4 Reasons to Add Borate in Your Swimming Pool or Spa
Borate prevents pH drifting, which causes calcium scaling, metal stains, cloudy water, algae, and hard pool water. Barack is an expert pool chemistry guy and experienced online-based pool maintenance assistant, and his in-depth articles for Borate rank at the top of search results.
Do I Need Borate in My Pool?
Borate stabilizes the pH in a pool, preventing pH-related problems, as well as softening the water and preventing metal stains and corrosion, to name a few benefits. The main benefit of using borate in a swimming pool is ease of maintenance.
1. It Helps Stabilize pH
Low pH erodes pool parts, causing damage to plasters and grouting. High pH can cause health issues such as burning eyes and nose, as well as dry, itchy skin.
2. It Helps Prevent Algae
This means that algae will not grow in your water, and you won’t have to worry about increasing the alkalinity of your tap water or using chemicals to treat it.
3. It Reduces Chlorine Usage
Because free chlorine is not consumed at a high rate when pH is stable, you will not need to shock your pool as often, and the byproducts of too much chlorine are even more dangerous than chlorine itself.
4. It Makes Sparkling and Soft Water
Because chloramine (or combined chlorine) does not form quickly in the presence of borate, the water will remain clear for a long time. Most borate agents on the market today contain a chlorine stabilizer as well as components that help soften hard water, which causes dry skin and eyes.
What Are the Downsides of Using Borate in the Pool?
Some pool managers may choose to forego the extra cost (without weighing the benefits). There has been some concern that borates are toxic to pets such as dogs and cats, but there is no pool chemical that is not toxic to humans or pets.
Which Is the Best Borate to Use?
Most people prefer 20 Mule Team Borax because it is less expensive and can be used to raise pH without increasing total alkalinity (TA). However, when used as a pH stabilizer, you must use a strong acid such as muriatic acid.
Step 1: Add the Borate
Brush down the sides of your pool all the way to create currents to mix it up faster, and mix the recommended level of Supreme Plus (or Salt Support) in your pool with your pump running.
Step 3: Test Your Water
After drinking alcohol for 24 hours, test your blood for levels of borate, pH, and TA. Borate should be around 50 ppm, pH should be between 7.4u20137.6, and TA should be between 0.1 and 0.2 at room temperature.
Step 4: Continue to Test Borate Levels Monthly
Even if you backwash frequently, you’ll need to test and adjust your system on a regular basis to ensure that harmful gases don’t build up in your environment.
Step 5: Enjoy
Enjoy sparkling, soft, algae-free water with a stable pH, less chlorine use, and less calcium scaling and metal staining. This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not a substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
Questions & Answers
Question: How much borax should I add to a 14000-gallon pool that is completely green? Answer: A green pool indicates the presence of algae, which you cannot remove with borax. Instead, you must super shock the pool with liquid chlorine until the greenness is gone.
Comments
Barack James (author) from Green City in the Sun on June 11, 2020: You just need to bring all of the chemical levels within the recommended range; pale blue color is sometimes normal in swimming pools due to effects of light on water; you don’t need to worry unless it’s green color, which could be algae or metal stains. Angel on June 11, 2020: My pool is 1000 gallons. Test strip readings are all low and I’m not sure what to do.
Can I add borax to hot tub?
Yes, just like in swimming pools, you can use borax to maintain pH levels in your hot tub. Borate or borax is used to raise pH without affecting Total Alkalinity level in a swimming pool.
Does borax raise total alkalinity?
Borax is extremely effective at stabilizing alkalinity and acting as a pH buffer in swimming pools, and while it does raise pH, it also raises total alkalinity.
In which products borax is used?
Borax is best known for its cleaning properties, but it can also be found in a variety of other household products, including: specialty toothpastes and mouthwashes; cosmetics such as lotions, skin creams, moisturizers, sunscreen, and acne care products; and paint and ceramic glaze.
Will borax clear a cloudy pool?
By stabilizing pH in the proper range, borax can also help keep water clear and inhibit algae growth.
What does borax do to hot tub water?
Boric acid and sodium borates are commonly used as pH buffers in swimming pools and spas, which means they help increase the water’s capacity to resist changes in pH, but they also have other uses, such as inhibiting algae growth and reducing corrosion.
Can you use baking soda in hot tub?
Turn on the hot tub jets and let the baking soda circulate for two to four hours before retesting the pH level of the water.
What does baking soda do for pools?
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is naturally alkaline and has a pH of 8. When you add baking soda to your pool water, it raises both the pH and the alkalinity, improving stability and clarity. Baking soda is the main active ingredient in many commercial pool products for raising alkalinity.
Is borax and soda ash the same?
What are they made of? Sodium carbonate, also known as washing soda or soda ash, is a naturally occurring mineral with the formula Na2CO3. Borax, on the other hand, is made up of sodium tetraborate, or Na2B4O7, which has a slightly different chemical composition.
How much borax do you add to laundry?
You can boost the cleaning power of your laundry detergent by adding half a cup of borax to each wash load.
Why has borax been banned?
Borax has been banned in the EU due to concerns about its effects on reproductive health, based on studies on mice and rats given high (abnormally high) doses.
Can you mix borax and vinegar?
To make an all-purpose cleaning spray, dissolve 2 teaspoons of borax in 4 cups of hot water, then combine with 1 teaspoon of dish soap and 4 tablespoons of vinegar to clean countertops, appliances, windows, and other surfaces.
Does borax keep bugs away?
Borax is effective at killing and controlling a variety of insects, such as fleas, silverfish, and beetles, as well as ants and grain weevils.
Will baking soda clear cloudy pool water?
Will baking soda clear up a cloudy pool? If the cloudy pool water problem is caused by the water in your swimming pool having a lower than recommended pH and Alkalinity, the answer is a resounding yes.
What is the difference between borax and baking soda?
Borax is significantly more alkaline than baking soda, with a pH of 9.5 compared to 8 for baking soda, making it more effective in some situations but also a harsher cleaning agent.
How much baking soda does it take to raise pH?
According to standard, 1.25 pounds of baking soda is enough to raise the PH level of a 10,000-gallon pool by 10ppm, so a 100,000-gallon pool would require 12.5 pounds of baking soda to achieve a 100ppm alkalinity.