Borates

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waterbugs57

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LifeTime Supporter
Jun 17, 2012
88
SW Pennsylvania
Hello all,
Very excited for the season! I have decided to add borates to the pool (also a heater, but that is a different topic) I started yesterday AM with test results of FC 2, PH 7.2, TA 70 CYA 30. I have reall y gotten comfortable with maintenance, thanks to this site, but am a little intimidated by new processes so I decided to add the chemicals in 2 batches. According to PoolMath I needed 16 boxes of borax and 4 jugs of acid. I added 1/2 of that and this morning ran a test. Tesults are PH 7.3 and Borates 30, TA 70. My qustion: is more better? Should I add the rest for the 40ppm goal? -Melinda
 
Good morning! We recommend borates in the 30-50 range. Since borates are added for comfort and for their mild anti-algae properties, you could "test drive" borates at this level for a week or two and see if it gives you the results you where looking for. You may like it just where it is!
 
Thank you for responding. I still have the other half of the dose....I am grateful for the relative ease of the process. No crazy surprises. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Actually, you get full credit for that. Rather than start throwing stuff in, you did some homework, tested very carefully and then dosed very carefully. That's a true TFP'r :goodjob::goodjob:
 
Haven't done Borates in my pool since 2013. Obviously after 3 winters, my levels are virtually nil. I remember really liking the feel of the water. I want to do it again, but always nervous about messing with a well balanced pool. Also some new opinions on methods have been discussed that differ from what I was following 3 years ago. So I need to re educate myself.
 

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50k Gallons. Dang! Let's see some photos! Your read on slower pH rise is correct based on my reading and education within this forum. But it also states that you will have add the same amount of MA to lower it, just less often. If that makes sense. I am still trying to understand that concept. Net, net by the end of the season I think that means I will use less overall MA to maintain. But if I have to go from say 7.8 back to 7.5 it's still the same of acid. But instead of having to do that every 3 or 4 days, maybe I will only have to once a week? (I'm just guessing on that time frame, but I think that's the concept). There's a sticky under the Chem 201 section. (this section actually). It's from last year, so I am following that advice as the most recent info available.
 
Thanks. Missed the sticky.

My understanding is that pH will rise more slowly, but you will need more to bring the pH down when it does rise, giving the same total acid usage, roughly. I'm hoping it will be once a week rather than every other day as it is now.
 
Yup 50K deserves a picture.

I did not track my MA usage all that well before the borates but lately a month or so after I added around 45ppm borates, I am using 10 oz per day MA on a pool that was built in Oct. The main reason I have to do daily adds, is I like to keep it between 7.4 and 7.6. I can get 3 days out of it if I let it rise to 7.8 before pushing it down and I suspect when the plaster gets a bit older I could go longer but as I said I like it lower.
 
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