Too much Borate?

[mandolin]

Is it possible to add too much borates? I added borax last summer and am not sure if I should add more this summer. I have a LaMotte Insta test kit but it is very hard to tell which level the water is at. Is there another way to test for borates?

I have a 24' round above ground pool that is algae free but very cloudy and has been for months.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[JasonLion]

The Lamote strips are the best borate test available, though I agree it isn't all that good.

It is possible to get borates too high, though it takes some effort. The recommended level is 30 to 50, but anything up to 80 is alright.

 

[Diver]

i thought of idea how to track borate levels and i wish i thought about it sooner..

for non SWG outside pools CYA and borates could be kept at around the same level. meaning 40-50ppm of CYA and borates are adequate.

since borates and CYA levels are lowered via dilution only, it means that the levels will go down to the same extend the same time. so once you have CYA and borates synched, one can monitor CYA level thru the standard test and borates levels will be the same. of course future adjustments for both CYA and borates should be the same.

 

[JasonLion]

In a SWG pool you can use salt as a proxy for borates, but there you need to keep track of salt being perhaps 60 times the borate level and add quantities accordingly.