Fighting Algae with Borax

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UPDATE:
Opened the pool for the first time since Sunday evening. Crystal clear water (I was concerned) I ran tests: (I haven't received my borate test strips yet.)
FC -1.5
cc- less than .5
ph- 7.3
temp -81
cya - under 50
TA - 160
More rain is forecast, so I added a bottle of bleach and closed it back up.

I'm no chemist, but I'm a believer in borates.

[Sumo1]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread but I'll ask for advice for a friend who can't post here. Assuming no borates are present, how much borax and how much acid would be appropriate for an Intex pool w/7200 gallon capacity? Do you think it's safe for her to use liquid acid in an Intex pool? Thanks,
Hal

[waterbear]

each 60 oz borax raises 1000 gallons 50 ppm and requieres 30 oz of acid. Each box of 20 mule team is 76 oz. I am going to assume 7000 gal of water which sould be fine so your friend would need 26 1/4 lbs borax (about 5 1/2 boxes) and 1 1/2 gallon and about 1 pint of acid. The acid should be fine in an intext pool. Put in half the borax (presdissolved), then 3/4 gallon of acid (3 quarts)--you might want to add it a quart at a time by putting each quart into a 5 gal bucket of water first and then broadcasting it into the pool, always add the acid to water--NOT the other way around), brush the pool well to mix it up. Then add the rest of the borax and the other 3 quarts of acid and brush and let it circulate for about 24 hours. Test the pH and bring it back down to 7.6 with the rest of the acid. You might need an ounce or so more to get to 7.6 over the pint.

[Sumo1]

Thanks, Evan. I'll pass it on.
Hal

[jenpen400]

I'm thinking about borates too first year I have been fighting algae. Surgery and three herniated discs in my neck have made daily pool more difficult. It's a real pain lugging all the bleach. I have sky high phosphates from fill water. 13,500 above ground pool I followed the posts in the china shop but with the meds and all I need borates for dummy's OK I will get the strips. Now how much do I add when and where? I have never added any Borax to the water.
Thanks Again,
jennifer

[waterbear]

about 10.5 boxes will get you pretty close to 50 ppm and you will need about 3 gallons of acid. Add half the borax and half the acid and then add the rest of the borax and acid. Wait 24 hours and bring your pH down to 7.6. It will most likely be slightly higher than that.

[Sumo1]

Concerning JENPEN's sky high phosphates, a 'conventional' thinking pool service friend of mine has fallen head over heels in love with SeaKleer (SeaKleen?) phosphate remover. He says it has virtually eliminated his concerns about algae in the pools he services and he's been telling me I need to treat my pool with it. The only algae issue I've had in the last 2 years was when I left town for 11 days and forgot to increase the CL level. The thinking makes sense to me...if the algae has nothing to eat, it can't survive, can it? What say you??
Hal

[chem geek]

1) Phosphate remover is expensive while maintaining sufficient chlorine levels is not.

2) Fertilizer contains both nitrates and phosphates so if you've got any planting near your pool or live near agriculture, then odds are you've got this stuff blowing in every now and then so this isn't a one-time removal issue.

3) Pools with high phosphates, but proper chlorine levels, do not have an algae problem. There were two exceptions to this with VERY high phosphate levels reported on this forum (I think it was this forum), but we never followed up to make sure it wasn't something else. Perhaps extremely high phosphate levels may require a somewhat higher chlorine level to keep away algae, but this is speculation.

4) You can accomplish the same thing (i.e. keep away algae) by using PolyQuat 60, though that needs to be added, at least a little, every week.

5) You can accomplish the same thing (i.e. keep away algae) by having 30-50 ppm Borates in the pool.

Try letting the chlorine drop to zero or get really low in one of these phosphate-removed pools and see how long it takes for algae to develop. If it really worked that well, then such removal products would tell you that you could lower your chlorine levels since you no longer need as much chlorine since it no longer has to consume any algae (it's still needed for disinfection at very low levels and needed enough in reserve to not run out). I haven't heard such claims so suspect that chlorine is STILL needed so why not just maintain it at the proper level. Worst case, use a little PolyQuat 60 every now and then for insurance.

Richard

[Sumo1]

Do you know if Polyquat has metals in it that might affect a SWG? I've no experience with P-60, only have read of it's use in Poolforum. Thanks.
Hal

[topless]

2 years ago, I to fell into the pool store line that I had high phosphates and that was the reason for my algae problem. So I bought and used a couple hundred dollars of No-Phos. Other than sucking money from my wallet, I never saw any other effect.

I got my borate test strips, my borates are at 80. Probably because I had added 2 boxes of Borax right after I had opened the pool and my ph was low. I shouldn't have. I didn't know about aerating at that point. I didn't think much of that would be left after all the refilling I did during vacuuming to waste.