Borates after conversion

[pepsiholic]

Since my conversion my pool has looked absolutely stunning, less the specks of dirt and pollen that keep settling, but I can live with that.

I have been pouring over this site for weeks now to learn all I can about maintaining my water. My recent study has been about borates. The benifits sure look promising.

I killed a backswimmer after it bit my daughter twice the other day. I have read where they like unsanitized water, but I know that isn't the case, because I test daily and keep my chlorine in the fairly high range for my cya level. I think it just might have been a stray, along with the stray cat I've been feeding...lol

I went online and found something called Proteams Supreme Plus and ordered it. I've read where you can get by cheaper by adding borax and MA, but for me the convenience of just adding this powder to the water and not having to worry so much about my PH and TA levels was the deal sealer..lol..I'm really new at this and until I completely get the hang of it, I will pay a little extra for getting it right...lol

It's still a LOT cheaper than I was spending on Baquacil products that didn't even keep my water clear. So, please tell me if I did the right thing, I just want to have a clean clear pool for the rest of the summer.

 

[reebok]

that is one of the commercial borate products. you can find more info if you want it by using the google search in the very bottom left of every page.

 

[imjay]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the stuff.

Google seems to show this to be one of those water quality enhancement products claiming to help keep PH steady.

IMO - if you just get the basics levels stabilized - PH, Alkalinity and Sanitizer - then you will have to do little to maintain the levels.

Once we get our PH and Alkalinity perfectly stable at the beginning of the summer season levels stay pretty much perfect unless we have a big weather event (flooding rain) which can affect PH sometimes - our experience is if you do your simple water testing every day or two and tweak when necessary you will have clear and clean water with very little trouble, time or expense.

 

[JasonLion]

Borates are totally optional. They are an extra expense, and are certainly not required. Still, they aren't a very large extra expense, at least if you shop around for inexpensive ways to add borates. And many many people here have had very good results. Not everyone loves them. There have been a couple of people who didn't see any difference. But most people are really glad they added borates.

 

[Guest]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the stuff.

Google seems to show this to be one of those water quality enhancement products claiming to help keep PH steady.

IMO - if you just get the basics levels stabilized - PH, Alkalinity and Sanitizer - then you will have to do little to maintain the levels.

Once we get our PH and Alkalinity perfectly stable at the beginning of the summer season levels stay pretty much perfect unless we have a big weather event (flooding rain) which can affect PH sometimes - our experience is if you do your simple water testing every day or two and tweak when necessary you will have clear and clean water with very little trouble, time or expense.

Realize that you have only experience with your one pool. You have no water features that produce aeration, you do not have a SWG, and you use trichlor, which is acidic. In your case borates would be of little value since your pH and TA are always dropping from the continues use of trichlor and you have very little outgassing of CO2 which causes pH to rise.
However, your advice is really not applicable to most pool owners these days.
Also, borates do more than stabilize pH. They are also a very effective algaestat and are useful in pools that have high CYA levels since they will keep algae at bay without the weekly addition of algaecide.
On second thought, they might be useful in your pool after all! In fact, this is the main reason that Biogaurd pushed borates since they take the corperate stance that CYA levels up to 200 ppm are not a problem in residential pools (They are, btw.)

BTW, this thread might be of interest to you
so-you-want-to-add-borates-to-your-pool-why-and-how-t4921.html
Read it, you might learn something!

 

[reebok]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the stuff.

Google seems to show this to be one of those water quality enhancement products claiming to help keep PH steady.

IMO - if you just get the basics levels stabilized - PH, Alkalinity and Sanitizer - then you will have to do little to maintain the levels.

Once we get our PH and Alkalinity perfectly stable at the beginning of the summer season levels stay pretty much perfect unless we have a big weather event (flooding rain) which can affect PH sometimes - our experience is if you do your simple water testing every day or two and tweak when necessary you will have clear and clean water with very little trouble, time or expense.

this just shows you don't know what it is or what it does. googling doesn't make you an instant expert. besides following the pool care method on this site, borates is the best thing I've done for water quality (much softer feeling) alone, much less the algaestatic properties which I am very happy to have, the extra ph buffer system and reduced chlorine usage.

