Borate = 100? Uh Oh! Now what???

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3asyB

3asyB

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Jan 7, 2019
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Well my pool is a sports pool.

it is 17x34 at 4’ to 5’6” to 4’6”

Plus a hot tub that is 6’5x6’5 at 3’-6” with a seat around it

Plus sun deck that is 5’ x 8’ x 0’-8 1/2”

I figured this at 21,000 gallons+ and applied 45# of granular boric acid from Duda Diesel 24 hours ago.

I just used a Taylor borate year strip and I’m easily at the 100 color match.

do I drain?
 

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I wouldn't. Unless you have some old dogs with bad kidney's that like to drink out of the pool instead of their water bowls, 100ppm is not really going to harm anyone or anything. You will need to use more acid to adjust pH BUT the pH buffering effect should mean that you won't need to add acid as often. So on net balance, it's the same amount of acid used.

I'd let it go. You can utilize rain overflow and splash out to let it drift down slowly over time.
 
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JoyfulNoise said:
I wouldn't. Unless you have some old dogs with bad kidney's that like to drink out of the pool instead of their water bowls, 100ppm is not really going to harm anyone or anything. You will need to use more acid to adjust pH BUT the pH buffering effect should mean that you won't need to add acid as often. So on net balance, it's the same amount of acid used.

I'd let it go. You can utilize rain overflow and splash out to let it drift down slowly over time.
Click to expand...

any idea what happened? I double checked all of my measurements and calcs. And it all looks like I followed the plan?
 
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I don't think that it looks like 100.

Maybe 75 at the most.

Your calculations should provide about 50 ppm.

If you have used borax for raising the pH, that would add borates.

I would leave it as is.
 
Well, for one thing, those strips are highly inaccurate. They continuously change color so reading them is a moving target. I don’t really trust them.

If you added the correct amount of boric avid and you are fairly confident in your pool volume, then I would trust that.
 
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The numbers don’t add up. 45# of boric acid in 21000 gallons would be about 45 ppm.

As mentioned, have you used borax before to adjust pH?

Either there was already borates in the pool, the pool volume is actually much lower, or there’s a testing error.
 
I tested three or four times. I also tested tapwater just as a control. It actually showed about 15 on the test strip.

The pool is only a year old and it’s never had any borax in it. I started out with TFP method and have not deviated.

the pic is probably taken 20 minutes after water dip.

is there a more accurate way to perform a borate test?
 
I think those strips have to be dipped for 15sec, pulled out and read right away. You don’t wait because the color changes with time.

My signature has the setup fir doing a Mannitol titration test. It’s a bit more complicated than the strips but it’s highly accurate.
 
Saturn94 said:
The numbers don’t add up. 45# of boric acid in 21000 gallons would be about 45 ppm.

As mentioned, have you used borax before to adjust pH?

Either there was already borates in the pool, the pool volume is actually much lower, or there’s a testing error.
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3asyB said:
I tested three or four times. I also tested tapwater just as a control. It actually showed about 15 on the test strip.

The pool is only a year old and it’s never had any borax in it. I started out with TFP method and have not deviated.

the pic is probably taken 20 minutes after water dip.

is there a more accurate way to perform a borate test?
Click to expand...

Then if you’re close on the pool volume, it’s likely a testing error and your borate level is fine.

I don’t have any issues using borate test strips. A ballpark measurement for borate level is fine. I do make sure to follow the testing directions. Here’s the instructions for the strips I use.
F2335BBF-E067-4E7E-8A08-8FF51103E373.jpeg
 
Not sure, maybe I’ve got bad strips. They are the Taylor brand not Lamotte. I just tested it again and it still showing over 100 My math is correct and my test timing is correct.

I’ll just wait it out I suppose.
 
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3asyB said:
Not sure, maybe I’ve got bad strips. They are the Taylor brand not Lamotte. I just tested it again and it still showing over 100 My math is correct and my test timing is correct.

I’ll just wait it out I suppose.
Click to expand...

That’s possible. Perhaps contact Taylor?

Another thought/wild guess....could high FC bleach the strip?
 
I found this interesting blurb on the Taylor site ( Taylor Test Strips: Four Things You Need to Know )

”...The Borate tests strips can detect borate from 0‑100 ppm. The indicator used in the strip bonds directly with borates in the sample, while other test strips in the market measure the pH shift caused by borates. This method makes Taylor strips less prone to interferences...”

Anyone know if the Taylor strips really are better than others, or are they just expanding their market?
 
CHECK THIS OUT.

Local pool store water test results below. Same water as my test results from yesterday (plus 12 hours)

borates read 35? I test with the Taylor kit at over 100.

crazy. I think I’ll Call Taylor and see if they have anything to add.
 

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they put me in contact with a technical rep. working from home. He was great. Got some information from the bottle in regards to heat number etc. and they performed some tests on what should be the same batch that my strips came from with no issues.

They are going to send me a replacement bottle of strips to just to try.

In the meantime i bought a bottle of Lamotte strips from the trusty tftestkits.net
 
Thanks for the update. I’m real curious what results you’ll get from the Lamotte test.

Still very puzzling about the results you’re getting from the Taylor test. ?
 
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Lamotte test strips arrived...You be the judge.
 

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