It is sold as a pesticide and in small amounts in land- scaping companies, nurseries, gardening stores and home centers. However, we did find a source that ships nationwide. The website for boric acid and other borate products is here:. The powder version works better than the granules. It is often found in grocery stores in the laundry aisle. Adding oz or 7. So as an approximate amount, you will need 2 boxes per 10, gallons per 10 ppm.
Close is OK and a borate level that is more than 50 ppm is actually better. Borax has a pH of about 9. This has two potential problems. First, if there are any metals in the water copper, iron or manganese there is a possibility of causing a stain. Metals may be dissolved in the water and may be at the saturation point for that pH, alkalinity and hardness. When the pH is raised by adding Borax the metals may precipitate out causing a stain.
So if you have had problems with metal stains in the past or if you are using well water, you should consider testing the water for metals and then using a metal remover, stain inhibitor chemical called sequestering agents or using another borate-containing product such as boric acid or a borate pH neutralized product instead of Borax see below. Second, to offset the high pH of the Borax you will need to add muriatic acid The amount needed is 3 gallons for 10 boxes of Borax or 2 fl oz of muriatic acid for each 1 oz of Borax added.
In addition, before adding the Borax, the alkalinity should be about 80 ppm and the pH should be about 7. The Total Alkalinity must be lower than ppm and the Hardness must be less than ppm before adding Borax. Adjusting these levels may or may not be needed. Test the water to be sure and make the adjustments. The directions and procedures for adding sodium tetraborate pentahydrate to a pool are the same as for adding Borax above.
The difference is that you will need less of this chemical because it contains half as much water — pentahydrate 5 H2O versus decahydrate 10 H2O. Adding 90 oz or 5. Just like Borax, sodium tetraborate pentahydrate has a high pH of about 9. To offset the high pH you will need to add muriatic acid The amount needed is 1 gallon for each 4 lbs of sodium tetraborate pentahydrate or 1 fl oz of muriatic acid for each 1.
Calculate Dose of Sodium Tetraborate Pentahydrate. There are a few products available that combine the borate chemicals with pH neutralizing chemicals and perhaps some metal inhibitors or other additives so all you have to do is add them. They are convenient and easy to use but as you might have guessed, they are more expensive than other borate products.
The use directions for this product are 3. So using our example of 16, gallons, we would need Convenience has its cost. Weight Borax sodium tetraborate decahydrate oz 7. It is better to weigh borate products rather than using a scoop or measuring cup. Regardless of which product you use, we highly recommend using borates in pool water.
It will make maintaining pools easier with fewer problems and better water quality. Cost is not the only consideration in choosing a borate product. Availability, ease of use, convenience, muriatic acid use, storage, handling, personal safety, time and effort are all considerations. The pH goes really high near 9. This requires adding a large amount of acid to lower TA back to a target of 90 ppm which will lower pH much lower than 7. Then you need to aerate and create turbulence and splashing to raise only the pH.
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A few folks asked for a sticky on this so here it is. If you just want to jump to how without the why look for the blue part of this post below! Several companies are selling sodium tetraborate pentahydrate as a pool additive under such names as Proteam's Supreme, Bioguard's Optimizer Plus, Poollife Endure, Guardex Maximizer, and others. Several claims have been made for these products when used in a ppm concentration such as: 1 more stable pH 2 Algaestatic properties 3 reduced chlorine usage 4 silkier feeling water--less skin and eye irritation 5 clearer, 'sparkling' water Do these products live up to the claims made for them?
A definite YES! Remember that all pools are different so you might see dramatic results or just a slight improvement. There are a lot of other factors that come into play. Do borates help simplify pool maintenace? Another definite YES! Are there any downsides to adding borates? I can only think of two. I do have to say that most people find that their pools become much easier to maintain once the borates are in and several people on the PoolForum board have reported that since adding borates they have not had any mustard algae outbreaks.
As far as dogs or people ingesting small amounts of pool water, that's not going to hurt then BUT if you dog things the pool is their own private giant water dish that is NOT a good thing, borates or not! There are may chemicals in our pools that are not really good for our pets to consume in large quantities! Provide fresh drinking water outside and change it regularly and it's pretty easy to teach your pets not to drink from the pool!
I know a bit about this, I have three dogs and a cat! Do I feel the benefits of borates outweigh the downsides? Just remember that adding borates are not going to magically cure your pH problems or algae problems and they are NOT going to relieve you of having to test and balance your water! They will just help make these jobs easier! You can also use sodium tetraborate decahydrate 20 Mule Team Borax to achieve the same results for a much lower price.
Here is how to do it: You will need a bunch of 20 Mule Team Borax and Don't forget some borate test strips! The LaMotte Borate test strips are the best ones I have come across. First, adjust your TA to your target value. This is actually the hardest part of this whole procedure.
This should be around ppm for SWGs and liquid chlorine or bleach , around ppm if you are using trichlor. The borates will cause a very slight increase in the TA when you are done. After TA is at target value adjust pH to between 7. Figure out how much borax and acid you need. An easy way to do this is to remember that 12 oz. This is not exact but it's close enough. Remember, we are talking about a pool, we're not making rocket fuel here! So, if 12 oz. Likewise, we would need to add 30 oz. Here is an example: Let's say we have a gal.
Let's convert that into pounds by dividing by 16 16 oz. That would be Each box of borax weights 4. You will end up close enough to 50 ppm! Now for the acid. There are oz. For our example this is oz. If you follow along on a calculator you can see how I am rounding off to the nearest EASY measurement.
For your pool water sanitizer to work properly, the pH levels must be correct. Additionally, the total alkalinity should be at the level it needs to be. Chlorine allowed to live its best life is the best protection against algae and any other bacterial growth. The lasting power of borax is phenomenal. Their chemical nature causes them to evaporate soon after they dissolve. But unlike these carbonates, our little champ, borax, goes nowhere.
We partner with HomeAdvisor to help you find the best swimming pool maintenance and cleaning services in your area. Compare quotes for free from fully vetted pool professionals. Then you have no choice but to add more chemicals to fix the problem. Such a pH ensures your sanitizer works appropriately. If your pool water pH rises above 7. On the other hand, if the pH falls below 7. Ensure an optimum pH always to avoid such issues.
Total alkalinity is a vital measurement of your pool chemistry you should take several times a week. The optimal level for total alkalinity is between 80 and parts per million ppm. It may be necessary to include an acid in your borax to balance the pH. The borax will really raise your pH, so you alternate the borax and the acid, building a borax or borates residual slowly over several hours or days, while keeping the pH in line.
If you are using one of the boric acid products or your own borax pool treatment, you can test the levels of borates in your pool by using the AquaChek Borate Test Kit. Test your borate levels in your pool monthly, or as needed, to maintain the residual of ppm of borates in the water. Let us know if you decide to try borates or borax in your pool, and how it turns out for you.
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