Quote Originally Posted by paigemetoo View Post
Is there a chart or guidelines to dosing borax?
Like ____ amount of borax will raise the ph ______amount for every ____gallons of pool water.
The calculator Jim pointed you to, based on a much more elaborate spreadsheet by ChemGeek is OK.

But keep in mind, calculations for adjusting pH and alkalinity are ALWAYS uncertain.

You can calculate the ppm change in
  • chlorine, based on a give dose, IF THERE IS NO CC, and
  • calcium, based on a given dose, AND
  • stabilizer, based on given dose, IF YOU MANAGE TO DISSOLVE ALL THE CYA, AND
  • borates, based on a given dose, etc.

But the ONLY way to 'calculate' pH change is to do an acid/base demand test, and to work off those results.

For this reason it is ALWAYS best to add a PARTIAL dose, and then test, and then add some more IF NEEDED.

Pool stores don't care about this problem, because if you OVERDOSE, then they can sell you something ELSE to compensate for the overdose!

This is an issue ChemGeek and I went round and round about several times. Exact dosing works for HIM, because he is an exceedingly meticulous guy, in testing, in dosing, in everything. But that level of exactness is typical of maybe 0.01% of the population . . . and that is NOT an exaggeration. Precise dosing does NOT work well for 99% of pool owners.

Pseudo-exact chlorine doses are fine . . . because too much is probably a good thing. But for ALL other doses -- pH adjustment, alkalinity, calcium, stabilizer, etc -- incremental doses are MUCH better.

Pool pros have to use exact doses . . . even though they aren't optimal . . . because they don't LIVE at the pool. Pool owners do.