Adding Borates

amcmeans · Posted: January 31st, 2012, 3:27 pm

In my second year of pool ownership, I've decided to add borates. I tested my fill water with the LaMotte borate test strips and it reads at 10PPM.

Question: Is it likely my fill has about 10PPM borates? Or is this a baseline for 0PPM?

I know this isn't "rocket science"...I just don't want to over do it.

Thanks,

Adam

Buford · Posted: January 31st, 2012, 5:04 pm

Adam:
My Lamote strips test tap water as no change. I don't have a 10ppm start, mine are a 15ppm start; Hach are the same, but appear to be dead.

In my case, before I started adding Borax, I had a residual of 8ppm (pool store report) which seemed to dovetail into what I put in, per the poolcalculator. I suspect the borates came from some mystical treatment I was sold, most likely from the Pool Perfect - Natural Chemistry line.

I would just plug your reading into Jason's calculator and go with that. If you come up short, it is easier to add more borax than it is to dump water.

bobodaclown · Posted: January 31st, 2012, 5:22 pm

I added borates using 20 mule team borax. It's easier to use boric acid.
calculating-the-price-to-add-borates-t30644.html?hilit=boric

amcmeans · Posted: January 31st, 2012, 7:05 pm

Buford wrote:

Adam:
I suspect the borates came from some mystical treatment I was sold, most likely from the Pool Perfect - Natural Chemistry line.

Thanks for the confirmation...my expectation was my initial test would come back with 0PPM. I've only used BBB...wait, I wonder if my builder added a product with borates at start up?

Regardless, your advise makes sense. Use my test results with Jason's Pool Calculator...and proceed with caution.

Have to mention, I was kind of disappointed I didn't get strange looks with 10 boxes of Borax at check out

I had a great one-liner ready! :wink:

Adam

thadius65 · **Joined:** July 30th, 2011, 1:09 pm **Posts:** 235

I will be going with borates also, but acid route. I checked all over central PA for boric acid and nothing. No ag center or anywhere. Guess online is it for options. Thanks for links in other threads!

Buford · Posted: January 31st, 2012, 7:24 pm

I picked up a line here(sorry I can't give credit to the creator of the line), then when the clerk at Walmart wanted to know why I had so much bleach and borax, I used it "Oh, it's great for cleaning up blood stains around the house" Before I got out of the store, I was talking to the manager, who actually had as warped sense of humor as I do. The clerk's look was priceless.

Adding Borates

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