is there a borax calculator?

[pairadocs]

how do i calculate this to raise pH? i looked around and couldn't find a sticky?

Also, do I need to dilute the borax in a bucket of pool water, or can i just throw it as dry powder into the pool?

thanks,

bob

[aylad]

Also, do I need to dilute the borax in a bucket of pool water, or can i just throw it as dry powder into the pool?

thanks,

bob

How much Borax you have to use will depend...the higher your TA is, the more Borax it will take to raise your pH. For example, in a pool with a TA of 100, it may only take 1/2 box to raise pH by 0.4-0.6, but in the same pool with a TA of 180, it will take much more Borax to raise the pH by the same amount. It also depends on the volume of your pool.

I pour Borax as dry powder into the skimmer and let it dissolve from there--I see results in my IG pool within the hour doing it that way.

Janet

[pairadocs]

How much Borax you have to use will depend...the

I pour Borax as dry powder into the skimmer and let it dissolve from there--I see results in my IG pool within the hour doing it that way.

Janet

Janet - thank you

Is there anything wrong with dispersing it across the pool as a powder? I feel strange putting a half a box in the skimmer and letting it sit there/suck into the filter....

[chem geek]

In general, the amount of Borax it takes to raise pH depends on the starting and ending (target) pH, the TA, CYA, and Borates levels. The same is true for calculating how much of any other base or acid it takes to change pH. Nevertheless, there are two types of information I can give you that can help. The first it the "equivalent" amount for each type of acid or base and these are exact numbers (i.e. independent of those other parameters I mentioned above) ignoring the addition of carbonate or borate. The second is the change in pH in "standard" water in 10,000 gallons and this is dependent on the parameters I mentioned above.

1 cup of Muriatic Acid (31.45% Hydrochloric Acid) is equivalent to 10.8 ounces (weight) or about 0.53 cups of sodium bisulfate dry acid and is also equivalent to about 1 cup of Sulfuric Acid (38.5%). For "standard" water, the pH will be lowered by 0.18 for these quantities of acid in 10,000 gallons.

21.1 ounces weight or about 1 cup of Soda Ash / Washing Soda / Sodium Carbonate is equivalent to 8.5 ounces weight or about 0.48 cups of Caustic Soda / Lye / Sodium Hydroxide and is also equivalent to about 42 ounces weight or about 3 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax / Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate and is also equivalent to about 32.9 ounces weight or about 2.2 cups of Sodium Tetraborate Pentahydrate. For "standard" water, the pH will be raised by 0.64 for these quantities of base in 10,000 gallons.

In the above, "standard" water is at a pH of 7.5, a TA of 100, CYA of 30, and has no Borates.

So it takes about twice the weight of Borax compared to "pH Up", but about three times the volume since Borax is less dense.

Richard

[Watermom]

It won't hurt to throwing the borax across the pool, but.... make it easy on yourself. Just pour it in the skimmer. That is what the rest of us do. Since you do it while the pump is running, it immediately is pulled into the filter, dissolved, and quickly out into the water. It doesn't just sit in the filter. If you have any big clumps when you pour it into the skimmer, just reach in and break them up. Within seconds it is mixing in with your pool's volume. Nothing to be concerned about!