Did you bake yours?

No, it was high density soda ash. The baked stuff is likely much more gentle.

I thought baking it changed it to something else?

Also, Using a doser may change product for all I know, but I'm an occasional ( twice weekly) doser. Bicarbonate is my choice anyhow. Based on brs video.

No I meant your baking soda... don't most people bake theirs?

I actually thought baking the baking soda turned it INTO sodium carbonate (soda ash)?

+1. That's what I thought too.

baked baking soda = soda ash = sodium carbonate
plain baking soda = sodium bicarbonate

Yes, that is what it does. I don't think it would be as stong (completely transformed) as high density soda ash, but since I'm way too lazy to bake the baking soda I really don't know.

Then by buying the BRS soda ash all I'm doing is saving myself a step (baking it... according to RHF anyways). His instructions also include the baking of the baking soda (which means he's using soda ash).

Exactly. You might want to cut it with baking soda if you find you get a snow storm when you dose. I found it precipitated out a lot of calcium carbonate when I dosed it pure, almost doubling my calcium chloride consumption.

I've always dosed into my overflow box and it gets mixed up really well actually...