Boric Acid in New Plaster

Mechanicman · Mar 28, 2022

Moved from HERE

ajw22 said:
We recommend you give your plaster a year to cure and live with your pool for a year or two and see how stable your pH and TA is before you add borates. Once you add borates it takes much more acid to make pH and TA adjustments.

I have very high TA in my fill water as we are on a well. We only run the slide and fountain when it's being used. I feel like I have a good grip on maintaining the pool but want to add Borates. Our plaster was applied in August-is it too soon to add boric acid?

YippeeSkippy · Mar 28, 2022

How's your pH been running? What is your TA?

Maddie

Mechanicman · Mar 28, 2022

My pH is usually on the higher end-7.8-8.2. My TA was at 140 but I have been dropping it the last few days and was at 80 this morning before adding acid to drop the pH back down to 7. I have been using my slide and fountain to aerate the water and raise the pH so I can continue to lower the TA. My TA goal is 70 since my fill water is 250.

I just converted to SWG and I know I need to keep the pH lower that what I have been.

YippeeSkippy · Mar 28, 2022

With my SWG my pH does tend to like to stay at 7.7-7.8......many others say the same. As long as it remains stable an for you you CSI is good (per PoolMath) I wouldn't bother with borates myself.

Mechanicman · Mar 28, 2022

Now that my TA is better I will see how much rise I get in my pH. Do you think the other advantages are still worth it?

PoolStored · Mar 28, 2022

Mechanicman said:
Now that my TA is better I will see how much rise I get in my pH. Do you think the other advantages are still worth it?

I like the advantages of Borates, but I've had some time to "learn" my pool.

@ajw22 is a very smart sensei (and the primary writer of our WIKI). Don't take this the wrong way: "Patience Grasshopper" Let your pool cure, learn your pool, take a year or two, then decide. Many people have created more problems because they were impatient.

ajw22 · Mar 28, 2022

Mechanicman said:
Now that my TA is better I will see how much rise I get in my pH.

Your TA is 80. Let it drop naturally as you lower your pH and see where it stabilizes. You can let your TA get as low as 60 without any problems.

You want to discover where your pools TA/pH equilibrium is.