What is Base Demand?

Base demand is a term often used to explain the extent that a body of water requires an alkaline substance to increase the pH reading of the water.  As pH directly relates to how acidic or basic water can be, adding a base such as soda ash (sodium carbonate) will raise the pH of the water and hence the reduce the base demand.

To maintain balanced water in a swimming pool, the base demand is important to know if you have troubles with extremely low water pH.  If the pH level drops below 6.8, typical pH tests cannot accurately measure the pH level.  The pH can be brought back into a testable range by first performing a base demand test to determine how much pH-increasing substance to add to the water.  The pH can then be tested more accurately, and adjusted accordingly.

Base demand is the approximate opposite of acid demand, as acid demand describes the amount of acid required to decrease pH and often the total alkalinity of the water.

Sources:

• http://www.esdlt.com/cpotd/
• http://www.aldenleeds.com/technical-advice/alden-leeds-acid-base-calculations/
• http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/184ph.html

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