I do have a house water softener also, but looks like it doesn't help with TA as the measurement was the same.
Dealing with scaling in SWG
- Thread starter dailo
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 59,314
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
With a pool cover your evaporation should be very minimal. Getting the TA down should be as simple as adding acid every other day for awhile.
I would not bother with borates.
I would not bother with borates.
Were you testing at the outdoor spigot as some installs for outdoor water bypass the softener.
Seems like a lot.
I think that you are maybe overestimating the volume of your pool.
What is the depth?
A 20 x 40 with an average depth of 5 feet is only about 30,000 gallons.
Your pool would need to average about 6.35 feet deep to hit 38,000 gallons.
If you are going to do borates, I would probably only do 55 pounds, which should raise the level to about 38 ppm in 30,000 gallons.
I used the outdoor spigot next to the fill valve for the fill watrer test and kitchen sink faucet for the softener test.
Just tried water from the RO filter and it's only 10, but that would be a lot of water wasted to fill with that.
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I have it set to 38K in pool math, but yes it I did probably over estimate. The shallow end is 3 ft and deep end is 8ft. I'll start off with one 55lb bucket and see where the measurement lands, after I bring my TA down.
If you are going to add boric acid, I would do it now because it will make lowering the TA easier.
You also need to leave the pool uncovered to allow the carbon dioxide to get out.
When you add acid, it converts TA (bicarbonate) into carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide has to be able to get out so that the pH can rise back up.
Oh thanks for the info! I thought I read another thread that TA has to be lowered first.
Found this listing on Amazon, cheaper for me when including shipping.
55 lb Pail of Granular Boric Acid Amazon.com
55 lb Pail of Granular Boric Acid Amazon.com
Some places say that, but I disagree and it is my opinion that it is easier to lower the TA with borates than without borates because you can add more acid at a time and this lowers the TA more.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,641
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You won’t see any worthwhile effect of borates at 30ppm. They need to be at 50ppm or higher. I typically aim for 60-80ppm. The pH buffering effect is weak at normal pool pH so it takes a significant amount of borates to see any difference.
Thanks edited my post to say including shipping, it was cheaper for me in case it helps anyone else.
Thanks. I will measure after the first bucket and see what range I am in and shoot for 50+