So you want to add borates to your pool--Why and How

[AlanE]

I paid $44.95 for a 25lb bag of granular boric acid from duda diesel. free shipping. Says it is coming via USPS. That should tick off my mail carrier a tad.


Update: Well, it came today. didn't tick off the guy at all. He just sat in his car and made me lift it out and carry it in.

 

[AlanE]

It's been three days since I dumped it in. Wife said it looked a lot cleaner. I can't really tell. One thing I did notice is I don't have anymore algae on the grout of the water tile and under the lip of the skimmer basket is also algae free. Two places where algae would always accumulate even though I use plenty of chlorine. Water was at a good temp, 82, before the cold front moved through and dropped the water temp to 76. It's creeping back up but at the moment it is too cold for me to swim so I can't say how it feels yet.

 

[chem geek]

The borates are mild algicides. Not enough to go without chlorine, but enough to put things over the edge if you've got poor circulation in some area where algae likes to grow. Also, there may be some changes to the surface tension of the water that might affect how "wetted" algae remains in pores of grout.

 

[chuzie]

Threw 320 mules into the pool yesterday and I can already tell a significant difference in clarity. I am pleasantly surprised. Thanks.

 

[Akronstax]

Question about using Boric Acid and TA.. I am thinking of adding borates using Boric Acid. My TA is currently between 90 an 100. Pool math shows under the effects of adding chemicals that adding 535 oz of boric acid only impacts PH by lowering it .29 for my 14000 gallons. It does not show an impact to TA. In reading the chain, there lots of mentions not to add borates until TA is down to the 70 range, but that seems to be the borax/acid method. Is it ok to add boric acid with my TA where it is? PH is at 7.5

 

[Richard320]

If you want to lower your TA, do it first. Once you add borates, it's very hard to shift TA.

 

[Akronstax]

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[poolnoob.ca]

just completed the borate process with 7 boxes of Borax and the proper amount of muriatic acid. the water looks "high def", you can see the floor of the pool perfectly. i think the water does feel softer and skin doesnt feel dry and chloriney when you get out.

my 8 year old also thinks the "thorax" makes him swim faster and wanted me to add even more!

 

[chem geek]

Welcome to TFP!

Glad the borates are working out for you. For everyone else's benefit, remember that they are optional and not necessary, but for SWCG pools they can be particularly helpful providing for additional pH buffering and reducing the chance of calcium carbonate scaling in the SWCG cell.

 

[Akronstax]

Went the boric acid route last weekend. Water clarity is now stunning. Water did not feel any different, but my skin did not feel dried out after swimming all day. So far so good.

 

[Jon Viltrakis]

So I just started the Borax/acid additions, and I can already see the "sparkle" in the water. Also, i have the robot cleaner running to help circulate the water and it appears that is is climbing the walls easier. When i first started using the dolphin robot it would come to the surface of the water and scrub the water line. This was last year. This year it look like the robot cleaner did no climb the wall as easy and never broke he surface of the water. I started adding the borax and acid yesterday and today the cleaner broke the surface of the water twice when I was brushing. Will see what continued exposure does.

Also, I noticed that trying to turn the return eyeballs was getting harder and harder, like they had been glued together. After the additions yesterday and today, they are extremely easy to move.

Nothing like extra perks.

I can't thank TFP enough for all of the knowledge that you have provided and in helping make my first pool experience very, very enjoyable. Thanks

 

[Akronstax]

So about 3 weeks in with borates. Also added 2 40lb bags of salt for feel. Have to say after swimming, my skin no longer feels dried out. The kids even noticed I do not have "scratchy hands" any more and the dry skin on me elbows is gone. PH is also staying very stable too. So far so good!

 

[jtcrump]

I'm more than two weeks post boraxing, and all I can say is THANKS YOU!!! It's still getting clearer and clearer every day, and I've had to do nothing else except watch. Chlorine usage is way down, and ph is very stable.

 

[chem geek]

Welcome to TFP!

Just so others don't get the wrong idea, the use of borates is not at all intended to be used to clear a pool or lower chlorine usage. If that is what you are seeing, then you may have had nascent algae growth and the borates being a mild algaecide helped kill off the algae. However, you should instead have had the Free Chlorine (FC) high enough for your Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level according to the Chlorine / CYA Chart. Chlorine alone when used at the appropriate FC/CYA levels will have the pool be crystal clear (assuming decent circulation and filtration) and the chlorine demand should be low and mostly loss from sunlight.

What was your FC and CYA level when you noticed your pool not being clear and having a higher chlorine usage?

 

[jfh342]

I just finished SLAMing my pool and desire to add borates. Do I need to wait for the FC level (28) to drop before adding the borax and acid?

 

[jblizzle]

I just finished SLAMing my pool and desire to add borates. Do I need to wait for the FC level (28) to drop before adding the borax and acid?

How are you adding them? What is your TA? You can not test the pH until FC drops below 10 ppm.

 

[jfh342]

Jason,

That answers my question. Once the FC drops below 10 PPM, I'll adjust my TA and pH and then follow the instructions at the beginning of this thread to add the borax and muriatic acid.

Thank you!

 

[RobbieH]

Those are the most important. Don't get in a rush and add the borates if your TA is not around 70. It is very difficult to adjust TA once the borates are in.

 

[Stump]

Just over a year since I borated our pool. I have not made any PH or TA adjustments. Just plain O` TFP.

I used Borax and MA last year had no problem. But with all the excellent information and results of simply adding Boric Acid.

I decided to wet my feet with Boric Acid. Having been at 50ppm from the start and finally dropped to 30ppm with LaMotte testing strips. Using Pool Math I added 222oz Boric Acid by volume today it dissolved quickly in front of jet. I will wait a couple days and test again.

I used forum member`s advice and ordered my granular technical grade Boric Acid from Duda Diesel 25# for $44.95 free shipping. Having used just over half my order, the remainder should top my borates level off next year nicely next year.

Less than $25.00 to maintain level this year is cheap. Heck 1 Ultimate Feast entrée at Red Lobster cost me that much and my family of 4 each have one at least once per month.

I greatly appreciate every member of TFP the information, techniques, and skills shared is so freely that we can enjoy using our pools Trouble Free.

Oh 1 more thing I hope Boric Acid kills every one of them dang stinging little sweat Bee`s I get at this time of the year. They love to reach out and zap me.

 

[PeteMorris]

I am ready to take the plunge, and add borates to my pool. I have read the step by step instructions several times and understand all of the chemical levels that I need to achieve prior to beginning.

My only question As it is now mid August, and we are closer to the end of our season than the beginning, is there any advantage of waiting until spring in order to get full advantage, or should I just proceed now?