Not sure why you put the borax in.
To lower TA (really, CA or carbonate alkalinity -- you can't lower non-carbonate alkalinity, as a rule)
you have to follow 4 steps:
- Lower your pH to 7.0 . . . and then lower it just a little more.
- Aerate via your jets, with bumptious 10-yr old boys, or however OR just wait;
- When the pH rises back to 7.4 - 7.6
(which it will do quickly, with aeration or slowly, without), retest alkalinity.- If it's OK, do nothing. If it is STILL high, restart at #1
For what it's worth . . . I wrote the rules on how to do this, over 20 years ago, when NO ONE ELSE in the entire pool business agreed. If you follow my instructions, they WILL work, but do NOT add more borax, till your alkalinity has dropped! (Did someone at TFP tell you to do that?)
A couple of points to consider:
- This is a PROCESS, not a dump it in and it's done step!
- With VIGOROUS aeration -- like multiple spa jets with venturi air -- it can be quick (hours).
- With no aeration, it will be slow, even weeks.
- Do NOT try to speed up with lowering the pH much below 7.0. Low pH (< 6.5) DAMAGES many things!
- Finally, don't hurry if you don't need to do so. (Why do you even need to lower your Alk? Do you have a heater or a SWCG? Is the pool getting cloudy from calcium carbonate?)
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