Borates for Dummies: All About Adding Borates to Your Swimming Pool

[@trippmediamolle]

Thank you for all you do! I have become a better pool guy b/c of you and your videos. Could you do a review in Pentair side mount sand filters? Thanks!

[@greghackney8437]

Multivalve on recirculate and add the powder to the skimmer, which distributes powder very nicely.

[@SPL]

Nice tip! 👍

[@RockyStatue]

Thank you! Glad I tuned in!

[@mr.d7776]

This was very informative, excellent, thanks.

[@awc723]

Bulk Apothecary is also a good site 55gal bucket $104.00 delivered to NJ...

[@drdrew3]

20 Mule Power at Amazon is similar price and available in 4 lb increments so can get just the amount that you need. No need to buy 55lb at a time. Less chemicals to store. You only add it once a season anyway. Actually the price is down to $66 for 48lb right now (4lb x 12 boxes)

[@Narfyak2]

Keep in mind you need to use about 50% more mule powder vs acid powder and you have to use a few gallons of muriatic acid. Therefore acid is usually better/cheaper

[@deenguyen4198]

Do you anything about Brandt brand boric acid?

[@deenguyen4198]

Are all boric acid the same

[@pamwebb6606]

I've had Borates for 6 yrs now after seeing ur vids on it. Last year Borates @ 40ppm and above ground pool was balanced. Well, Chlorine was a little high, but I keep it that way with salt cell. Anyway, I kept getting green algae and don't know why. Only my husband and I use the pool. Kids are grown and gone.

[@David-sn3fz]

Phosphates

[@MucaroBoricua]

Probably due to high chlorine stabilizer (cyanuric acid).

[@frickezthias8638]

Do borates affect salt cells in anyway? Increased wear or corrosion or build up or anything like that? Thank you for your videos and great e book!

[@SPL]

Thanks for the great feedback! No effect on the cell, in fact since the pH is more balanced probably less calcium build up overall.

[@hawkinshawkins-se1dl]

added 16lbs borax last nite trying to raise my borate level from 25 to 50. tested today and chlorine is gone! last night it was close to 8ppm. this has happened before about a month ago. i don't understand why this is happening.

[@SPL]

There is no relationship as far as I know. So a strange happening for sure.

[@drdrew3]

The calculation method only works for figuring the amount of borate the initial setup. If you want to calculate how much to add the following year you are really stuck. The borate test strips are really difficult to read because the levels are extremely close together in color and hard to discriminate. Even worse the increments are huge at 30-50-80 so pretty much useless. On top of that they cost $17 a kit and that expires in less than a year once opened. He uses a $500 SpinTouch tester exclusively so no first hand experience with how awful the test strips are. Bottom Line: once you add borate by the calculation method you’ve got 12 months to find somebody local who owns a SpinTouch meter

[@SPL]

Yes, I did a podcast on this a month ago or so. A big drawback since no one has a good testing method. Taylor was supposed to have a drop test but I think the reagent for that is really expensive. A good reagent borate test kit would make you rich! 😄👍

[@79steelymatt]

Where do you live?Our store uses the BioGuard/Alex testing which is the best water testing available for pools and hot tubs,we also have the testing for Baquacil.The readings are stored after every test and gives exact amount and order of adding what you need the tests are very accurate you just need the gallons of pool or hot tub the software takes into account all the different products,to balance your water quickly and effectively

[@jamesryanharbour1602]

If you have add 45-55lb if 20 Mule Team, are you charging the accounts for the service or eating the cost?

[@SPL]

Yes, charge for that.

[@hectorarias5034]

David I think I going crazy with all this information it’s just a lot that I don’t even where to star. I enjoy taking care of the maintenance of my pool by myself. I installed the pool RX, I am waiting for my salt chlorination system back order for almost 6 months and I will do the borates as well. I bought the Colorq 2x 7 pro with tablets this is the recommended for homeowners since they last longer and I’ve been testing the water with it. I did 4 test in a raw and PH always the same reading, ALK varies between 1 to 2 points and about the same for Ca hard, CYA and free and total chlorine, when I go to Leslie’s with my water sample the readings are very different. I wouldn’t like to get the spin touch since I don’t do this for a leaving. Is this device reliable? Also thanks for all the educational videos and your website it’s a hard thing to get a really good pool guy here in Las Vegas I really appreciate all your help.

[@SPL]

I would say your test at home is probably the most accurate. The colorQ is spot on and NSF approved which means they paid upwards of $100,000 to have the test results verified by an independent agency.

[@hectorarias5034]

@@SPL thanks for your reply God bless.

[@arien3258]

i have a new built pool with a saltwater system, i have not introduce any salt in my water yet because they said i have to wait at least three months before adding the salt to the system, i usually bring my water to the pool store to have my water check, the only issue is the ph and the need of chlorine, i did shock the pool on the 1st week of march due to recommendation, a weel ago i had my pool water check and everything is ok, one thing i notice on using my pool test strip is the high reading on bromine? how's that possible? will it affect my water chemistry when i started to add salt on my water? i ask my friend about it who has a salt water pool, and has no idea about bromine in his pool too.