 

[chem geek]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the stuff.

Google seems to show this to be one of those water quality enhancement products claiming to help keep PH steady.

IMO - if you just get the basics levels stabilized - PH, Alkalinity and Sanitizer - then you will have to do little to maintain the levels.

Once we get our PH and Alkalinity perfectly stable at the beginning of the summer season levels stay pretty much perfect unless we have a big weather event (flooding rain) which can affect PH sometimes - our experience is if you do your simple water testing every day or two and tweak when necessary you will have clear and clean water with very little trouble, time or expense.

imjay,

Are you the same as "inmay" at poolspaforum.com? If so, then you need to disclose more complete information about your pool since it explains why your experience has worked for you and why it also may not be applicable to some others. This post goes into more details, but basically you are using a copper-based algaecide and have significant water dilution from rain overflow. The former prevents algae growth in spite of a high CYA level while the latter helps keep the CYA somewhat in check. You also have a vinyl pool which would be less prone to staining from the copper than a plaster pool (and use of Trichlor normally keeps the pH low anyway).

Richard

 

[Pisces]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the stuff.

Google seems to show this to be one of those water quality enhancement products claiming to help keep PH steady.

IMO - if you just get the basics levels stabilized - PH, Alkalinity and Sanitizer - then you will have to do little to maintain the levels.

Once we get our PH and Alkalinity perfectly stable at the beginning of the summer season levels stay pretty much perfect unless we have a big weather event (flooding rain) which can affect PH sometimes - our experience is if you do your simple water testing every day or two and tweak when necessary you will have clear and clean water with very little trouble, time or expense.

Pepsiholic...I added Proteam Supreme Plus and really love the water feel and look , and the algaestatic properties. It was worth it to me not to have to adjust pH either, and I have a small pool, so it wasn't a huge expense. Honestly I would have done it even with a larger pool. Bugs don't like it, either. It's a win-win for me. Do you HAVE to have it? No. But I want my pool to have every advantage I can give it for comfort, cleanliness and ease of use. I would truly be horrified if I had to shock my pool regularly. So horrified I'd never get in the water.

 

[pepsiholic]

Woo-hoo

Just recieved my Proteam supreme plus and added 32 lbs per the pool calculator. Now we shall see. I have to admit the hardest part of the whole procedure was lugging it up to the pool and getting the darn lid off...lol.

Once again, thank you everyone for all of your insight and opinions, they have been invaluable. I have developed "sparkly-pool-itis", and I LOVE it. My DH thinks I'm obsessed (maybe I am, but won't let him know that).

It's just that last year, I wouldn't even get in, because I thought the water had a funny smell and it NEVER looked as clear as it does now, and now I can't wait until after work to jump in!

Ive added a pic 3 weeks after conversion.

 

[Pisces]

Cool!! The water looks great :-D !! I'm like you...sparklyholic..lol. Love love getting in my water...I know it's the cleanest, softest in town. Dread getting in other peoples pools IYKWIM. Ick. Just don't know what's in there. Enjoy your beautiful water! Thanks for the pics...

 

[pepsiholic]

Urggghhhh, we are under a tornado watch until 10 tonight! We're not supposed to get tornados in WV!...lol

It better not mess up my nice beautiful water...just sayin'...lol

By the way Pisces, I looked at your pool build, simply BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

[dmanb2b]

imjay...I borate and love it...my PH has been locked at 7.4-7.6 and the water feels very soft.

Pepsiholic...you chose right, you notice the water really shimmer now, plus it also acts as somewhat of an algaecide...many here have reported borates saving their pools from turning green during vacations...ect

 

[Pisces]

Thank you so much, Pepsiholic. :-D I need to take some pics in the next few weeks...we've landscaped some and now trying to keep it all watered and alive with this big heat index. Stay safe with the tornado watches! Those are scary. We had the pool overflow twice in April with storms, so I know what it's like to have to re-do your really nice and balanced pool chemistry. UGH! :grrrr: