Quote Originally Posted by swimg View Post
I've tested the fill water and pool water with my Taylor K2006 kit and the pH is at least 8.0. . . . . I have only put bleach in the water. Do I skip the borax and put in muriatic acid? I don't understand why the pH needs to be lower than our drinking water.
1. When you go off-recipe, the recipe no longer applies. The recipe is dichlor based; dichlor will lower your pH. Bleach won't, and in fact, tends to raise it slightly.

2. You have to decide what you're gonna do. If you're gonna follow the recipe, set the bleach down and go get some PURE dichlor. If you're NOT gonna follow the recipe, than the recipe dosing chart has NOTHING to do with you.

3. The liquid in your stomach is NOT at pH 8.0. Your stomach -- and your body generally -- has a chemical regulation system that is so far beyond ANYTHING used in water treatment, there's absolutely NO comparison. If you want to get an idea of the level of sophistication of internal regulation, watch this incredible video from Harvard University:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKW4F...eature=related

You should watch it at max resolution and full screen. It's a biologically accurate visualization of what happens within a SINGLE human cell! The most sophisticated swimming pool in the world doesn't even come close! My older son, who has a recent biochemistry degree, can narrate it, and explain all the bits and pieces, but I can't.