Quote Originally Posted by chem geek

Now for the chlorine usage question. I don't know why the Boric Acid would cut down the chlorine usage. If you can, try to see if this usage is cut down both day and overnight or if it seems to be mostly a reduction (percentage-wise) in daytime usage. I'm trying to figure out if the Boric Acid is helping to protect the chlorine from sunlight or if it is helping to disinfect and/or oxidize so that chlorine doesn't have to. I don't see the mechanisms for Boric Acid in either process, but it would be good to isolate down to one of these. Since most chlorine usage is due to breakdown from sunlight, it is more likely that the Boric Acid is helping there somehow, but I don't know the mechanism and if it helped prevent breakdown in the same way that CYA does (by binding with chlorine), then that would likely also lower chlorine's effectiveness which wouldn't be good. So we really do need to get to the bottom of this.

Richard
I will try but I am working two jobs and taking classes so I really only have time to test my water on Fridays. I will see if I can get a chance to do some spot checks in the AM and at night (I don't usualy get home from work until around 1 AM so I don't know if they will do much good). This might have to wait until next summer. I suspect that the known anti fungal action of boron might have something to do with this. Perhaps the boron is killing some of the nasties in the water so the chlorine doesn't have to?