Borate as an algae preventative! It works!

Once again I just got back from a 10 day vacation. I shut off all power to the pool before I left because I knew there would be a lot of evaporation (there was..temperatures were really high here in FL and pool gets a lot of sun.) I didn't bother to shock before I left but all my water parameters were in the correct range (last test before vacation FC 4 CC 0 pH 7.7 TA 70 CH 360 CYA 80 Borate 50.

When we returned on Saturday the pool was still clear. I topped of the water (it was down about a foot from evaporation), turned the power back on and tested. The only thing out of line was no FC. I shocked the pool, and today everything is good to go.

I have had the same experience every summer since adding borate to the pool 6 years ago. I have gone away for as long as 2 and a half weeks and returned to a clear or, at worst, a slightly cloudy, pool that was ready to swim in a day after shocking. Normally, an unattended and stagnant pool in FL would turn green in a matter of days once the chlorine was gone or have algae growing on the walls.

I submit this a proof of the algaestatic properties of 50 ppm borate and suggest it is a worthwhile additive to ANY pool since ti does not need to be added as often as polyquat (bringing it back to 50 ppm once a year), is less expensive in the long run (borax and muriatic acid is not that expensive, even in a large pool), and has additional benefits (such as its pH buffering property). It also does not create a chlorine demand (like polyquat) or get broken down by shocking (like polyquat).

Comments welcome and if the Mods or Ben feel this would be better in the China Shop please move it (but I feel that borate has become 'mainstream' enough to warrant posting this here.)

Makes me wonder on how well bringing up the borate level would work when shutting down the pool for the winter. Usually I close as late as possible, mid-October and open early in April, so that the water is clear. But, sometimes there are warm spells or I open a bit later (this year!) and can get some green algae action. Seems like the borates may help, though I wonder how they would make out through 5-6 months of frozen water.

Proteam sold their Supreme as a winter closing kit so it should work just fine.

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Originally Posted by waterbear

Proteam sold their Supreme as a winter closing kit so it should work just fine.

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Thanks, I'll check out your borate posts this fall.