New Pool Settling and Borate-ing

[ckendalls]

First post: Our new Cental Florida 10K plaster SWG pool is about 2 months filled. While the builder still sends someone out weekly, I have pretty much taken over armed with the info on TFP and my biochem micro biology background . I started with Aquacheck strips and Pool Math but have been using a Taylor K-2006 kit for accuracy. Our Crystalcrete pool is still curing and I’m using a lot of Muriatic Acid and Bicarb every day or two to maintain a pH between 7.0 and 7.8 and TA 80-120 and the CH and seems to be dialed in to 280. I probably filter more than needed and given the water features and triple Badu Stream II resistance jet system used every day I imagine the pool is aerated alot tending to raise the pH pretty quickly. Also I am keeping the water temp at 80-85 degrees.

My question is: Do I need to wait longer to Borate the pool or can I go ahead at least gradually if I stay on top of the chemistry. I’ve seen “wait a month on a new pool” before borating but does that assume day to day stability is already achieved? I got enough Boric Acid to get to 50 according to Pool Math, but not sure how long it will take this new pool to pH stabilize or if all the water movement aeration from water features and resistance jets are always going to drive the pH up.

Chemically speaking..., I dont know why time matters to Borate if one is monitoring and adjusting all the pH and buffer numbers within range.

Thanks

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Please don't rush the borates. When they go in the pH is harder to tweak, and being that your pool is still curing I would let that process finish and settle down before going for the borates. Some new pools can take many months to finish curing. You can't rush it.

Borates are strictly an optional item.

Maddie

 

[Rollercoastr]

I wouldn't advise aiming for 7.0 pH. 7.2 is a safer low-end. If you over-shoot 7, you could make the water acidic enough to harm your equipment.

80-120 TA? That's a dramatic swing...

 

[ckendalls]

Thanks Madddie. I know borates are optional but Ive noticed the water quality in pools Ive been in with it. Will be patient.

 

[ckendalls]

The TA doesnt change that dramatically. Im staying within that range recommended for the SWG, but not adding bicarb as frequently as I am adding MA. I dont try to go to pH 7 but the PB guy over adjusted to 6.8 and 7 more than once and it bounced back up very quickly with all the aeration this pool gets when in use. The pH can go from 7.2 to 7.8 or 8 within a day or two at this point. I am testing more than once a day. My experience with buffers in the lab are on a much smaller scale.

I do wonder why the Taylor acid demand test and Pool math calculated MA adjustments are so different..?

Thanks

 

[JasonJoel]

I added borates after about 2 months. Other than my pH fluctuating faster than I wanted, the rest of my chemistry was stable before I added borates.

If everything is stable other than pH, I would go ahead and add it.

Adding borates was one of the best things I did to my pool. Now I can go twice as long between adding acid. And in between acid additions the pH is very stable.

 

[ckendalls]

This seems to make sense chemically.. Its only my pH and consequently TA that fluctuates day to day with the addition of MA. Dual buffering should be fine, I like the silky feel of borated water.

 

[EminiTrader]

Mine has been filled just about 80 days and did borates this week. So far so good..