Adding Borates

[amcmeans]

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]

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]

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]

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!

Adam

 

[thadius65]

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]

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.