[@DD-el2ox]

Hi David. I added berates to pool last year and have had great results. However, just tested and the level raised to 80ppm. It was holding at 50 since last year. Why would it increase and how do I lower it?

[@SPL]

It shouldn't. But doing a partial drain will lower the level.

[@MikeyTor101]

Pool chemicals are all balanced after adding boric acid @ 50 ppm. How long should I keep the pool pump running now? I’m in Las Vegas and currently running it for 12hrs. 6 hrs @ 2750 rpm’s and 6hrs @ 2200 rpm’s.

[@SPL]

Just your normal cycle

[@drdrew3]

So if borate is a pH buffer is there a certainty that you will less often need to add alkalinity and muriatic acid? That could be a good cost savings if true. And if it’s an algae controller does that mean you could also save by using less chlorine tablets and shocking less often? Not interesting in theoretical guesses because I can do that myself. Has anybody out there actually reduced their chemical costs by adding 48lb of borate to their pool? That’s gonna cost $66 right there. I hate to add another chemical unless I’ll save money or pool will look noticeably different

[@SPL]

Yes to all questions.

[@drdrew3]

Thank you for “clarifying” that (pun intended)

[@bludika]

@@drdrew3 he was CLEAR with that reply

[@2Guys1ControllerShow]

So if you used this method to balance let's say, twenty pools per day, are you really carrying 350 lb of this on your service truck?

[@SPL]

It's just a one time application. So you would try to stagger the charging of the pools. Typically each pool needs about 30-40 lbs. After that maybe 5lbs. - 10 lbs. to recharge it the next season

[@bradleyhite9825]

Do prefer one brand of borate test strip over another?

[@SPL]

They seem to all work the same in my testing.

[@MikeyTor101]

Do I still need to chock the pool weekly with Leslies Fresh N Clear?

[@SPL]

No, that won't be needed in most cases.

[@thomasholcomb4893]

Could you reiterate the mathematical formula for determining the ppm of borates

[@SPL]

Use this app - very accurate. www.poolcalculator.com/

[@jeffbonzerpeterson]

4.75 pounds to raise a 10,000 gallon pool to 10ppm, so 23.75lbs will bring a 10000 gallon pool to 50ppm the sweet spot. So multiply 23.75 to your pool volume then divide by 10000 that will give you the pounds you need add to your pool. This is for boric acid not 20 mule team. Cheers!

[@MHrfffdssswqqwuuu]

Is it allowed to add borates to a commercial pool or spa in California? Do health inspectors check for borate levels in pools?

[@SPL]

Yes, it is legal. But anything you add you must be able to test for so get some borate test strips to verify the levels

[@MHrfffdssswqqwuuu]

@@SPL do you think borates in a spa that uses trichlor tablets would be harmful for the heater with the low ph?

[@DD-el2ox]

Hi David. Thank you for turning me on to borates, it has certainty made a difference. My pool tested at 50 for the past season an a half however i just tested at 80. Also, my PH has been rising each week up to over 8. Im putting 1 gal a week Muriatic to bring PH down. Any ideas? How does the borate level rise? Thx

[@SPL]

Could be a faulty test strip. It should drop each season. I bet you need more.

[@DD-el2ox]

@@SPL I tried 3 strips and still reading 80. Some say drain some water to correct?

[@franciscoguzman881]

Can you gave too much and if so what are the dangers of it?

[@SPL]

I think over 90 ppm is the over dose level, not health wise but practically speaking. you get no added benefits. Not sure at what level it would be toxic.

[@pamwebb6606]

High levels are very bad for pets.

[@gnickolas69]

Can u do this n pool rx

[@SPL]

Yes. No issues.

[@gabrielbratescu]

I am not able to find boric acid in my area but I cand find borax pentahydrate. Can it be used ? And if so, is it acid or alcalinic ? Thanks

[@SPL]

If I remember it has a pH of 9 or so.

[@saraw112]

My ph is going up and down. It’s now at 6.4… it was 7.9 last week. My optimizer is at 41. Should I add borates to stabilize? (I’m adding ph increased to bring up for now) thanks!!! ❤

[@SPL]

Once you have it at 7.4 add the borates.

[@danhesse1126]

what if you add a borate level of 100-200? less chance of algae ? lol

[@SPL]

Logical. But wouldn't recommend that. 😜👊

[@mycatmycat3786]

Toxic at 200 ppm don’t do it

[@DD-el2ox]

Just put 20lb pail into my pool yesterday. Tests before we're PH 7.4, TA 110, Chlorine is good. Tested borates today and was perfect at 50ppm however PH dropped a bit to about 6.8. With the buffer in there, will soda ash raise it? Thx Thanks.

[@SPL]

You can add a little soda ash to raise it.

[@MikeyTor101]

How many gallons is your pool?

[@DD-el2ox]

@@MikeyTor101 15000

[@jameswalker5409]

Can I use pool Rx with borates?

[@DD-el2ox]

@@jameswalker5409 I am not sure. I haven't used the pool rx. I'd read the product details or ask the pool guy.