing? Understanding the difference between TA and pH will help ease the frustration of chasing water chemistry balance in your hot tub. Total alkalinity (TA) is the measure of the capacity of water to neutralise acids. It is different to pH. TA is measured by parts per million rather than the pH scale. Alkalinity is important as it acts as a buffer when balancing pH. If your alkalinity is out, then it will be very hard to balance your pH level. In fact we recommend that you balance your water Alkalinity before doing anything else. Doing this may allow your pH to fall into line too and will certainly make balancing pH much easier.