Getting ready to add borates!

[keithpgdrb]

Hi all, I've got all the stuff to add borates to the pool on order. having researched, couple questions.

I am adding boric acid to the pool. my ph is currently about 7.5. we've had bad weather recently so I havent been able to run the fountains overnight to bring the PH up to 7.6-7.8 where I like to keep it. my question is this.

1. should I bring the ph up to 7.8 because the boric acid will make it drop a bit? It is my understanding that ph is more difficult to change after adding the borates.

2. I saw the recommendation to bring the TA to the low part of the recommended range before adding borates. I did not think that adding the borates did anything to the TA. OR, is this the difference between the Boric acid vs borax method? My TA is currently at 70.

These are two things that have eluded me in my reading.

So, my current plan is to add the full amount of boric acid to the pool with a starting PH of about 7.8-7.9. if the boric acid brings the ph down by 2-3 points, I should be ok. what say you?

 

[PoolStored]

1. should I bring the ph up to 7.8 because the boric acid will make it drop a bit? It is my understanding that ph is more difficult to change after adding the borates.

2. I saw the recommendation to bring the TA to the low part of the recommended range before adding borates. I did not think that adding the borates did anything to the TA. OR, is this the difference between the Boric acid vs borax method? My TA is currently at 70.

These are two things that have eluded me in my reading.

So, my current plan is to add the full amount of boric acid to the pool with a starting PH of about 7.8-7.9. if the boric acid brings the ph down by 2-3 points, I should be ok. what say you?

Why do you want to add Borates?

 

[keithpgdrb]

Why do you want to add Borates?

My ph tends to drift up. Especially when I use my water feature. And I like the sound of the other benefits.

 

[PoolStored]

1. should I bring the ph up to 7.8 because the boric acid will make it drop a bit? It is my understanding that ph is more difficult to change after adding the borates.

VERY true.

Your plan is fine. I would tend toward 7.9 to keep your CSI up...

 

[kne]

Your plan is fine. I would tend toward 7.9 to keep your CSI up...

Hypothetically speaking. If when getting ready to add borates one's PH level was dark pink (off the comparators level), would you add Muriatic Acid to bring it down first, or add the B's and after add more acid if needed.

 

[PoolStored]

Hypothetically speaking. If when getting ready to add borates one's PH level was dark pink (off the comparators level), would you add Muriatic Acid to bring it down first, or add the B's and after add more acid if needed.

If you add the borates, you will add MANY more gallons of MA to lower pH because you just buffered pH with Borates.

Do you know your CSI? You need to understand CSI and how it works...and target an ending pH that keeps your CSI on the low end so you don't scale your SWG.

When you add borates, it will lower your pH. Use effects of adding to see how much. Use that and your starting pH to calculate ending pH, then use that to see what your CSI will be before adding Borates.

 

[keithpgdrb]

I will admit that I do not understand CSI. mine is within the recommended level via pool math. -0.05. I will read up on it.

 

[keithpgdrb]

did a little reading. it seems my current level of -.05 is pretty much neutral, which is where I want to be I believe. My last measurements are as follows. My CH has been slowly drifting down since I switched to tweaking with liquid chlorine last summer. before I discovered TFP, I was throwing at least a pound of bagged shock in the pool weekly as maintenance. not realizing I was adding Calcium every time I did it.

FC 6.5 (I try to keep it about 7)
CC .5
TA 70
PH 7.6
CH 550
CYA 50 (or somewhere in there. I cant read that test)
Temp 82
salt 3600
borates, none yet.